Liquid X, Bonbouton Agree to Collaborate on Creating Advanced Textile-Based Sensors

Liquid X Printed Metals announced a collaboration effort with Bonbouton to build temperature and pressure sensors directly on textiles using additive manufacturing techniques. 

Through inkjet-printable graphene technology licensed from the Stevens Institute of Technology, New York City-based Bonbouton is developing thin and mechanically flexible sensors for wearable physiology monitoring. This gives consumers wearable personal health options that are unobtrusive, comfortable and attractive, while still enabling the collection of accurate, precise and useful data.

“We are excited to be… bringing two innovative teams and two innovative technologies together to develop solutions for evolving opportunities in medical applications,” said Greg Babe, Liquid X president and CEO. 

“We’re thrilled to… initially explore business opportunities in a much-needed wearable medical market,” said Linh Le, Bonbouton founder and CEO.

Added Bill Babe, sales and marketing manager at Liquid X: “We believe our strategy of collaboration with other companies taps the collective powers, talents and assets needed to truly drive the printed electronics industry forward. Bonbouton is one of those firms with expert knowledge in sensing technology and a product line very complimentary to our functional inks.”

Through this collaboration, Liquid X will use its proprietary particle-free inks to use inkjet technology to print interconnects directly on textiles.  These interconnects carry signals from a graphene-sensing layer back to device hardware, where the data can be analyzed.  Liquid X’s unique ability to metalize textile fibers reduces steps in the manufacturing process of electronically integrated textiles and employs a low-cost, scalable manufacturing method widely utilized in the textile industry.

“We have seen many companies trying to claim the durable conductive trace on textiles but the Liquid X technology truly stands out and we share the same passion for the future of printed electronics,” Linh said.

“This collaboration builds on Liquid X’s vision of using our functional metallic inks for designing and developing functional components for electronic devices,” added Beth Vasy, VP of operations at Liquid X. “With the move to our new lab facility in RIDC Park West, we now have a full range of equipment along with the technical expertise necessary to build and test prototypes.”
The two companies expect to have prototype models developed and tested for industry by 2019Flex, which begins Feb. 18, 2019, in Monterey, CA.