Author: Steve Paschky ( steve.paschky@saralon.com ) I recently read an insightful article on Nature about the challenges facing the scale-up of the Printed Electronics industry [1]. The article effectively highlights how disruptive technologies, like those in our industry, are reshaping the electronics landscape. While we often associate this sector with innovation, not every innovation is truly disruptive. Disruptive innovations fundamentally change industries, even society and lifestyle. PE innovations don’t just add value; they also revolutionize how electronics are produced, replacing traditional methods. As a materials supplier for PE industry, Saralon GmbH has started with engaging into emerging markets that didn’t exist before. Some of our best-selling Saral Inks© with high demands from these markets include SaralBattery Inks and Stretchable Saral Inks © among many others. However, as disruptive innovations evolve and mature, the key challenge becomes aligning them with mainstream markets. This is where the concept of product-market fit becomes critical. Saral Copper 200 is our latest generation of copper conductive ink designed with product-market fit in mind. While it has the potential to be used in conventional PCB manufacturing (thanks to its solderability), the primary market we are focusing on is smart labelling, smart packaging, and antenna technology at the core—specifically RFID and NFC tags and inlays. Before diving into the details of Saral Copper 200, I’...

Electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes are sensors attached to the skin that detect the electrical activity of the heart. They are critical components of ECG systems used for diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases. This project demonstrates the process of printing a set of dry ECG electrodes.   Project Overview Purpose The purpose of this project was to demonstrate how we validated the effectiveness of printing ECG electrodes on TPU ( Dupont Intexar TE-11C ) using biocompatible gold ink (Creative Materials EXP 2613-40) and stretchable silver ink ( Celanese Micromax™ Intexar™ PE874 ). We used the Voltera NOVA  materials dispensing system and the Voltera V-One  PCB printer for this purpose.   Design We divided the project into three main parts: The ECG electrodes to be attached to the skin  The control unit with the heart rate monitor and the controller An enclosure that protects the control unit from impact The SparkFun Heart Rate Monitor AD8232 (SENS-12650) acts as a pre-amplifier, transforming the heart’s biopotentials picked up by the ECG electrodes into a usable voltage while also rejecting electrical noise inherent in the measurement. The Arduino Micro captures the voltage and interprets it as a graph of the heart waveform through a program that we custom-made for this project. Figure 1: A graph showing beats per minute and ECG wave reading Desired outcome The printed electrodes should be flexible enough to conform to body movement and different physiques. Once t...

On 11 December, TechBlick will hold its FREE-TO-ATTEND online Innovations Festival , focusing on additive, sustainable, flexible, hybrid, wearable, and 3D electronics. New for this Festival, we have added innovations in the display industry too with a particular emphasis on emerging display technologies, materials, films, and manufacturing processes. Attendee places will be limited and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. At our last Spring Festival, we had 700 attendees - so book here to secure your FREE place now. This exciting festival will take place on the unique  TechBlick  platform, allowing you to use your own avatar to meet the speakers and network with fellow participants.  Places are limited so REGISTER NOW to secure your place on this must-attend event...

Introduction: The Future of Bioelectronics and Biomedicine   #High-Precision Capillary Printing (HPCaP) #PrintedElectronics #BioElectronics #BioMedicine In the rapidly evolving fields of bioelectronics and biomedicine, the demand for high-precision and high-resolution printing technologies has never been greater. With advancements in miniaturization, personalized medicine, and the rise of wearable and implantable medical devices, there is an urgent need for additive manufacturing technologies that can deliver unparalleled accuracy and flexibility. This is where High-Precision Capillary Printing (HPCaP) comes into play, offering groundbreaking solutions that are set to revolutionize the way we approach healthcare technology.   HPCaP is an advanced technology that leverages capillary forces to achieve exceptional precision in printing, making it ideal for the demanding applications within the medical field. In the sections below, we will explore how HPCaP is paving the way for new innovations in healthcare, from high-resolution sensors to the printing of living cells, demonstrating its vast potential and versatility. We are exhibiting! Visit our booth at the flagship TechBlick event in Berlin on 23-24 October 2024.   Let's RESHAPE the Future of Electronics together, making it Additive, Sustainable, Flexible, Hybrid,  Wearable, Structural, and 3D.      High Precision Printing: The Cornerstone of Modern Bioelectronics   Precision is paramount in the creation of bioelectronic dev...

October 30, 2024 - Intellivation LLC is honored to have been awarded the Technology of the Year Award from the Association of Roll-To-Roll Convertors (ARC) for our unique and innovative solution to measure Mid-IR Reflectance In-Situ with Spectrometry in our R2R Vacuum Sputter Coaters. “We are excited to introduce the first production solution using spectrometry to measure in-situ in this spectral range in a vacuum R2R coating system. As requirements and applications use broader spectral ranges and become more sophisticated, we see increase demand for monitoring sputtered multi-layers in-situ,” says Mike Simmons, President & CEO of Intellivation. “Our customers are redefining the standards for end use requirements and we are extremely proud to be a part of the solution. Receiving this Award from ARC, which represents the entire industry of Roll-to-Roll converting and manufacturing processes, is an incredible honor, and we are so appreciative.” The ability to expand the spectral range to reach the Mid-Infrared (Mid IR) spectrum can create new opportunities and applications for sputtered thin film use. The integration of a Mid IR Tunable Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) based reflectance spectrometer into a Roll-to-Roll (R2R) Sputter Coater offers enhanced spectral resolution and tunability, allowing for precise and selective analysis of Infrared optical materials during the coating process. Integrating this advanced spectrometer into a R2R Sputter Vacuum Coater enables real-time mo...

Author: Dr. H David Rosenfeld,  h.rosenfeld@celanese.com Electrical resistance heaters Electrical resistance heaters can take many forms. They might be wires, ceramics, textiles, films, printed conductive inks and pastes, or some other form. Regardless of form, they all work on the principle of Joule Heating, where a flow of current through a resistance creates heat. The rate of heat production (power) is proportional to the square to the current. The coefficient of proportionality is the resistance of the conductive element, Ohm's law, V=IR, relates current to voltage allowing this to be written This last form is most useful, since voltage is typically specified, and the resistance is selected to fix both the current and the power to desired levels. All electrical resistance heaters are 100% efficient in converting electrical energy into heat. Electrical power in equals heating power out. However, the physical form of the heating element can have a big impact on how that heat flows away from the heating element towards the surface that is to be heated. Film heaters, made by printing functional inks/pastes onto a flexible substrate can be very effective in delivering heat to the surface of a seat, a panel, or the wearer of a heated garment. Unlike metal wire heaters, the power is produced over a large area. The thermal gradient it produces is effectively unidirectional and heat flows directly toward the desired surface. Printed film heaters are thin and smooth. They don’t nee...

Author: Dr. Oliver Haupt, Director Strategic Marketing, Coherent, oliver.haupt@coherent.com
Excimer-based laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a practical mass transfer process for today and tomorrow. MicroLEDs stand at the forefront of next generation display technologies because they offer superior brightness, efficiency, and longevity over other panel types. In fact, the advantages of microLEDs are so significant that they promise transformative applications ranging from advanced smartwatches to expansive AR/VR experiences. However, the display industry faced a significant setback when tech giant Apple abandoned its ambitious microLED project after years of heavy investment (estimated at over US$3 billion since 2014). Apple hasn’t publicly announced their reasoning for this move.
Those in the display industry who are not Apple suspect that they have not been able to develop a cost-competitive microLED display compared to existing OLED displays. They may not have utilized the latest advances in production technology to improve yield and throughput. A key to this could be the "mass transfer" process approach - a critical step in large-scale production.
Here we’ll learn about the pivotal role of advanced mass transfer technologies and see how Excimer laser-based methods can overcome the production hurdles that might have stymied Apple. We’ll see how these offer a cost-effective and future-proof solution for microLED production. What Exactly Is “Mass Transfer?” We’ve...

TechBlick The Future of Electronics RESHAPED - Why You Should Join Us We have prepared a world-class agenda for you, featuring over 70 superb invited talks from around the world, 12 industry- or expert-led masterclasses, 4 tours, and over 80 onsite exhibitors. In this article, we discuss two themes of (1) Green and Sustainable Electronics and (2) Printing in Photovoltaics and Fuel Cells, highlighting talks, masterclasses and tours from the likes of Essemtec, imec, Holst Centre, Jiva Materials, RISE, VTT, ISC Konstanz, Fraunhofer ISE, Coatema, FOM Technologies, Panacol, etc #GreenElectronics #CircularElectronics #AdditiveElectronics #BioBasedElectronicMaterials #FineLineMetallization #FuelCells #LIFT #PerovskiteSiTandemCells #CopperMetallization #SlotDieCoating #Repair #Jetting #FR4Alternative In future articles, we will highlight more contributions on this theme as well as other key themes such as materials innovations, additive and 3D electronics, wearables and electronic textiles, volume manufacturing, etc. Stay tuned!
Explore and Register Before 11 October When The FINAL Early Bird Rate Ends Sustainable, green, and circular economy The first theme to be discussed is sustainable, green, and circular economy . This is a crucial driver for the additive electronics industry since additive processes can reduce material and energy consumption and enhance circularity vs. subtractive processes. Essemtec will outline how their automatic repair tools with no human interaction en...