Front-tracking of dense suspensions using synchrotron imaging

Important results from the project

Advanced electronics are a prerequisite for modern society, regardless of whether it concerns how we communicate, work, or are entertained. Electronics are becoming more compact and require increasingly accurate manufacturing methods, where the placement (deposition) of small volumes of electrically conductive material is needed to produce functional mounted circuit boards. This project aims to high-speed image the jetting process using synchrotron X-rays to see the deposition and understand how the process can be changed to enable the electronic products of the future.

Expected long term effects

The high-speed X-ray images of the jetting process obtained during the visit to the ESRF in Grenoble, France, offer the first detailed opportunity to look into the millimeter-sized steel structure and simultaenously testing our theories of how the liquid moves. Advanced image processing has made it possible to follow the fluid´s movement during the ultra fast sequence of events and this information has been compared with a digital twin that has been created. With that knowledge, we will be able to develop new methods to control the volume and quality of deposited material.

Approach and implementation

The project´s three parties (Mycronic, FCC and KTH) complemented each other during the implementation of the project. The preparation of the experimental system was planned by Mycronic and KTH, while numerical simulations for comparison were prepared by FCC. An active dialogue with the technical staff at ESRF was instrumental for the projects successful imaging experiments of the rapid motion of the fluid. The experimental phase consisted of two days, one for experimental setup and testing, and a second where the beam adjustment was performed together with the actual imaging trials.