The future of 3D printing for microelectronics

3D printing is increasingly becoming a key area of focus in the manufacture of microelectronics. At Holst Centre, the joint venture between TNO and imec in Eindhoven, Netherlands, a facility is being built where researchers will be able to carry out the necessary process development. In Time Tec was commissioned to optimize the control technology and harmonize all software components on the Beckhoff platform. Venkatesh Bachu: “Together, we are working on the OT – operational technology – of the future.”

“The collaboration began four years ago,” recalls Venkatesh Bachu, managing director of In Time Tec Europe in Eindhoven, a subsidiary of the American company In Time Tec. The software company focuses on embedded software solutions, UI/UX design, and front-end development, as well as test automation and DevOps.

From MATLAB^® to PLC

At the time, the project involved a proof of concept for a laser transfer tool (LDT), explains Venkatesh Bachu: “We wanted to transfer MATLAB^® algorithms to a PLC for machine control purposes. We chose Beckhoff because its platform features an open architecture and a PC-based controller, and can be easily programmed using C++ and Structured Text – similar to how we work in IT. We started by transferring and adapting software to the platform that was intended to be the process orchestrator in a MainDevice/SubDevice configuration.”

At Holst Centre, they were also working on another tool. Jeroen Sol-van Beuningen, a researcher working on behalf of TNO (the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) who is responsible for software development within the 3D-printed electronics team, describes the work: “The groundwork had previously been laid by TNO, and we had picked up where they left off. The machine was already running on a Beckhoff backbone. As is typical for a development tool, various components were installed on it, such as a high-resolution UV light projector and an alignment tool, each of which ran on its own software.”

Harmonization based on one interface

The software for the various components was not always compatible, as Jeroen Sol-van Beuningen explains: “This was a bottleneck for the researchers working with the tool. There were up to five windows they had to use to control the various parts of the system. Based on our positive experience with the LDT tool, we asked In Time Tec if they could harmonize all the controllers on the Beckhoff platform so that the machine could be controlled via a single interface.”

Sol-van Beuningen adds that work has been underway on this for the past two years: “We worked together to define the process within the machine and the user experience. We wrote the software for the primary printing process, while In Time Tec handled the higher-level automation, including communication between the various components. Users can now simply have the machine print what they need and thus continue to refine their process; they no longer have to constantly adapt the software.”

An intermediary between researchers and software developers

Jeroen Sol-van Beuningen really enjoyed working with In Time Tec. “They contribute their expertise in advanced software development, integration of communication protocols, user experience, and a web-centric approach. A colleague of Venkatesh Bachu was on site with us to install, test, and validate new software releases. She served as an intermediary between our researchers and their software developers. Within a year, she had become so familiar with the system that she could work with it just as well as our researchers.”

Bachu adds: “Our engineers in Eindhoven worked alongside the TNO team to understand what was required. We then had our software team in India take over the actual programming and conducted tests at Holst Centre so that we could proceed iteratively. This is how we operate as a global software company – both on site and offshore.”

Integration of OT and IT

One result of this collaboration was that In Time Tec was named as a certified Beckhoff Solution Provider this spring. In this role, the software company focuses on industrial automation, HMI design, controllers based on image processing, cloud engineering, IoT connectivity, and cybersecurity. “We’re seeing that OT (operational technology) and IT are becoming increasingly intertwined in our world,” explains Stijn de Bruin, Eindhoven site manager at Beckhoff Netherlands: “Machines no longer operate independently; instead, they’re connected to the cloud. That’s why we needed a solution provider that focuses on the IT side of industrial automation, as well as a partner to provide application support to our customers.”

Venkatesh Bachu is delighted with this: “A typical solution provider in this region has its roots in the OT sector, whereas we have a strong IT foundation. Many companies still do their programming right at the workstation. While this works, it makes version control and approval more difficult. In Time Tec helps companies modernize this process so that engineers can focus on their core tasks.”

Faster time to market

Jointly, the two partners are setting up a module for the Factory of the Future at the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC), explains Stijn De Bruin: “This module is intended as a demonstration model and will serve as a great showcase for the collaboration between our hardware and In Time Tec’s software. Many of our customers are not yet familiar with the company as an OT provider.” Bachu confirms: “Together, we are working on the OT of the future. Developments are advancing so rapidly – in the context of Industry 4.0 and 5.0, with data-driven and AI-supported process control in mobile, web, and cloud environments – that machine builders can no longer keep track of everything on their own. We help them get to market faster and, ultimately, enable their customers to start production sooner.”

Innovation through automation

In addition to automation and harmonization, the projects also focused on technical innovation, Venkatesh Bachu adds. “I am proud of the automatic fiducial detection feature we developed for the LDT tool. Gari Arutinov from TNO played an important role in the research that made this possible. When aligning printed circuit boards using fiducials, an operator was able to achieve an accuracy of 60 to 80 µm through a laborious process, but that was not enough. We automated this alignment using a camera. Now, accuracy of 30 to 50 µm can be achieved with a single push of a button.” For the 3D printer, the most important factors were to increase throughput speed and reproducibility, as well as to eliminate human error through automation. One challenge was that the camera software was not compatible; the Beckhoff Vision camera was not yet on the market at that time. “We were able to solve that problem, too.” As image processing was time-critical, a distributed clock based on the EtherCAT protocol developed by Beckhoff was used. “All in all, this is a great example of innovation resulting from the combination of TNO’s process expertise, Beckhoff’s hardware, and In Time Tec’s software expertise.”