Is Analog’s Time Running Out?

A word about cost

While conventional wisdom assumes that thermal technology is up to 50 percent more costly than solvent on a per-square-inch basis, this assumption is misleading, Bodwell says. “On a square-inch, raw-material basis, DuPont Cyrel FAST plates are a little higher than our digital solvent plates.” However, “if you look at the business model we use for Cyrel FAST, that square-inch pricing includes the equipment, the service on the equipment, and disposal of the developer rolls that take the place of solvent. As part of the deal, DuPont takes the developer roll material back and disposes of it in alternative fuel incinerators. We take cradle-to-grave responsibility for the byproducts of FAST processing. When you look at the cost on a per-square-inch basis and realize it covers the machine, the developer roll, and everything, and then you look at the solvent workflow where you buy the plate, buy your own processing equipment and solvents, and dispose of your own still bottoms, the actual total to produce is probably remarkably similar.”