David Savastano, Editor04.15.21
There is a somewhat warranted perception that printed electronics have never quite lived up to the hype. There are many examples of printed electronics in our lives.Printed glucose sensors are a billion-dollar industry. Our vehicles have printed systems, from printed heaters in the seats to seat belt and airbag passenger seat sensors. But the “killer app” has yet to emerge.
What has emerged is the flexible hybrid electronics field, essentially taking the best of printed and traditional electronics. This has long been the approach for RFID. By printing the conductive traces such as antennas and placing a silicon chip on them, manufacturers can get the best of both worlds. This is opening up new opportunities in healthcare-related sensors and wearables. The more flexible the system, the more comfortable it will be in a wearable or the more usable in a conformable display.
Sensors have proven to be a strong opportunity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous companies came up with potential solutions for testing. As cars become more autonomous, the automotive market is using more sensors. Tracking and tracing food and medical shipments through RFID and printed electronics is becoming more common.
In-mold electronics is another promising area, particularly in the automotive field. Essentially, these are screen-printed circuit boards that are thermoformed and encapsulated. They can include lights, dials, sliders and more. These are appearing in sunroof controls as an example.
Smart packaging is another opportunity, although this still lags. There are good possibilities – blister packs featuring conductive traces that alert medical personnel when the medicine is taken.
The biggest news, though, is that the printing of electronics is making significant gains, and Dr. Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG’s OccluSense, described below, is the ideal model. This occlusion sensor uses more than 1,000 printed sensors. The printing is being done by Heidelberg, who is working in conjunction with InnovationLab, a German research institute, as well as Dr. Jean Bausch & Co. KG.
Concerns remain. Energy harvesting is needed for some sensors. Printed batteries are being produced. Work is being done with organic photovoltaics that will harvest light for power.
Sustainability is another issue. Electronics are an end-of-use concern. Flexible and printed electronics manufacturers are working on ways to ease concerns over recycling and reuse.
There is every reason to believe that the flexible and printed electronics industry will continue to grow in the coming years and that these products will be ubiquitous in our daily lives.
Most Intriguing Flexible and Printed Electronics Products of 2020
Here’s a look at five interesting technologies that have either reached the market or are nearing commercialization in 2020.
Flexible and printed electronics manufacturers made some interesting headway toward commercialization during 2020, with promising products either reaching the market or getting close. Here is Printed Electronics Now’s list of Most Intriguing Flexible and Printed Electronics Products of 2020.
In alphabetical order:
• Dr. Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG – OccluSense
Flexible and printed electronics made a lot of gains in the area of healthcare during the past year, and Dr. Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG’s OccluSense is a perfect example of printing sensors. Dr. Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG is a longtime leader in the field of special articulating–occlusion materials, and working in conjunction with Heidelberg and InnovationLab, the company has commercialized OccluSense. Utilizing more than 1,000 printed sensors to accurately record the masticatory pressure, OccluSense is thin and flexible, and is earning awards and plaudits from dentists.
• Enfucell Oy – Wearable Temperature Tag
With the tragic COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world during 2020, companies looked for ways to combat the pandemic. Among the successful solutions was Enfucell Oy’s Wearable Temperature Tag, featuring its printed battery. Manufactured using screenprinting, these tags were particularly successful in China, where medical personnel used these tags to measure and record patients’ body temperature.
• IEE – ActiSense Insole Sensor
Medical sensors that measure a patient’s gait are proving to be an area where printed electronics can provide a solution. IEE is best known as the industry leader for a wide range of safety sensors for the automotive market, but with ActiSense, IEE is branching out into the healthcare field. ActiSense is an insole sensor that collects data when the user is walking, and IEE reports that it is ideal for rehabilitation, elderly care, Alzheimers and Parkinson patients and diabetic foot care.
• Jones Healthcare Group – CpaX NFC Connected Packaging
Monitoring medication adherence among patients is not a simple task, and the human toll of non-usage of medication is incalculable. With its leadership in the field of smart packaging, Jones Healthcare Group has come up with a solution, CpaX NFC Connected Packaging. Jones Healthcare has developed a proprietary process to print conductive traces of ink onto paperboard for blister packaging for medication, which serves as break sensors that can detect when a blister cavity is opened or closed.
• UbiQD – UbiGro Luminescent Greenhouse Films
Quantum dots are making gains in the TV and display market, but there are other applications for QD. One intriguing possibility is the area of agriculture. Working with Nanosys, UbiQQ has developed its UbiGro luminescent greenhouse films. Installed above plants in a greenhouse, UbiGro uses fluorescence to convert under-utilized portions of sunlight to more photosynthetically efficient orange light. UbiQD notes that pilot customers in the US and Europe are reporting higher production yields and improved harvests.
What has emerged is the flexible hybrid electronics field, essentially taking the best of printed and traditional electronics. This has long been the approach for RFID. By printing the conductive traces such as antennas and placing a silicon chip on them, manufacturers can get the best of both worlds. This is opening up new opportunities in healthcare-related sensors and wearables. The more flexible the system, the more comfortable it will be in a wearable or the more usable in a conformable display.
Sensors have proven to be a strong opportunity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous companies came up with potential solutions for testing. As cars become more autonomous, the automotive market is using more sensors. Tracking and tracing food and medical shipments through RFID and printed electronics is becoming more common.
In-mold electronics is another promising area, particularly in the automotive field. Essentially, these are screen-printed circuit boards that are thermoformed and encapsulated. They can include lights, dials, sliders and more. These are appearing in sunroof controls as an example.
Smart packaging is another opportunity, although this still lags. There are good possibilities – blister packs featuring conductive traces that alert medical personnel when the medicine is taken.
The biggest news, though, is that the printing of electronics is making significant gains, and Dr. Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG’s OccluSense, described below, is the ideal model. This occlusion sensor uses more than 1,000 printed sensors. The printing is being done by Heidelberg, who is working in conjunction with InnovationLab, a German research institute, as well as Dr. Jean Bausch & Co. KG.
Concerns remain. Energy harvesting is needed for some sensors. Printed batteries are being produced. Work is being done with organic photovoltaics that will harvest light for power.
Sustainability is another issue. Electronics are an end-of-use concern. Flexible and printed electronics manufacturers are working on ways to ease concerns over recycling and reuse.
There is every reason to believe that the flexible and printed electronics industry will continue to grow in the coming years and that these products will be ubiquitous in our daily lives.
Most Intriguing Flexible and Printed Electronics Products of 2020
Here’s a look at five interesting technologies that have either reached the market or are nearing commercialization in 2020.
Flexible and printed electronics manufacturers made some interesting headway toward commercialization during 2020, with promising products either reaching the market or getting close. Here is Printed Electronics Now’s list of Most Intriguing Flexible and Printed Electronics Products of 2020.
In alphabetical order:
• Dr. Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG – OccluSense
Flexible and printed electronics made a lot of gains in the area of healthcare during the past year, and Dr. Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG’s OccluSense is a perfect example of printing sensors. Dr. Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG is a longtime leader in the field of special articulating–occlusion materials, and working in conjunction with Heidelberg and InnovationLab, the company has commercialized OccluSense. Utilizing more than 1,000 printed sensors to accurately record the masticatory pressure, OccluSense is thin and flexible, and is earning awards and plaudits from dentists.
• Enfucell Oy – Wearable Temperature Tag
With the tragic COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world during 2020, companies looked for ways to combat the pandemic. Among the successful solutions was Enfucell Oy’s Wearable Temperature Tag, featuring its printed battery. Manufactured using screenprinting, these tags were particularly successful in China, where medical personnel used these tags to measure and record patients’ body temperature.
• IEE – ActiSense Insole Sensor
Medical sensors that measure a patient’s gait are proving to be an area where printed electronics can provide a solution. IEE is best known as the industry leader for a wide range of safety sensors for the automotive market, but with ActiSense, IEE is branching out into the healthcare field. ActiSense is an insole sensor that collects data when the user is walking, and IEE reports that it is ideal for rehabilitation, elderly care, Alzheimers and Parkinson patients and diabetic foot care.
• Jones Healthcare Group – CpaX NFC Connected Packaging
Monitoring medication adherence among patients is not a simple task, and the human toll of non-usage of medication is incalculable. With its leadership in the field of smart packaging, Jones Healthcare Group has come up with a solution, CpaX NFC Connected Packaging. Jones Healthcare has developed a proprietary process to print conductive traces of ink onto paperboard for blister packaging for medication, which serves as break sensors that can detect when a blister cavity is opened or closed.
• UbiQD – UbiGro Luminescent Greenhouse Films
Quantum dots are making gains in the TV and display market, but there are other applications for QD. One intriguing possibility is the area of agriculture. Working with Nanosys, UbiQQ has developed its UbiGro luminescent greenhouse films. Installed above plants in a greenhouse, UbiGro uses fluorescence to convert under-utilized portions of sunlight to more photosynthetically efficient orange light. UbiQD notes that pilot customers in the US and Europe are reporting higher production yields and improved harvests.
