Printed Electronics
Printed Electronics – an enabling technology
Printable inks made from conducting polymers, carbon, silver and other materials allow us to create electronic components and circuits with printing equipment. The process can be automated and allows for the mass production of electronics known as Printed Electronics. The field is undergoing rapid development.
Printed electronics components are for instance transistors, conductors, resistors, displays, sensors, buttons/actuators, batteries and antennas. These components may be integrated in intelligent packaging, medtech devices, automotive applications, in buildings – in almost any field.
The field is multi-disciplinary, at the intersection of electronics design – chemistry – physics and ranges from fundamental research in polymers (materials science) to applied research with confidential applications in a multitude of market segments, often projects where expertise from universities, research institutes and industrial players collaborate.
Well-known printing methods are used, such as screen printing, flexography, offset printing, rotogravure printing and inkjet printing. Printing can be performed on separate sheets or by means of roll-to-roll processing (R2R).
Key benefits with printed electronics
- Novel form factors
- Inexpensive mass production
- Electronics on flexible substrates
- Rapid prototyping in small series
- Lower investment costs
- Eco-friendly production
Examples of application areas and use cases
- Smart Labels and Sensors
- Temperature-monitoring labels
- Humidity sensors
- Piezosensors based on polymers
- Multisensor platforms
- Body interfaces and biomarker sensors
- Batteries for power supply
- Antennas for wireless communication between labels and scanners
- Wireless labels for connection to networks – ”Internet of Things”
- Multicolour reflective low-energy displays
- Thin, flexible lighting that can be arbitrarily shaped
- Printed Solar Cells on Paper and Plastic
- Authentication and anti-counterfeit features (e.g. pharma packaging, smart banknotes)
- Sensors for monitoring, e.g. moisture, temperature or biological substances (“smart plastics”, monitoring of perishables)
At the Printed Electronics Arena we create products in new forms, from components to entire systems. We develop sensors, prototypes and hybrid systems – which combine the best of several worlds – for diverse industries, such as Wearables, IoT, Medtech, Industry 4.0 and smart packaging.
We assist large and small companies with technology development and prototyping, and we also offer advice and serve as a sounding board for the commercialisation of technology.
Printing in high resolution and many layers is a craft based on the knowhow of materials and material combinations. At PEA-M we develop new techniques for printing and curing, processes and materials. Combined with deep knowhow in electronics design we create advanced flexible circuits and sensors. Read more here:
Supercaps are used as electric energy storage buffers. Our supercaps are made from wood derivates, cellulose and the production is scalable into several tons, allowing for large energy buffers for wind power, photovoltaics and more. Using wood as the main natural resource and organic conducting polymers we create Power Paper which is processable. Contacts us to learn more!
Our focus is to bring research and innovation to market and to create sustainable and realistic processes for production. At the PEA-M we handle small series production in our pilot line but through a network of printing partners and colloborators we can scale into industrial series. We also work with licensing and tech transfer to clients and/or their preferred suppliers.
