High-Resolution Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing

A review of the benefits of high-resolution additive manufacturing will set the stage for the comparison of high-resolution roll-to-roll (R2R) processes for the mass production of printed electronic components. Mass-produced components are either exact replicates, or contain a high percentage of replicate circuitry, making their manufacture well suited for “analog” print technologies. While some consideration will be given to digital printing, the focus of this class will be the challenges of making high-resolution patterns that are truly functional via analog R2R print technologies, such as flexography. Using practical examples from both lab-scale and production-scale processes, we will explore how best to take full advantage of “addressable resolution” and print speed, with attention to various process elements that must be considered and controlled.