• Login
    • Join
  • FOLLOW:
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Printed Electronics
    • Raw Materials
    • Equipment
    • Services
    • Suppliers Guide
    • Resources
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Printed Electronics
  • Raw Materials
  • Equipment
  • Services
  • Suppliers Guide
  • Resources
  • Current & Past Issues
    Features
    Editorials
    Digital Edition
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Editorial Guidelines
    Breaking News
    Experts Opinion
    Financial News
    Manufacturers News
    Mergers and Acquisitions
    Online Exclusives
    Personnel
    Product Releases
    Suppliers News
    Live From Shows
    Displays and Lighting
    Photovoltaics
    Printed Batteries
    Printed Circuit Boards/Membrane Switches/In Mold Electronics
    Flexible and Printed Electronics
    RFID and NFC
    Sensors and Wearables
    Smart Cards and Packaging
    Touch Screens
    Adhesives, Barriers and Encapsulants
    Chemicals, Metals and Powders
    Conductive Inks and Coatings
    Electronic Materials
    Film, Paper, Glass and Substrates
    Graphene, Perovskites and Carbon Nanotubes
    Nanomaterials
    Printed Electronic Components
    Research Reports
    Semiconductors and Quantum Dots
    Energy Curing Equipment
    Lab and Testing Equipment
    Manufacturing Equipment
    Printing Equipment
    3D Printing
    Contract Manufacturing Services
    Product Design and Testing
    Research and Consulting
    Research Institutions
    Research Reports
    Universities
    Equipment
    All Companies
    Materials
    Categories
    Converting
    Printed Electronics Systems
    Associations
    Research and Services
    Used Machinery
    Add New Company
    Industry Events
    Live from show events
    Podcasts
    Videos
    Blogs
    Slideshows
    Infographics
    Webinars
    Whitepapers
    Equipment and Services
    Glossary
    • Magazine
      • Current & Past Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Editorial Guidelines
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Suppliers Guide
      • Suppliers Guide
      • Add Your Company
    • Printed Electronics
      • Photovoltaics
      • Printed Batteries
      • Printed Circuit Boards/Membrane Switches/In Mold Electronics
      • Flexible and Printed Electronics
      • RFID and NFC
      • Sensors and Wearables
      • Smart Cards and Packaging
      • Touch Screens
    • Raw Materials
      • Adhesives, Barriers and Encapsulants
      • Chemicals, Metals and Powders
      • Conductive Inks and Coatings
      • Electronic Materials
      • Film, Paper, Glass and Substrates
      • Graphene, Perovskites and Carbon Nanotubes
      • Nanomaterials
      • Semiconductors and Quantum Dots
    • Equipment
      • Energy Curing Equipment
      • Lab and Testing Equipment
      • Manufacturing Equipment
      • Printing Equipment
      • 3D Printing
    • Services
      • Contract Manufacturing Services
      • Product Design and Testing
      • Research and Consulting
      • Research Institutions
      • Research Reports
      • Universities
    • Online Exclusives
    • Slideshows
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Infographics
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live from show events
      • Webinars
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Online Exclusives

    Hurdles to Overcome for Flexible and Printed Electronics

    Manufacturers and suppliers offer their thoughts on the challenges that lay ahead.

    Related CONTENT
    • The 2021 Conductive Ink Market
    • Sustainability and the Flexible and Printed Electronics Industry
    • IDTechEx Forecast Market for Fully Printed Sensors Will Reach $4.9 Billion by 2032
    • AmphiLab Uses Conductive Ink to Merge Books and Electronics
    • 11th International Conference & Exhibition on Green Flexible & Printed Electronics Industry
    David Savastano, Editor11.11.15
    Even as flexible and printed electronics products begin to reach commercialization, other projects remain on the drawing board. Manufacturers and suppliers offer their thoughts on what challenges that remain ahead for the technology.

    “The most challenging hurdles always seem to be identifying the optimum materials set (carrier + inks) that will then perform per the customer requirements, and at a customer’s ‘target’ price,” said Jaye Tyler, president/CEO, Si-Cal Technologies Inc. A Nissha Company.

    “We generally face different challenges at different stages of client involvement,” said Stan Farnsworth, VP of marketing at NovaCentrix. “In the early stages of engagement, we often play the role of technology educators, helping to inspire our clients to reach beyond their normal application constraints. Then, as we work more specifically at the project level, we help our clients innovate in applying our photonic curing or conductive ink products to their efforts. We get into the details of operating our PulseForge tools, or in using our Metalon or PChem inks, to deliver the full potential those capabilities. Our applications engineers prioritize transferring their expert knowledge to our clients. As projects evolve, the client interests evolve as well. Scale-up and production teams for example begin to place extra value on the exposure uniformity from our PulseForge tools, as well as the ability for the R&D tools and the production tools to share the same exposure conditions.”

    “We are paying special attention to the interactions and support required both at the convertor and brand level,” said Roy Bjorlin, commercial director, Electronic Materials, Sun Chemical. “The most challenging hurdle for T+Sun to overcome is through application support and support of the functional aspects of supply and technical service. Each is critically important.”

    PragmatIC Printing CEO Scott White said that the most challenging aspects are typically getting a clear definition of exactly what customers want to achieve using the technology.
        
    “In many cases, these applications have not been seriously considered before,” White noted. “This tends to be an iterative process of prototyping concepts which then stimulate discussions regarding more precise product definition.
        
    Another challenge has been constructing the correct ecosystem for each application. “Once the target product is defined, it then usually requires other technology components and supply chain partners,” White added.

    Mark Litecky of  Soligie Printed Electronics, Molex, said that one of the biggest challenges has been obtaining a comprehensive set of functional requirements and use case scenarios from customers.

    “These requirements and scenarios are essential, because our solutions are developed using novel technologies that may require a different approach or a new way of specifying technical requirements,” Litecky noted. “In other words, to realize the full value that flexible and printed electronics can provide, we work with our customers to break the paradigm of old design habits and practices.”
        
    “Many of the most challenging hurdles today are related to educating partners and customers about printed electronics,” said Jennifer Ernst, Thin Film Electronics’ chief strategy officer. “And that process also involves helping them determine if printed electronics is for them and, if so, how related technologies and products can assist them in addressing key business needs and challenges.”

    “The most important challenge has been the lack of suitable manufacturing capacity,” said. Anja Talo, sales director, Enfucell Oy.

    “One thing that drives us to print better sensors is environmental stability,” said Kirk Hutton, sales and marketing manager for Tangio Printed Electronics. “This is something that we see as we move into more automotive applications. The challenging hurdle is then to design repeatable testing scenarios, and make sure you are on the same page as your customer.”

    TempTraq, a spin out of Blue Spark Technologies, is a wearable wireless thermometer in the form of a soft patch. It continuously monitors body temperature for 24 hours, sending alerts via a unique code to Apple or Android compatible mobile devices. TempTraq is available at Amazon.com, Diapers.com and Costco.com, among others.

    “Oddly enough, the biggest challenges had nothing to do with printed or flexible electronics,” Matt Ream, VP marketing, Blue Spark Technologies. “The driving force behind us developing an end use product is the fact that there just were not many qualified printed electronic designers or systems integrators. We had been evangelizing the use of our printed battery technology in a variety of vertically integrated applications for years. At the end of the day, we are taking on the systems integration role for the majority of our customers. When we came up with the idea for TempTraq, it was an idea that was just too good to give to someone else. For us, the integration of the electronics was fairly straightforward.

    “The real challenge for us was developing and qualifying an FDA Class II medical device,” Ream continued. “Most of us had come from the B2B space, working mostly in printed electronics and RFID . Developing a medical device was a new challenge for us. Digital thermometers are classified by the FDA as a Class II medical device, which requires an FDA 510(k) clearance before you can market the product. We brought in some consultants to help us with the early work and our 510(k) submission and then hired our own in-house FDA resource who had extensive medical device regulatory, manufacturing and quality system experience. It was quite a journey.

    “From a technical perspective, you would have thought that engineering something like the Blue Tooth low energy radio or antenna would have been the biggest hurdle,” Ream added. “From a consumer’s perspective, these are things they don’t see, but just expect to work. The tricky one was the skin-facing adhesive. We often describe TempTraq as a thermometer in the form of a Band-Aid. As you can imagine, the first though when you think of a Band-Aid is ‘is this thing going to hurt?’ TempTraq was designed for people of all ages. This means anywhere from newborns to elderly people, both of which can have very sensitive and sometimes brittle skin. We absolutely did not want to hurt anyone, and ultimately found a very safe, gentle adhesive that’s really comfortable to wear.”

    “Pretty much everything is challenging until you come up with an optimal solution and then the challenge seems simple in hindsight,” Keith McMillen, founder and CEO of BeBop Sensors, said. “Some of the techniques we have mastered include electronics packages embedded directly in the fabric, performance consistency at high volumes, extreme low pressure sensitivity, more. Fabric is the new silicon, so everything has to be invented.”
    Related Searches
    • sensors
    • Sun Chemical
    • rfid
    • electronic materials
    Suggested For You
    The 2021 Conductive Ink Market The 2021 Conductive Ink Market
    Sustainability and the Flexible and Printed Electronics Industry Sustainability and the Flexible and Printed Electronics Industry
    IDTechEx Forecast Market for Fully Printed Sensors Will Reach $4.9 Billion by 2032 IDTechEx Forecast Market for Fully Printed Sensors Will Reach $4.9 Billion by 2032
    AmphiLab Uses Conductive Ink to Merge Books and Electronics AmphiLab Uses Conductive Ink to Merge Books and Electronics
    11th International Conference & Exhibition on Green Flexible & Printed Electronics Industry 11th International Conference & Exhibition on Green Flexible & Printed Electronics Industry
    Flexible and Printed Sensors Gain in Key Markets Flexible and Printed Sensors Gain in Key Markets
    Proell Highlighting Products at Fakuma 2021 Proell Highlighting Products at Fakuma 2021
    IDTechEx Discusses Functional Automotive Exteriors With Printed/Flexible Electronics IDTechEx Discusses Functional Automotive Exteriors With Printed/Flexible Electronics
    Role of additives in formulating jettable conductive inks for printed electronics Role of additives in formulating jettable conductive inks for printed electronics
    Brewer Science to Show Smart Devices, Printed Electronics Capabilities at Innovation Days Brewer Science to Show Smart Devices, Printed Electronics Capabilities at Innovation Days
    Sustainability and the Challenges Facing Flexible and Printed Electronics Sustainability and the Challenges Facing Flexible and Printed Electronics
    Backscatter Breakthrough Runs Near-Zero-Power IoT Communicators at 5G Speeds Everywhere Backscatter Breakthrough Runs Near-Zero-Power IoT Communicators at 5G Speeds Everywhere
    New Paper/Digital Book Hybrid Wins European Printed Electronics Competition New Paper/Digital Book Hybrid Wins European Printed Electronics Competition
    Flexible and Printed Electronics Offer Sustainability Benefits Flexible and Printed Electronics Offer Sustainability Benefits
    DTI’s Open Innovation Test Bed is Helping Bring PE to the Market DTI’s Open Innovation Test Bed is Helping Bring PE to the Market

    Related Online Exclusives

    • Manufacturers News | Photovoltaics
      The Future of Organic Photovoltaics

      The Future of Organic Photovoltaics

      Leaders from Heliatek, ASCA and Epishine discuss OPV applications and the technology’s future for the IoT, BIPV and more.
      David Savastano, Editor 05.18.22

    • 3D Printing | Flexible and Printed Electronics | Printed Circuit Boards/Membrane Switches/In Mold Electronics
      RadTech 2022 Highlights Energy Curing Roles in Electronics

      RadTech 2022 Highlights Energy Curing Roles in Electronics

      UV/EB curing is playing a role in numerous areas, including structural electronics, Li-ion batteries and 3D printing.
      David Savastano, Editor 05.11.22

    • Manufacturers News | Photovoltaics | Suppliers News
      After Overcoming Challenges, Organic Photovoltaics Market is Growing

      After Overcoming Challenges, Organic Photovoltaics Market is Growing

      Heliatek, ASCA and Epsihine are among the companies that are finding new opportunities for OPV.
      David Savastano, Editor 05.04.22


    • Manufacturers News | RFID and NFC
      Avery Dennison Brings Physical, Digital Worlds Together with atma.io

      Avery Dennison Brings Physical, Digital Worlds Together with atma.io

      Connected product cloud works with RFID, NFC and 2D barcodes to provide end-to-end transparency.
      David Savastano, Editor 04.27.22

    • Breaking News | Manufacturers News | RFID and NFC
      RFID is Helping Solve Luggage Problems at Airports

      RFID is Helping Solve Luggage Problems at Airports

      Following the 2019 IATA recommendation for the use of RFID, more airports are implementing RFID inlays on baggage tags.
      David Savastano, Editor 04.20.22

    • Flexible and Printed Electronics | Research Institutions | Semiconductors and Quantum Dots | Sensors and Wearables | Universities
      Imec, KU Leuven and PragmatIC Collaborate on Flexible Microprocessors

      Imec, KU Leuven and PragmatIC Collaborate on Flexible Microprocessors

      Project opens the possibilities for low-cost, low-power IoT applications which do not require very high performance.
      David Savastano, Editor 04.13.22


    • Manufacturers News | RFID and NFC
      Nedap’s RFID, iD Cloud Solutions Help Retailers Meet Customers’ Needs

      Nedap’s RFID, iD Cloud Solutions Help Retailers Meet Customers’ Needs

      Providing real-time insights helps retailers achieve perfect inventory visibility.
      David Savastano, Editor 03.30.22

    • Breaking News | Graphene, Perovskites and Carbon Nanotubes | Manufacturers News | Sensors and Wearables
      Grapheal Brings Graphene to Medtech

      Grapheal Brings Graphene to Medtech

      Grapheal’s TestNPass test strip technology earns honors, interest at CES 2022.
      David Savastano, Editor 03.23.22

    • Conductive Inks and Coatings | Flexible and Printed Electronics | Manufacturers News | Photovoltaics | Printed Circuit Boards/Membrane Switches/In Mold Electronics | Sensors and Wearables | Suppliers News
      The Conductive Ink Market is Showing Growth

      The Conductive Ink Market is Showing Growth

      There are more products featuring printed and flexible electronics that are reaching the market, and conductive inks are playing a critical role.
      David Savastano, Editor 03.16.22


    • Displays and Lighting | Flexible and Printed Electronics | Manufacturers News | Photovoltaics | Printed Batteries | Printed Circuit Boards/Membrane Switches/In Mold Electronics | Sensors and Wearables | Smart Cards and Packaging | Suppliers News
      LOPEC 2022 Returns to Munich

      LOPEC 2022 Returns to Munich

      After three years, the conference will showcase advances in printed, flexible electronics and more.
      David Savastano, Editor 03.09.22

    • Displays and Lighting | Manufacturers News
      Lumitronix Brings Flexibility to Lighting

      Lumitronix Brings Flexibility to Lighting

      Using its LUMPROTECT® lamination system, Lumitronix is developing LED lighting for wallcoverings, customized applications and more.
      David Savastano, Editor 03.02.22

    • Breaking News | Manufacturers News | Mergers and Acquisitions | RFID and NFC
      TexTrace Acquisition Allows Avery Dennison to Integrate RFID into Garments

      TexTrace Acquisition Allows Avery Dennison to Integrate RFID into Garments

      Addition of woven, knitted RFID specialist brings new capabilities in theft protection, customer interaction and more.
      David Savastano, Editor 02.16.22


    • Graphene, Perovskites and Carbon Nanotubes | Manufacturers News | Photovoltaics
      Saule Technologies Brings Perovskites to ESLs

      Saule Technologies Brings Perovskites to ESLs

      Self-powering electronic shelf labels could change the world of retail.
      David Savastano, Editor 02.02.22

    • Manufacturers News | Research Institutions | Sensors and Wearables
      Onera Health’s Biomedical-Lab-on-Chip Draws Interest at CES 2022

      Onera Health’s Biomedical-Lab-on-Chip Draws Interest at CES 2022

      It is designed for wearables, patch-based and implantable technologies.
      01.26.22

    • Breaking News | Displays and Lighting | Manufacturers News
      Continental’s $1 Billion OLED Order Shows Opportunities in Automotive Market

      Continental’s $1 Billion OLED Order Shows Opportunities in Automotive Market

      Design, viewing and energy-saving advantages of OLEDs are leading to increasing interest in the technology from automotive manufacturers.
      David Savastano, Editor 01.19.22

    Breaking News
    • InnovationLab Acquires Flexible Printed Battery Technology from Evonik
    • Canatu Receives IATF 16949:2016 Certification
    • Applied Materials Announces 2Q 2022 Results
    • ams OSRAM Supervisory Board to Elect Dr. Margarete Haase as Chairwoman
    • Weekly Recap: Graphene Flagship, Japan Display and LG Display Top This Week’s Stories
    View Breaking News >
    CURRENT ISSUE

    Winter 2021

    • Printed Electronics Now’s International Suppliers’ Directory
    • The Automotive Market and Flexible and Printed Electronics
    • Flexible and Printed Electronics in Healthcare
    • Flexible and Printed Electronics Make Gains in Smart Packaging
    • PAPERONICS: Low-cost multisensory paper and packaging applications
    • View More >

    Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
    You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Contact Us

    follow us

    Subscribe
    Nutraceuticals World

    Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

    Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe
    Alkemist Labs Announces Alkemist Assured Seal and Next Generation Transparency Reports
    GC Rieber Foundations Expand Philanthropic Efforts
    Coatings World

    Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

    PPG Hosts The Future of Coatings' Technology Innovation Day in Amsterdam
    Azelis Expands Presence in India with Acquisition of Chemo India and Unipharm Laboratories
    Teknos Publishes Sustainability Report
    Medical Product Outsourcing

    Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

    Pediatric Medical Device Competition Reveals Five Finalists
    Medical Device Packaging Market to Reach $34B by 2027
    Penumbra Secures CE Mark for its Advanced Mechanical Thrombectomy Tech
    Contract Pharma

    Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

    Mirum Pharmaceuticals Acquires San Diego-based Satiogen
    Catalyst Biosciences Sells Complement Portfolio to Vertex Pharmaceuticals
    Insmed Appoints Drayton Wise as Chief Commercial Officer
    Beauty Packaging

    Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

    La Roche-Posay Launches Matte Moisturizer for Oily Skin
    3 Amorepacific Employees Stole $2.3 Million
    L'Oreal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus On Sustainability Initiatives
    Happi

    Latest Breaking News From Happi

    Thayers Natural Remedies Celebrates 175 Years with Social Campaign
    Former Model Shirley Powell’s Indie Beauty Brand LaJeanell Comprises Gender Inclusive Skincare and Makeup
    L’Oréal's New UVMune 400 Sun Filtering Technology Protects Skin From Ultra-Long UVA Rays
    Ink World

    Latest Breaking News From Ink World

    Flint Group Flexible Packaging Europe Implements Further Price Increase
    Nazdar Launches 205 Series Inks for Roland TrueVIS SG2 and VG2 Series Printers
    Quad Adds Landa S10P Nanographic Printing Press
    Label & Narrow Web

    Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

    AWA to host 22nd Global Release Liner Industry Conference & Exhibition
    Domino assists Grace Label with supply chain disruptions
    Rotocon wins AI Business Excellence Award
    Nonwovens Industry

    Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

    Rael Raises $35M in Series B Funding
    Schobertechnologies Offers Rotary Web-fed Converting Solutions
    Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe
    Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Study Confirms Knee Shapes are Highly Individualized
    Stryker Launches EasyFuse Dynamic Compression for Foot & Ankle
    Extremity Medical Rolls Out OMNI Stable Ankle Fracture System
    Printed Electronics Now

    Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

    InnovationLab Acquires Flexible Printed Battery Technology from Evonik
    Canatu Receives IATF 16949:2016 Certification
    Applied Materials Announces 2Q 2022 Results

    Copyright © 2022 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

    AD BLOCKER DETECTED

    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
    Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


    FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login