Vermes Microdispensing and Droptical are entering into a strategic technology partnership with MOL Solutions for the control and monitoring of dosing processes. The combination of Vermes’ microdispensing systems and Droptical’s optical measurement technology is intended to create an integrated solution that allows users to evaluate droplets immediately after they exit the nozzle. Among other things, the system measures dispensed volumes, droplet formation, satellites, and potential deposits on the nozzle.
Vermes brings its expertise in non-contact microdispensing to the partnership. Droptical’s measurement technology complements the dosing process with data-driven evaluation directly during application. MOL Solutions contributes its experience in microdosing and process development and supports the international marketing of the Droptical solution.
Optical Analysis at the Nozzle Exit
Droptical’s optical technology analyzes the droplet immediately at the nozzle outlet. It detects the release of a droplet, measures the applied volume, and identifies process deviations such as satellite formation or material buildup on the nozzle. This allows even rapidly evaporating media, such as pure alcohol, to be evaluated before a check on the component becomes only of limited value.
For process development, this provides more efficient access to detailed information. Dosing parameters can be evaluated more precisely, settings compared more quickly, and the causes of deviations traced. Depending on the task at hand, investigations using high-speed cameras can be scaled back or specifically supplemented. Thanks to stroboscopic image capture, even light-sensitive liquids can be measured. The measurement data helps define robust process windows and better ensure the transfer of a developed dispensing process to production.
Feedback for Development and Ongoing Process
Even during ongoing operations, the solution is designed to provide direct feedback on each dosing operation. This allows errors to be detected early, before they become apparent in a downstream process step or after curing. This enhances the traceability of individual dosing events. In smart manufacturing environments, the information can also be linked to component and process data to transparently document applied quantities and process states.
The partners also see potential for the development of closed-loop control systems in dispensing. Measurement results can already be used today to specifically adjust process parameters such as settings on the dispensing system or media pressure. With the volume-based Drop Volume System+ (DVS+), Vermes already offers a solution for closed-loop process optimization. “Precision doesn’t end with the release of a drop. What matters is knowing what actually happens at the nozzle,” says Stefan Hirte, CEO of Vermes Microdispensing. As part of the partnership, Vermes offers the evaluation of basic dispensing processes, training on the use of a Vermes dispensing system with a droptical device, and the assessment of comprehensive dispensing processes—including inline process control—as a coordinated module.