© CPI 2012. All rights reserved.
CPI's New Printed Electronics Line-bringing
interactivity to print
Neil Porter
October 31st 2012
Centre for Process Innovation (CPI)
• UK-based technology innovation centre• CPI’s Printable Electronics Centre focuses on
design, development and prototyping for the emerging printable electronics industry
BPIF Labels Technical Seminar
Aim
• To demonstrate that any label converter using commercially available equipment can be part of the Integrated Smart Systems supply chain through printing of conductive inks in a standard pressroom
Solar Cells
Technology Areas
CPI Printable Electronics Process
Equipment & Materials
Technologies
Moisture / Gas Barrier Films
© Aveso© Molecular Vision
Integrated Smart Systems (ISS) and Sensors
© GE
© Thorn
Solid State Lighting (SSL)
© GE
©
Thorn
)
© Visionox © Sony
OTFTs for Flexible Arrays© Visionox © Sony© Visionox © Sony
© Flisom© UniSolar © Flisom© UniSolar © Flisom© UniSolar
Integrated Smart Systems (ISS)• Integrated Smart Systems are functional
items produced by the integration of electronic components with circuits prepared by traditional printing processes
+
Printed Electronic Devices
ISS technology
Market Areas• Food/drink, tobacco, cosmetics, music, software &
FMCG packaging• Pharmaceutical/healthcare applications• Publishing• Advertising• POS/POP • Lightweight, robust inexpensive wiring looms • Automotive, Aviation, architectural & military• Within consumer products & industrial goods• Brand protection & anti-counterfeit
ISS Equipment Criteria
• Print industry recognised equipment and processes• Non clean room location• Versatile enough to support wide range of
applications• Cost effective to run for development work but also
capable of small scale production runs• Sufficiently instrumented to provide process feedback• Ability to offer an upgrade path to support the ISS
technology roadmap
Layout of ISS Line
Print Circuits
Combination Press based on…
16 “ modular reel to reel / sheet platform + auxiliariesCan handle paper, carton board, films, foils & label stocks with
thicknesses of between 25-370 microns
• Litho UV / Conventional
• Screen UV and WB
• Flexo UV / Solvent / WB
• Gravure Solvent
Press prints offset litho, flexo, screen & gravure-all interchangeable
Re-register from unit 1 - offering versatility to reproduce significantly larger presses with multiple print stations
Ancillary On-Press Processes
De-Lam Re-lam
Die cutting & sheeting
UV Lamination
Cold Foil
ISS line
Print graphics (Nilpeter)
Print conductive circuits / devices. Inks available for Flexo, Screen, Gravure, Litho
Add components and integrate into packaging to create interactive products / smart packaging. (Offline / online equipment)
Print conductive tracks
• Example below Flexo silver 0.4 mm wide track printed using 15 CM3/M2 anilox Plate Kodak NX
• Evaluating Inks / Materials
• Drying / Curing
• Production speeds
• Sintering
• Measuring resistance
Plate
Recently printed trial for large volume application
Cross section of Silver 5µm Substrate PET
Analysis Equipment at CPI• Material/ ink properties
– Rheometer – Contact angle measurement
• Structural properties– Optical microscopes– Scanning Electron Microscope with Elemental
analysis– Atomic Force Microscope– White light interferometer
• DEK Screen Printer– for conductive ink &
structural adhesives– print accuracy down to
10 microns
Screen Printer
Pick and Place-component attachment
• Placement and attachment of components onto conductive adhesive or tape or print
• Able to position components of a range of sizes
• Pick and place equipment with low to medium volume focus and high flexibility of component types
• Placement accuracy of 35 micronshttp://europlacer.com/en/video-iineo.html
Adhesive Curing
• Cure to form electrical & structural connection between components and printed circuit/substrate
• Oven - air drying adhesive systems• UV Curing - Radiation cure adhesive
systems
Cut & Crease / Converting
• To convert smaller quantities of print into finished products and samples
• Esko digital cutting table– Cut & crease boxes– Kiss cut labels
• Trotec CO2 Laser – Fine cutting – Engraving– Ablation of circuits
Summary
• CPI’s new ISS line opened in April 2012
• Equipped with commercial print, packaging and electronics equipment
• Available for development, prototyping, scale up and pilot production projects
Thank you
Bela Green
ISS Programme Manager
01740 625721
Neil Porter
ISS Technical Print Manager
01740 625811
Jon Helliwell
Business Development Manager
01740 625811