FOM alphaSC Manual

FOM alphaSC
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE MANUAL
Revised January 2023

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FOM TECHNOLOGIES A/S
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([phone]
Contents
1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................1
1.1. Equipment specifications ...................................................................................1
1.2. Safety: disclaimers & equipment hazards ..........................................................2
2. Description of equipment .........................................................................................6
2.1. Relevant standards..........................................................................................12
2.1.1. Machine standards ....................................................................................12
2.1.2. Electrical panel standards..........................................................................12
2.2. System requirements.......................................................................................13
2.2.1. Wiring information......................................................................................16
2.2.2. Compressed air .........................................................................................16
3. Setup instructions...................................................................................................17
3.1. Safe startup......................................................................................................17
3.2. Installation........................................................................................................18
3.3. WiFi or ethernet connection from the tool ........................................................21
3.4. Connecting a FOM machine to the internet......................................................23
3.4.1. Introduction to IXON Router ......................................................................23
3.4.2. Get connected to the internet ....................................................................24
4. Control interface.....................................................................................................27
4.1. Home screen & Quick Access Ribbon .............................................................27
4.2. Coating screen.................................................................................................30
4.3. Bridge & sequence screen...............................................................................35
4.4. Protocol screen................................................................................................39
4.5. Import/save protocol screen.............................................................................44

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4.6. Settings screen ................................................................................................47
4.7. Motion settings screen.....................................................................................50
4.8. Heating settings screen....................................................................................52
4.9. Miscellaneous settings screen .........................................................................54
4.10. Alarms screen...............................................................................................55
5. Slot-die, syringe, substrate mounting.....................................................................57
5.1. Slot-die assembly, syringe & tubing connection...............................................57
5.2. Slot-die mounting.............................................................................................59
5.2.1. Slot-die across web parallelism adjustment...............................................62
5.2.2. Chuck down-web parallelism adjustment...................................................64
5.3. Mounting syringe into pump.............................................................................67
5.3.1. Reversing syringe mounting orientation ....................................................69
5.4. Substrate mounting..........................................................................................71
6. Getting started with coating....................................................................................72
7. Service & maintenance ..........................................................................................75
7.1. Standard maintenance.....................................................................................75
8. Appendices ............................................................................................................77
8.1. Appendix 1: Software background calculations for film thickness, pump rate and
coating width..............................................................................................................77

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1. Introduction
This document is the operation and maintenance manual for the FOM Technologies
alphaSC. The FOM alphaSC is a benchtop slot-die coating tool designed for use with rigid
and flexible substrates. The tool is designed to deposit thin films composed of a wide
variety of solution-processed precursor materials onto an additionally wide variety of
coating substrates. It represents a miniaturized demonstration of industrial-scale roll-to-
roll and sheet-to-sheet manufacturing technologies. By providing simple, precise control
over coating speed, thickness, and substrate heating, the FOM alphaSC offers a user-
friendly coating experience that is ideally suited for a lab-scale materials research
environment and upscaling to pilot scale coating processes.
1.1. Equipment specifications
Several key specifications of the FOM alphaSC are outlined below (Table 1):
Table 1: Key equipment specifications of the FOM alphaSC.
Specification
Value
Coating width
≤ 500 mm
Substrate compatibility
Rigid and flexible
Substrate throughput
0.01 up to 5.0 m/min
Syringe pump
Integrated
Substrate heating
≤ 200 °C
Slot-die heating
≤ 80 °C (optional)
Slot-die height precision
1 μm
Protocol control
Yes
Dimensions (D x W x H)
680 x 1190 x 690 mm3
Weight
250 kg
Intended lifetime of equipment and safety components
20 years
Site workspace requirement
Suitable extraction

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The FOM alphaSC has been designed and dimensioned for convenient glovebox
compatibility. The stated temperature rating and coating speed are ideally suited to
achieve stable coating of a wide range of materials with thicknesses on the order of less
than one to several tens of microns.
1.2. Safety: disclaimers & equipment hazards
IMPORTANT
To ensure successful operation of the FOM alphaSC and the safety of all lab users,
operators, trainees and maintenance personnel should read and understand this manual
before beginning with any coating experiments or tool maintenance. Operators must be
of sound mind and body before operating this equipment. Operators under the age of 18
should not attempt to operate this equipment. The general public should not be permitted
to use this equipment.
It is recommended that new users should be trained in the use of this equipment by
experienced operators, any deviation from the instructions provided in this manual may
lead to personal and material damage for which FOM Technologies A/S cannot be held
responsible.
The FOM alphaSC is equipped with an emergency stop button, which immediately halts
all ongoing operations in case of an emergency. Thisbutton must be tested once per year
to guarantee its function.
Further information on the risks and hazards associated with the operation of the FOM
alphaSC is provided below.

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Table 2 Risks and hazards associated with the use of the FOM alphaSC.
Risk
Comment
Burn risk
Operators should avoid touching the heating parts when they are hot, as
temperature can reach 200 °C. It should be noted that heated parts will
remain hot for some time even after the equipment has been shut down,
representing a burn risk for operators even when power is not supplied to
the tool. In the case of FOM alphaSC units fitted with an oven module,
operators should additionally avoid touching or opening the oven while it
is heating due to high temperatures and significant IR output. To prevent
the risk of burn, the FOM alphaSC is equipped with a warning LED red
light which will be activated when either the chuck or the slot die head
temperatures are higher than 50 °C. Burn risk areas are depicted in Figure
1.
Crushing/pinching
People can be struck and injured by moving parts of machinery. Parts of
the body can also be drawn in or trapped between, belts drivers and
other components of the tool. Operators should avoid placing their
fingers or any other body parts in the path of any moving part. Damage to
items and persons may occur if they become caught between the slot-die
and chuck, the chuck and the alphaSC housing case, or the shaft and
plates of the syringe pump as they are moving. In the case of FOM
alphaSC units fitted with an oven module, operators should additionally
avoid placing objects or body parts in the path of the oven lid while it is
opening or closing. Crushing/pinching parts are depicted in Figure 2.
Electric shock
Operators should avoid contact with cables and plugs at the rear of the
tool while the main power is being supplied. Operators should avoid
contact with wiring for the chuck energy chain and heated slot-die while
mains power is being supplied. Operators should avoid contact with
electrical cabinet wiring while main power is being supplied. Operators
should take care to only touch the physical power switch on the exterior
of the electrical cabinet when switching on the main power supply for the
tool.

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Chemical exposure
Open coating of heated, solution-processed chemical mixtures may lead
to the evaporation of solvents and other hazardous materials. Operators
should ensure that the tool is installed in a suitably ventilated location to
avoid unintended exposure to these chemical hazards. Operators should
be fully aware of the material risks associated with their work.
Misc.
To avoid damage to persons and equipment, repairs, and servicing of the
FOM alphaSC and its accompanying electrical components should only be
carried out by authorized, trained technicians. If on-site servicing is
required, please contact FOM Technologies directly.
Figure 1: Burn risk. Hot surface hazards are present on the FOM alphaSC. (1) Hazard due to heated vacuum
chuck surface, (2) Hazard due to heated slot-die head.
12

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Figure 2: Crushing/pinching. AlphaSC render showing Crushing and pinching hazards. (1) Hazard
between moving syringe pump components, (2) Hazard between moving slot-die and chuck
component, (3) Hazard between moving chuck and end-stop components.
NOTE: the FOM alphaSC can be integrated with syringe heating sleeves and oven drying
modules if required. These are frequently provided as custom modifications depending
on process specifications and are therefore not pictured in the standard model render
above. However, they certainly represent hot surface hazards if present. Operators
should be fully aware of all custom heating solutions on mounted on their FOM alphaSC
unit to avoid burn risks during operation.
3
2
1

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2. Description of equipment
The FOM alphaSC is a compact slot-die coating tool with a simple, user-friendly design.
The exterior of the tool consists of several simple components, as seen below (Figure 3):
Figure 3: (a) Labelled render of the alphaSC and its respective components; (1) Coating bridge, (2)
Slot-die positioning gantry, (3) Slot-die, (4) Heated vacuum chuck and (5) Hardware quick buttons and
Emergency stop button. (b) Photograph of an external manual control box where the control box is
position on the outside of an inclosure hood with air extraction.
1. Coating bridge: supports the slot-die positioning gantry over the substrate.
2. Slot-die positioning gantry: holds the slot-die on the tool and controls its position
over the substrate.
3. Slot-die: Slot-die receives coating fluid from the syringe and distributes it evenly
across the desired coating width on the substrate.
2
5
3
4
1
ab
6

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4. Heated vacuum chuck: The vacuum chuck fixates the substrate through a
vacuum applied through the porosity of the material. Additionally, the temperature
can be controlled with the aid of heat convection from resistive elements
embedded on the body of the chuck.
5. Hardware quick buttons: provide quick access to common tool functions such as
pumping, chuck motion, vacuum activation, and experiment execution.
Emergency stop buttons: immediately halts all ongoing tool operations when
pressed in case of an emergency. Twist to release the button and return the tool
to a normal functioning state. NOTE that the emergency stop bottom along with
the manual control box can be, in some cases, be positioned externally to facilitate
compatibility with enclosure elements. A photograph of an external manual control
box is shown in Figure 3 (b) where the control box is position on the outside of an
inclosure hood with air extraction.
Many configurations of the FOM alphaSC are equipped with a vertically mounted syringe
pump on the rear of the slot-die bridge (Figure 4), as well as an array of hardware quick
buttons for common functions on the tool base plate, as seen below (Figure 3):

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Figure 4: Render (a) and photograph (b) of the alphaSC showing the syringe pump. NOTE that
depending on the model, the emergency control bottom along with the manual controls can be
positioned externally to facilitate compatibility with enclosure elements (see also Figure 3).
1. Syringe pump: holds the sample syringe and pumps coating fluid into the slot-die
at a controlled rate. The vertical syringe pump shown here is reversible to allow for
pumping of a syringe pointing either upwards or downwards to control bubble flow
in the sample solution.
The FOM alphaSC also features several ports on the rear panel of the tool for power and
control of tool functions, as seen below (Figure 5):
ab

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Figure 5: Rear, (1) top view photograph showing power and control plugs along with vacuum supply,
(2) 8 mm Festo push-fit connection.
1. 8 mm vacuum supply tube: supplies a vacuum via an 8 mm push-fit connection
to drive suction on the heated vacuum chuck.
2. Power and control plugs: supply power and control data for heating and motion
functions from the electrical cabinet.
The FOM alphaSC is accompanied by an electrical cabinet to drive the tool, as seen
below (Figure 6):
2
1

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Figure 6: FOM alphaSC electrical cabinet while open. (1) Ethernet connection port, (2) physical power
switch, (3) controlling electronics, (4) compressed air to vacuum generator. The actual dimensions of
the electrical cabinet may vary from model to model, see also Figure 11.
1. Ethernet connection ports: The right port enables a wired control connection
via ethernet between the FOM alphaSC and any PC. The left ethernet connection
port facilitates remote control via Internet e.g. remote servicing.
2. Physical power switch: controls the primary power supply to the coating unit via
the electrical cabinet. IMPORTANT TO NOTE:The physical power switch must be
in the “ON” position at all times, to turn the machine on and off should only be done
through the software and the "engage software" button.
3. Compressed air inlet: accepts a compressed air supply (5-6 bar line pressure
recommended)
4. Vacuum generator: Provides vacuum to be used by the vacuum chuck to fix
substrates.
5. Vacuum line to the chuck: Is the line from the cabinet to the alphaSC to provide
vacuum to the chuck.

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NOTE: The FOM alphaSC and its electrical cabinet are designed to be used and
stored indoors, out of direct sunlight, at room temperature. The tool is compatible with
dry environments such as glove box enclosures but is not designed for extended
exposure to high humidity.

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2.1. Relevant standards
2.1.1. Machine standards
The machine is built according to machine directive EN 60204-1 and ISO 13849-1. Also
refer to Certificate of Quality Directive 2006 / 42 / EC Annex IIB, Declaration of conformity
of machinery.
2.1.2. Electrical panel standards
This panel is built according to UL508A Standard.
The panel additionally conforms to the following European Standards:
Table 3 Table of relevant European standards.
Parameter
Applicable standard
Symbols
EN 60617
Wire code
EN 60757
Reference Designations
ISO/IEC 81346, table 1 and table 2
Machine Safety
EN 60204-1
Electrical Safety
EN 61439-1 and EN 61439-2

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2.2. System requirements
Table 4 Power and cabling specs.
Parameter
Spec
Supply Voltage (Un)
(3+N) 3x 380..415 / 200..240 V a.c. and 3 x
200..230 / 115..132V
Supply Frequency (Hz)
50/60
Nominal Current (In)
24 Amps
Short Circuit Strength (Isc)
10 kA
Protection (maximum size)
C25A
Cable (minimum size)
12AWG / 4mm2
Earthing System
WYE/ TN-S
Cable Entry
Side

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Figure 7: Tool power connection diagram. The actual dimensions of the electrical cabinet may vary
from model to model.

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Figure 8: Electrical cabinet dimensions.

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2.2.1. Wiring information
Table 5 Wiring information table.
Spec list
LAPP multi-standard SC2.1
POWER - Black (Phase), White (Neutral), Green/Yellow (Ground)
24VDC CONTROL - Dark Blue (Positive), White with Dark Blue stripe (Negative)
INTERFACE SIGNALS - Orange (Signal), Orange with White stripe (Common)
This panel are built according to UL508A Standard
2.2.2. Compressed air
Table 6 Compressed air information table.
Spec list
5-7 bar. Clean and dry, non-lubricated. ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 1.2.3 or better
To be fitted to Ø8mm Festo push-fit connection

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3. Setup instructions
The following sections describe the recommended procedure for the safe installation and
operation of the FOM alphaSC.
3.1. Safe startup
Before beginning any work with the FOM alphaSC, operators should ensure that they
have taken the following safety precautions:
•All operators of the tool must read and understand this user manual.
•Equipment should be used only for slot-die coating experiments, as recommended
by this user manual. Using this equipment for unintended applications and
conducting additional after-market modifications may result in damage to the
equipment and its operators.
•Users should apply the following personal protective equipment (PPE) when
operating the tool:
oSafety glasses
oLab coat
oSafety gloves (e.g. nitrile)
oAdditional precautions may apply depending on material use and
application (e.g. anti-static coat for hazardous nanomaterials or clean room
work)
•Do not operate the machine with loose clothing, wristbands, long loose hair or
anything that could get caught by the moving parts of the tool.
•The tool should be placed in a location with suitable ventilation to ensure that
operators are not exposed to volatile solvents and/or aerosolized materials (e.g.
fume hood, laminar flow housing or glove box)
•The physical power switch must be in the “ON” position at all times, to turn the
machine on and off should only be done through the software and the "engage
software" button. An exception can be done when plugging the tool into the main