Dec 07, 2011 
It has now been four years that Ersa introduced its first stencil printers into the market. The printer models VERSAPRINT P1 and S1 were launched and brought fresh impetus into the market with their integrated 100 % post print inspection feature. By integrating post print inspection Ersa managed to install a feature in the printer customers had been dreaming of for a long time and for which competitive systems provided approaches only.
On the occasion of this year's Productronica show Ersa launched its latest development in the field of screen printers: the VERSAPRINT F1. The VERSAPRINT F1 is the ideal printer to enter line production and is perfectly suitable for customers expecting perfect prints from a very easy-to-operate printer system.
The printer is equipped with an area camera that uses two separate camera modules. Both modules have two illumination techniques: axial and diffuse illumination, thus qualifying them to recognize even most complicated structures on the substrate. The stencil cleaner is a standard feature, as well, combining wet-, dry- and vacuum cleaning.
Options are, of course, PCB inspection with regard to paste coverage, short-circuits and print offset as well as stencil inspection with regard to clogging and smearing. Due to the use of an area camera, only a partial inspection at line speed will be possible, however.
The range of the F1's optional features leaves nothing to be desired. It is a highly flexible system and can optimally be equipped for the customer's production needs: set-up monitoring, data matrix code reader, retractable hold-down devices, air conditioning and board dispenser to name a few of the optional possibilities.
The VERSAPRINT F1 machine concept is completely new on the other hand. More space was needed and added between stencil and PCB to integrate new features which are already being developed. The camera still moves between both media. In the F1 printer the stencil is aligned and lowered onto the PCB for the print. What is new, however, is that the the stencil can move a considerably higher distance upwards after printing, thus creating virtually unlimited space between board and stencil - space for new options.
The VERSAPRINT F1 will be available as of the beginning of 2012.
