David Savastano, Editor09.29.09
The idea of creating a printed flexible battery offers plenty of possible uses as well as advantages. There are a number of companies in the field working on these batteries, and plenty of applications waiting for printed batteries.
Enfucell Oy Ltd., heaquartered in Vantaa, Finland, is a leader in the field of printed batteries. Enfucell was founded in June 2002 after a decade of research on power sources for low power applications at the Automation Laboratory of The Helsinki University of Technology by Dr. Xia-Chang Zhang, the father of SoftBattery, and his four Ph.D. colleagues.
“Enfucell’s SoftBattery technology was a part of wider small battery research program at the Helsinki University of Technology in 1990s,” said Markku Paukku, president of Enfucell Inc., Enfucell’s U.S. subsidiary. “The research team of SoftBattery won first price of Venture Club Competition of new innovative business in 2002, after which Enfucell Ltd. was established. The commercial activity started in 2005.”
Enfucell has received recognition for SoftBattery. In January 2007, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, named Enfucell one of the world’s 47 leading technology pioneers, and Red Herring named Enfucell one of the promising European technology companies.
The company has enjoyed strong support private investors, including Varma and Tekes, The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. Today, Enfucell has opened a U.S. subsidiary in McLean, VA, and a sales office in France.
SoftBattery is a thin, flexible 1.5 volt environmentally friendly power source optimally utilized in disposable and short use products. It is made of low cost industrial environmentally friendly materials that are disposable with other household waste. The main active components used in the power source are zinc, manganese dioxide and zinc chloride as an electrolyte. It is printed in rolls, utilizing Enfucell’s AllPrinted battery manufacturing technology.
There are plenty of possibilities for printed flexible batteries. SoftBattery has a wide range of applications, including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, RFID and microsensors, and functional packaging.
“Our key markets are RF sensors, semi-passive RFID tags, medical and cosmetic applications and functional printing applications,” Paukku said.
In cosmetic and medical applications, SoftBattery can be used to power disposable iontophoresis devices, using microcurrent to gently push active ingredients into skin, directly where they are needed.
In RFID, SoftBattery is being used in semi-passive low power battery-assisted applications, largely for logistics, access control and asset control applications in areas as diverse as patient care to cold chain monitoring. The use of semi-passive RFID allows for longer reading distance and higher reliability.
In the functional packaging market, Enfucell is working with customers to develop systems that can change text, display or sound with the help of a small power source, as well as ensure the authenticity of the package. Smart cards are another area where Enfucell is developing solutions.
“A visual image is very important in our times, and especially for a young consumer,” Paukku said. “Functional printing will bring image and sound into a printed consumer market in the near future. Here our AllPrinted SoftBattery offers unique solutions and creates new value. There are also some very exciting developments in the area of medical devices, where our eco-friendly approach is making a difference.”
In order to ramp up production, Enfucell has made a series of significant moves in the past year. In March 2009, Enfucell moved its headquarters and production to Vantaa. As a result, Enfucell is now located in the same building with Auraprint Oy, a leading Finnish RFID and plastic labels printer, with whom Enfucell has been partnering since 2007. The company also opened a subsidiary in the U.S. as well as a representative office in France, where it can work closely with cosmetic industry leaders.
“As customized battery production is a key market driver, we have invested in our own battery state-of-the-art production, which allows us to respond quickly to changing market needs,” Paukku said. “Our local presence in key markets like the U.S. is also important for further development of AllPrinted battery technology in the marketplace.”
Enfucell has also added new personnel. Marko Hanhikorpi, former director of operations with Balancion Ltd., was brought in as CEO. Hanhikorpi had previously worked in various managerial positions in R&D and production at UPM Raflatac, and also at Confidex Ltd., and was a founding partner and VP of R&D from 2005-2008. Christer Härkönen, who had been managing the RFID business of UPM Raflatac, was named to the board in August 2009.
“We have made some noticeable changes in our board and top management to support and speed up our commercialization activities,” Paukku noted.
Paukku said that gains are being made in key areas, and as a result, there are opportunities ahead for Enfucell’s technology.
“The printed battery technology is still an emerging technology requiring low power and volt components like chips and sensors,” Paukku concluded. “However, these components are under intense development and are coming to the marketplace. As these critical components are soon freely available, our AllPrinted battery technology is ready to bring the long waited value and enabling innovative printed and disposable solutions penetration into the market place.”
“Enfucell’s SoftBattery technology was a part of wider small battery research program at the Helsinki University of Technology in 1990s,” said Markku Paukku, president of Enfucell Inc., Enfucell’s U.S. subsidiary. “The research team of SoftBattery won first price of Venture Club Competition of new innovative business in 2002, after which Enfucell Ltd. was established. The commercial activity started in 2005.”
Enfucell has received recognition for SoftBattery. In January 2007, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, named Enfucell one of the world’s 47 leading technology pioneers, and Red Herring named Enfucell one of the promising European technology companies.
The company has enjoyed strong support private investors, including Varma and Tekes, The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. Today, Enfucell has opened a U.S. subsidiary in McLean, VA, and a sales office in France.
SoftBattery is a thin, flexible 1.5 volt environmentally friendly power source optimally utilized in disposable and short use products. It is made of low cost industrial environmentally friendly materials that are disposable with other household waste. The main active components used in the power source are zinc, manganese dioxide and zinc chloride as an electrolyte. It is printed in rolls, utilizing Enfucell’s AllPrinted battery manufacturing technology.
Key Markets for SoftBattery
There are plenty of possibilities for printed flexible batteries. SoftBattery has a wide range of applications, including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, RFID and microsensors, and functional packaging.
“Our key markets are RF sensors, semi-passive RFID tags, medical and cosmetic applications and functional printing applications,” Paukku said.
In cosmetic and medical applications, SoftBattery can be used to power disposable iontophoresis devices, using microcurrent to gently push active ingredients into skin, directly where they are needed.
In RFID, SoftBattery is being used in semi-passive low power battery-assisted applications, largely for logistics, access control and asset control applications in areas as diverse as patient care to cold chain monitoring. The use of semi-passive RFID allows for longer reading distance and higher reliability.
In the functional packaging market, Enfucell is working with customers to develop systems that can change text, display or sound with the help of a small power source, as well as ensure the authenticity of the package. Smart cards are another area where Enfucell is developing solutions.
“A visual image is very important in our times, and especially for a young consumer,” Paukku said. “Functional printing will bring image and sound into a printed consumer market in the near future. Here our AllPrinted SoftBattery offers unique solutions and creates new value. There are also some very exciting developments in the area of medical devices, where our eco-friendly approach is making a difference.”
Preparing for the Future
In order to ramp up production, Enfucell has made a series of significant moves in the past year. In March 2009, Enfucell moved its headquarters and production to Vantaa. As a result, Enfucell is now located in the same building with Auraprint Oy, a leading Finnish RFID and plastic labels printer, with whom Enfucell has been partnering since 2007. The company also opened a subsidiary in the U.S. as well as a representative office in France, where it can work closely with cosmetic industry leaders.
Enfucell has also added new personnel. Marko Hanhikorpi, former director of operations with Balancion Ltd., was brought in as CEO. Hanhikorpi had previously worked in various managerial positions in R&D and production at UPM Raflatac, and also at Confidex Ltd., and was a founding partner and VP of R&D from 2005-2008. Christer Härkönen, who had been managing the RFID business of UPM Raflatac, was named to the board in August 2009.
“We have made some noticeable changes in our board and top management to support and speed up our commercialization activities,” Paukku noted.
Paukku said that gains are being made in key areas, and as a result, there are opportunities ahead for Enfucell’s technology.
“The printed battery technology is still an emerging technology requiring low power and volt components like chips and sensors,” Paukku concluded. “However, these components are under intense development and are coming to the marketplace. As these critical components are soon freely available, our AllPrinted battery technology is ready to bring the long waited value and enabling innovative printed and disposable solutions penetration into the market place.”