Industrial + Specialty Printing - November/December 2011 issue by Steve Duccilli

The Benefits of In-Mold Electronics

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011

Inkjet Prototyping and Production Approaches to Printed Electronics 3D Printing

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contents industrial + specialty printing

November/December 2011 • Volume 02/Issue 06

FEATURES

12 Moving Piezo DOD Inkjet from Lab to Fab

Chuck Griggs, FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. Drop-on-demand piezo inkjet is a versatile technology for industrial applications and is able to deposit a wide variety of fluids—even conductive formulations—with accuracy and precision.

16 Applications, Methods, and Materials for Printed Electronics

Daniel Fenner, Henkel Corp. Flatbed screen/stencil, flexo, and gravure printing take on the bulk of the jobs in printed electronics. Read on to find out how to match the process with the product.

22 IME: Taking IMD a Step Further

Scott Moncrieff, Canyon Graphics Inc. This article describes how in-mold electronics works and how it can benefit designers and OEMs.

28 Advances in 3D Printing

Kevin Lach, Z Corp. Learn about the many projects that 3D printing can handle and how it’s used to build models.

32 What’s in a Nameplate Label?

Kim Hensley, MACtac Find out how you can combat counterfeiters and protect valuable brand identities and safety information on nameplate labels.

INDUSTRIAL + SPECIALTY PRINTING, (ISSN 2125-9469) is published bi-monthly by ST Media Group International Inc., 11262 Cornell Park Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45242-1812. Telephone: (513) 421-2050, Fax: (513) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to non-qualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $42 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions in Canada: $70 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $92 (Int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by ST Media Group International Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Industrial + Specialty Printing, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to Industrial + Specialty Printing, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Debbie Reed at (513) 421-9356 or Debbie.Reed@STMediaGroup.com. Subscription Services: ISP@halldata.com, Fax: (847) 763-9030, Phone: (847) 763-4938, New Subscriptions: www.industrial-printing.net/subscribe.

columns 10 Business Management

Tim Green, InfoTrends This column suggests how to increase sales through the use of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

36 Printing Methods

Wim Zoomer, Technical Language Glass is a very special substrate. Learn how to modify its surface and apply enamels with a variety of deposition techniques.

38 Industry Insider

Wolfgang Mildner, Organic Electronics Association The author describes the vision, successes, and future direction of the OE-A.

40 Shop Tour

PGS Precision Graphic Systems The range of industries this membrane-switch producer serves and the variety of printed products it makes will astound you.

DEPARTMENTS 4 Editorial Response 6 Product Focus 34 Industry News 39 Advertising Index On the Cover

In-mold electronics (IME) is a twofilm method that provides a way to incorporate important features. The self-contained and encapsulated circuits created by IME can withstand all sorts of challenging uses. Photo courtesy of Scott Moncrieff, Canyon Graphics. Cover design by Keri Harper.

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EDITORIAL RESPONSE

Clean Energy Investment Makes for Good Neighbors GAIL FLOWER

www.industrial-printing.net

STEVE DUCCILLI Group Publisher steve.duccilli@stmediagroup.com

Editor

The other day, I started wondering about the ways in which printed electronics could improve the world. On September 27, for instance, the BBC News reported, “Greece prime minister seeks signs of support.” Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou spoke in Berlin, saying that Greece would fulfill its obligations and hoped to be without a primary deficit starting from 2012. I can almost picture it. German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to help Greece out of its crisis to keep the support of the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, and the EU Commission. The euro connects all countries in the EU and the weakness of one connects to the rest of the Union. So here is Papandreou in Germany seeking some bailout funds. “We need to combine economic growth with solid public finances,” Merkel said. “The idea that you need to boost growth by taking on evergreater debt is the wrong idea. I’m deeply convinced of that.” Most gifts aren’t free. What could Germany loan to Greece that would be backed with guaranteed future growth and return on investment? This would be a lend lease program, sort of like what Franklin D. Roosevelt did during World War II, when England needed ships for its defense. Of course we never got those ships back, but future growth did rely on that type of support. Photovoltaics could provide that sort of loan—one with guaranteed returns with energy representing just another form of euro. Greece has lots of sunshine and a slowly budding PV industry already. I’m not talking about putting solar panels atop the Parthenon or anything like that; the building on the Acropolis has been around since 438 B.C., and that type of structure just wouldn’t be respectful. But Greece has plenty of room

Industrial + Specialty Printing

GREGORY SHARPLESS Associate Publisher gregory.sharpless@stmediagroup.com

for solar projects, and the electricity could be distributed to loaner nations in payment for the investment. It doesn’t just have to be a German-led loan, though Germany is way ahead in installations. Why not take the problem to the G-20? Members include the big eight industrialized nations and emerging, smaller, industrialized countries. The G-20 accounts for 90% of global clean-energy finance and investment at present. If you look at “Who is Winning the Clean Energy Race” (www.pewtrusts.org), the G-20 Clean Energy Factbook put out by the Pew Charitable Trusts, where is Greece even mentioned? Look at page 40 under “Rest of EU” to see it listed under feed-in tariffs and tax incentives. There is an advantage that makes investment in a photovoltaics project in Greece particularly attractive, but it’s a grant by the government. Under the Investment Incentives Law 3299/2004 plus amendment distributed by the Greek government, up to 40% of the investment in photovoltaic projects can be covered by government subsidies. And the possibility of financing much of the total investment sum with a bank loan leads to an investor having to furnish merely 25% of the investment sum as equity. But the Greek prime minister seeks signs of support from Germany. Germany has extensive expertise in solar power. In the Factbook, 44.3% of Germany’s clean energy went to solar investments. With all of their installed units and expertise, couldn’t Germany boost growth in Greece by lend/leasing solar expertise, investment, printed panels, and products? I’ve often heard that it’s better to give a fishing pole and supplies than a fish to a person in need. Perhaps this is that type of situation.

4 | INDUSTRIAL + SPECIALTY PRINTING www.industrial-printing.net

GAIL FLOWER Editor gail.flower@stmediagroup.com BEN P. ROSENFIELD Managing Editor ben.rosenfield@stmediagroup.com KERI HARPER Art Director keri.harper@stmediagroup.com LINDA VOLZ Production Coordinator linda.volz@stmediagroup.com

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Lisa Zurick lisa.zurick@stmediagroup.com EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Joe Fjelstad, Brendan Florez, Dolf Kahle, Bruce Kahn, Ph.D., Rita Mohanty, Ph.D., Scott Moncrieff, Randall Sherman, Mike Young, Wim Zoomer

JERRY SWORMSTEDT Chairman of the Board TEDD SWORMSTEDT President KARI FREUDENBERGER Director of Online Media

CUSTOMER SERVICE Industrial + Specialty Printing Magazine Customer Service P.O. Box 1060 Skokie, IL 60076 ISP@halldata.com F: 847-763-9040

advisory board

Joe Fjelstad

Verdant Electronics

Joseph Fjelstad (josephfjelstad@ aol.com) is a 34-year veteran of the electronics-interconnection industry and is an international authority, author, columnist, lecturer, and innovator who holds more than 150 issued and pending US patents in the field. He is the founder and president of Verdant Electronics, a firm dedicated to environmentally friendly electronics assembly. He is co-founder and CEO of SiliconPipe, a specialist in high-speed interconnection-architecture design, much of which is based on flexible-circuit technology. Prior to founding SiliconPipe, he worked with IC-package-technology developer Tessera Technologies, where he was appointed the company’s first fellow. Fjelstad and his innovations have received many industry awards and accolades.

brendan florez Polyera

Brendan Florez (bflorez@ polyera.com) is assistant general manager for Skokie, IL-based Polyera Corp. He holds a B.S.E. in electrical engineering from Princeton University and has an extensive background in marketing, project and change management, software design, and more.

Dolf Kahle

Visual Marking Systems, Inc.

Dolf Kahle (rkahle@vmsinc.com) is the CEO of Twinsburg, OH-based Visual Marking Systems, Inc., (VMS), a company that specializes in the OEM durable-productidentification market and manufactures overlays, decals, and decorative trim for Fortune 1000 companies. Beyond the OEM market, VMS also produces fleet graphics, P-O-P products, and durable signage for the public-transportation market. VMS is an ISO 9000- certified company that enjoys statewide recognition as a Lean Enterprise. Kahle is an active member of SGIA, SPIRE, and GPI. He served on the SGIA board for more than 10 years and was its chairman in 1999. He is currently the chairman of SPIRE. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Arizona State University.

Bruce kahn, ph.d.

Printed Electronics Consulting

Bruce Kahn (bkahn@electronicsprinting.com) is a consultant who specializes in the multidisciplinary fields of printable electronics, nanotechnology, RFID, and smart packaging. Kahn holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Nebraska and is the author of more than 75 publications, including the recently published “Developments in Printable Organic Transistors,” “Printed and Thin Film Photovoltaics and Batteries,” and “Displays and Lighting: OLED, e-paper, electroluminescent and beyond.” He is a frequent lecturer and author, and he regularly teaches workshops in the U.S. and abroad.

rita mohanty, ph.d. Speedline Technology

Rita Mohanty (rmohanty@ speedlinetech.com) is the director of advanced development at Speedline Technology and a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt instructor. She has more than 15 years of experience in industries and academics relating to engineering and electronic polymers, electronic packaging, and board assembly. She is a patent holder and has authored and edited books on electronics and numerous technical papers. Mohanty is active in and holds various leadership positions with IMAPS, SMTA, IPC, iNEME, and SGIA. She received her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Rhode Island.

Scott MonCrieff Canyon Graphics Inc.

Scott Moncrieff (scott@ canyongraphics.com) is president and CEO of Canyon Graphics Inc., located in San Diego, CA. Moncrieff started Canyon Graphics more than 30 years ago and has specialized in inmold decoration for the last nine years. As one of the few totally vertically integrated IMD companies in the U.S., Canyon Graphics has produced millions of film appliqués and IMD parts during this period.

RANDALL SHERMAN New Venture Research

Randall Sherman (rsherman@ newventureresearch.com) is the president and CEO of New Venture Research, a technology market research firm. He holds a B.S. in astrophysics, an M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado, and an M.B.A. from Edinburgh School of Business. Visit www. newventureresearch.com for more information.

mike young

Imagetek Consulting Int’l.

Mike Young (mikeyyoung@aol. com) has spent 40 years as a specialist in high-definition graphic and industrial screen printing. He is an SGIA Fellow, a member of the Academy of Screen Printing Technology, and a recipient of the prestigious Swormstedt Award for technical writing. He frequently writes for industry trade publications and speaks at international industry events. Young has published several technical books on advanced screen-printing techniques and frequently conducts seminars for high-profile screen-printing companies worldwide. Young is a consultant with Imagetek Consulting Int’l.

wim zoomer

Technical Language

Wim Zoomer (wimzoomer@ planet.nl) is owner of Nijmegen, Netherlands-based Technical Language, a consulting and communication business that focuses on flatbed and reel-to-reel rotary screen printing and other printing processes. He has written numerous articles for international screenprinting, art, and glass-processing magazines and is frequently called on to translate technical documents, manuals, books, advertisements, and other materials in English, French, German, Spanish, and Dutch. He is also the author of the book, “Printing Flat Glass,” as well as several case studies that appear online. He holds a degree in chemical engineering. You can visit his Website at www.technicallanguage.eu. november/december 2011 |

product focus

The latest equipment and materials for industrial printing

WideFormat UV Inkjet Printer The Acuity LED 1600 from Fujifilm Corp. (www.fujifilm.com) is a wide-format inkjet printer that the company says features a high-precision and high-speed printhead, fast-curing UV-LED ink, and a proprietary LEDlamp system engineered for long life and low power consumption. The Acuity LED 1600 prints roll media and rigid substrates up to 0.5 in. (13 mm) thick. A printer table unit is used to support rigid substrates. The Acuity LED 1600 prints at speeds up to 215 sq ft/hr and comes standard with an eight-color configuration (CMYKLcLm+White+Clear). According to Fujifilm, when combined with Intelligent Curing Control technology, the Acuity LED 1600 manages ink and substrate affinity, thereby achieving smooth gradation and superior quality prints. The printer also comes with Spot Color Matching software.

Film System MacDermid Autotype (www.macdermidautotype.com) recently released the Quadra Industrial Film System, billed as an affordable, digital printing technology for producing functional graphics, graphic overlays, durable label components, and sample proofs. The system combines hardware, software, and consumables with technical support from MacDermid Autotype. According to the company, Roland LEC330 printers are specially configured to achieve MacDermid Autotype film-output standards. The Quadra front-end hardware and software, together with MacDermid Autotype inks, are engineered to optimize performance with the Autotex and Autoflex film range. The system can image films up to 29 in. (737 mm) wide. MacDermid Autotype says resolution flexibility provides a basis for a wide balance of speed, accuracy, and droplet placement for the most demanding graphics and notes that the ink system offers excellent adhesion to the substrate and is fully embossable for functional-switch performance.

| Industrial + Specialty Printing www.industrial-printing.net

Engineered Media for Metallic Printing Tapes Polyonics (www.polyonics.com) introduces a family of single-coated engineered tapes designed to solve static dissipative (ESD), high temperature insulation and halogen-free flame retardant problems for specialty die-cut converters and automotive, aerospace, electronics, and medical OEMs. The tapes are REACH and RoHS compliant and available in 1- and 2-mil amber polyimide (PI), 1-mil Kapton polyimide, 2-mil white polyester (PET), and 2-mil aluminum constructions with polycoated-kraft (PCK) and fluorinated-polyester (PET) liners. Adhesives include pressure-sensitive, 1- and 2-mil, high-temperature and flame-retardant acrylics and silicone designed for use in ultra-high temperatures.

Production-Management System EFI (www.efi.com) describes its new Fiery XF proServer as a high-performance production solution for the complete line-up of EFI VUTEk wide-format UV inkjet printers. The company says Fiery XF proServer offers a platform optimized for blazing fast image processing, expanded software options, and support and maintenance that provide a full, end-to-end EFI solution. The Fiery XF proServer comes with an extended version of Fiery XF, an inkjet RIP solution. The second driver option supports an additional inkjet proofer, or smaller production printer, so users can proof one job on a smaller device while printing other jobs on the VUTEk printer simultaneously. The system includes the Color Verifier Option, designed to ensure color correct output on production and proofing devices by verifying a standard colorcontrol strip or EFI’s Dynamic Wedge against an industry or custom standard. Fiery XF proServer also integrates with other EFI products, such as Pace and EFI Digital StoreFront. Fiery XF proServer is a scalable system.

Digital Narrow-Web Press INX Int’l Ink Co. (www.inxinternational.com) recently debuted the NW140, a narrow-web press that features 14 Xaar 1001 printheads, a Phoseon FireLine 225 water-cooled UV-LED curing system, and an air-cooled UV-LED pinning system from Integration Technology. It supports single-pass printing at speeds up to 80 ft/min (24 m/min) on label stock, offers a base-coat application for untreated media, and accommodates media up to 0.08 in. (2 mm) thick. The LED curing lamps are used for the pre-coat, white base layer, and varnish to hold the inkjet drops in position before a full cure is added by another LED lamp.

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Roland DGA Corp. (www.rolanddga.com) now offers a family of media for its 20-in.-wide (508-mm) VersaStudio BN-20 metallic desktop inkjet printer/cutter. Matte and Glossy Calendered Vinyl (ESM-MCVP and ESM-GCVP) substrates are backed with a permanent adhesive. The 3-mil vinyl products support indoor and outdoor applications, including signs, labels, decals, P-O-P, vehicle and floor graphics, and wraps of all kinds. HeatSoft Transfer Paper and Mask (ESM-HTM2 and PGM-PTM) include a 1.7-mil synthetic-fabric transfer material and 3-mil polyester transfer mask with a heat-resistant adhesive. Together, Roland says, these products produce high-resolution, full-color heat transfers with excellent opacity and white point characteristics, and ensure flawless results through the transfer process. Solvent Glossy Paper with Adhesive (ESM-SGPA) is billed as the industry’s first adhesive-backed paper designed for both printing and contour cutting. According to Roland, a special coating optimizes the 135-gsm solvent glossy paper for eco-solvent printing, and its permanent, water-based acrylic adhesive is backed with a silicone-treated release liner for easy handling through the finishing process. Solvent Glossy Paper (ESM-SGP3) features what Roland describes as an advanced inkjet-receptive coating. In addition to a gloss finish on the coated side, SGP3 has a glossy base sheet that’s designed to stabilize the product throughout production.

Card-Production System MGI’s (www. mgi-fr.com) says its JETcard provides card manufacturers with an all-inclusive production solution, from printing through encoding. It supports production speeds up to 8000 cards/hr (simplex), pre-print coating, resolutions up to 720 x 2160 dpi, multicolor UV printing, spot or flood UV coating for card protection, read and write on HiCo/LoCo magnetic stripes, and more. According to MGI, JETcard can replace up to five different pieces of equipment traditionally used in the plastic-card-production chain: a litho press, collator, lamination press, die cutter, and an encoder/personalization printer.

november/december 2011 |

Proofing System The GMG P3 System is a new proofing system from GMG Americas (www. gmgcolor.com). The company says P3 is designed to produce color-accurate, two-sided, eight-up contract proofs on the actual press substrate. Components include GMG color management, a Roland UV LEC 330 inkjet printer, and an automatic sheetfeeder developed specifically for the GMG P3 System by Beyond Manufacturing. According to GMG, P3 replaces proprietary digital halftone and continuous-tone systems in proofing applications, providing faster throughput, better color matching, lower cost, and greater flexibility. The GMG P3 solution prints with CMYK+White and/or varnish inks. It is capable of printing spot and flood varnishes. The system also supports embossing, diecutting, perfing, and scoring.

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Agfa Graphics (www.agfa.com) says : Azura Vi is the first violet, chemistryfree plate designed for commercial applications in North America. It is designed for a variety of sheet-fed applications with run lengths up to 150,000 impressions. The new chemistry-free plate is sensitized for visible lasers emitting at 405 nm and works with all mainstream violet imagers with at least a 30-mW laser. According to Agfa, :Azura Vi’s advanced electrochemical graining and anodized substrate yields the reliability and durability needed on press for long-run, quality printing and notes that its proven photopolymer technology combines outstanding lithographic quality with ease of use, excellent stability, and ecology. After the exposure process, the plate is gummed, during which the soft, unexposed image area is removed cleanly and completely. There is no need for developer, Agfa explains, eliminating one of the primary variables affecting image consistency. Additionally, no water is required other than for processor maintenance.

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business management

The Power of Social Media for Printers Tim Greene InfoTrends

Intense market competition means printing companies cannot remain successful by doing things the same way now as they did just a few short years ago. No matter what types of initiatives print-service providers undertake, it is critical to communicate efforts and improvements to clients, prospects, associates, and employees in a way that is convenient, modern, and engaging. Social networking presents a powerful opportunity to communicate. Why social networking? Two words: fast and free. I’m not going to be one of those guys who goes on and on about how every printing company in the world simply has to jump onto every technological fad that comes along—but I will say that the statistics that exist on the adoption of social media are simply amazing. There are three major socialnetworking sites that have become the leaders at this point: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Let’s look at some of the numbers on these three: • Facebook has more than 500 million

users worldwide. Half of those users log in every day. There are more than 200 million Facebook users just in the U.S., which means that more than two thirds of Americans have a Facebook account. • More than 200 million tweets are sent every day. • In October of 2009, LinkedIn announced that it had 50 million users. Just 18 months later, the company surpassed 100 million users.

Are these people just killing time online? Not exactly. A recent study conducted by Performics involved surveys of nearly 3000 people who use social media. It concluded that 50% of users actively seek purchase advice and 50% of users actively give advice on social networks. Of users surveyed, 60% indicated that they are somewhat likely or more likely to take action on a product, service, or brand recommended by a social contact; 59% who follow a company or brand are more likely to recommend that company or brand; 58% are more likely to buy the products of that company themselves; 53% use social networks at least frequently to provide feedback to a brand or retailer; and 53% say that companies should communicate using social networks at least once a week. Figure 1 shows how industry players need to evolve. On the horizontal axis we have the operations-driven side, which can enable improved performance by providing higher production levels, improved quality, higher levels of efficiency, increased sustainability, and better customer service. Along the horizontal axis there is the innovative aspect wherein companies develop new ways to provide new services, build new products, find new customers, and even create new business models. In an ideal world, printing organizations would continuously improve along both lines in parallel. In the real world, this is almost never possible because every company has to consider the amount of time, effort, capital, and other resources available and then decide which initiatives are going to make the biggest difference.

10 | Industrial + Specialty Printing www.industrial-printing.net

Setting and meeting objectives with social media The last finding there is critically important. More than half of those using social media expect regular communications from the companies they engage. Regardless of company size or operation type, strategy needs to accompany a print business’s venture into social media. Any social-media strategy should consider all of the constituencies that organizations need to communicate with and how a social-media strategy can help improve operational efficiency and company innovation. For example, how do you communicate with these constituents now, and what level of effort or investment is required? Using social media effectively can help reduce these costs and facilitate faster communication. Remember, the use of all of the social networks identified above does not cost money—except in the time that you use to use these tools. That means telling your customers about the new capabilities you have using your new equipment is free, telling prospects about one of the cool projects you’ve done recently is free, and finding prospects and even potential employees is free. While it is free and easy to set up an account on any of these networks, it is important to design some goals for the objectives of your company and the deployment of communications. Social media should be used to address specific issues at the strategic level. Different elements of your company should contribute to these efforts. Sales and marketing, production, and administration all have separate goals

• Get your customers and prospects

•

• • • • •

interacting with you by fielding frequently asked questions about your products or services. Advise prospects and customers about the best ways that clients use your services. Celebrate the completion of cool or interesting (and profitable) projects. Communicate regarding business conditions in emergency situations. Write about any new or interesting technologies. Introduce and welcome new employees. Celebrate business milestones and anniversaries.

A 2009 InfoTrends survey of printing companies in North America that use social media revealed that approximately 37% use social media for business. However, another 34% indicated that they are thinking about it, which just shows that these companies recognize the importance of social media in today’s market. The research also indicated that smaller companies are more likely to already be engaged in social media, which is likely a function of their flexibility and the low cost associated with using social media. The survey respondents that indicated use of social media were asked to specify their top three objectives. As Figure 2 illustrates, most of the effort is an exercise in business promotion or brand building, using new channels and technologies to get the word out about their company. Respondents also indicated that social media serves the purpose of connecting with customers, while also attracting new ones. The chart also shows that use of social media tends to be very outwardly focused for the most part. There is still a great opportunity to leverage social networks for internal functions, such as identifying potential employees or applying knowledge from social networks in the business.

Figure 1 Necessary evolution in the printing industry

CREATOR • speed • quality • efficiency • sustainability • customer service

OPERATION DRIVEN

that should be factored into your socialmedia strategy. With the idea that people want to hear from you on a weekly basis, here are some ideas for tweets, Facebook posts, or Linked In Group communications that can help you get started and facilitate communication across the groups you need to reach.

NOW • services • products • customers • business models

INNOVATION DRIVEN

Figure 2 Top objectives when using social media

BUSINESS PROMOTION/BRAND BUILDING 62%

CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS PROSPECTING/LEAD GENERATION

74.6%

What

Bus

59.2%

33.8% PROVIDE NEWS AND INFORMATION 19.7% CUSTOMER SERVICE 16.9% CONNECT WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES 7% OBTAIN NEWS AND INFORMATION 2.8% CONNECT WITH VENDORS Three Responses Permitted

1.4% DON’T KNOW 0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

N= 71 Respondents currently using social media Source: Sof t ware Investment Outlook, Info Trends, 2009

THE MESSAGE Social media represents a new way for companies to communicate internally and externally. The speed at which socialnetworking messages can be delivered is nothing short of astonishing. Many printing organizations are using social-networking sites as business-building tools, so if yours is not, you definitely want to develop a strategy for social media that helps your company achieve its business goals.

TIM GREENE InfoTrends

Tim Greene has been the director of InfoTrends’ Wide Format Printing Consulting Service since 2001. He is responsible for developing worldwide forecasts of the wide-format-printing market and conducting primary and secondary research. Greene holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Northeastern University. He can be reached at tim_greene@infotrends.com.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 | 11

N=7 Sourc

FEATURE STORY

Inkjet technology is moving from the R&D lab to the manufacturing production line, with printed electronics leading the charge. Chuck Griggs

FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.

12 | INDUSTRIAL + SPECIALTY PRINTING www.industrial-printing.net

n our article for the inaugural issue of Industrial + Specialty Printing in May 2010 (“Opportunities for Inkjet Printing in Industrial Applications”), we addressed the utility of piezoelectric drop-on-demand (piezo DOD) inkjet technology for a range of functional and decorative industrial printing applications. Over the past 18 months, the degree of change on the research and development front in printed, thin film, and organic electronics may appear limited. But, just as changes to heated water are barely noticeable until it reaches the boiling point, there is a great deal of development activity in inkjet materials deposition below the surface that is not readily apparent. Consider that an estimated 3000 organizations are pursuing a market for printed, thin-film and organic electronics alone worth about $2 billion today. In 10 years, growth is forecasted to propel the market to the $45 billion to $55 billion level. Projections for the percentage of products that will be printed range from 56% to more than 70%, comprising a market segment worth between $25 billion and nearly $40 billion at the high end. Look closely enough and you will see early indicators of activity at the development level at a large number of diverse organizations. Because of technological complexity and multi-disciplinary approaches required for digital fabrication, many of these initiatives are backed by associations and partnerships between academia and industry. Others are coalitions of commercial enterprises. All are racing to stake a claim in what promises to be one of the greatest land grabs since the days of the gold rush. Several of these consortia include: • The FlexTech Alliance, an organization headquartered in

•

North America exclusively devoted to fostering the growth, profitability and success of the electronic display and flexible, printed electronics supply chain. SENTINEL Bioactive Paper Network, a consortium of 11 Canadian university, industry, and government partners formed in 2005 with major funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada working toward development of bioactive paper that will detect, capture, and deactivate water and airborne pathogens. The PRODI project, a consortium of research institutes in six European countries funded by the European Commission Seventh Framework Program (FP7) to promote excellence and competitiveness in automated manufacturing and production equipment and systems for polymer and printed organic and large area electronics (OLAE). The U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC), a more than $300 million partnership formed between SEMATECH and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany (NY) to enable the development of advanced PV-related manufacturing processes. The Industrial Consortium on Nanoimprint (I.C.O.N.) formed by the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) in Singapore to identify themes for multi-party collaborative pre-competitive research and development with industry partners.

In this article, we focus on some of the issues involved and survey some of the inkjet technology and tools being used in moving materials deposition for printed electronics from the laboratory and R&D stage to the manufacturing production line. Inkjet advantages Inkjet printing has an important role in this application. Inkjet devices can deposit fluids without contacting the material being printed, making them substrate and application independent. They are also driven digitally under computer control, enabling precise drop placement and drop-volume accuracy. And as a digital technology, startup costs for inkjet based production methods are low compared to other deposition methods a situation aided by the ready availability of system tools as a result of heavy R&D expenditures financed by more mature, high-volume applications such as wide-format graphics. Of the three types of inkjet technologies—thermal, continuous, and piezoelectric drop-on-demand—piezo DOD is the most precise and versatile for industrial applications and is able to jet a wider variety of fluids—even conductive formulations—with greater accuracy and precision (Figure 1). Improvements to piezo DOD printhead precision, throughput, and versatility continue today, including important breakthroughs in printhead fabrication using advanced Silicon Microelectromechanical Systems (Si-MEMS) technologies to produce printheads on a chip. This new frontier in high-technology manufacturing is where the materials deposited can range from UV-curable, light-emitting polymers and conductive fluids to organic inks and DNA, and where the deposited thickness often must be controlled to within a few ten-millionths of a meter. These characteristics make piezo DOD particularly suited to decorate, coat, treat, and enhance existing materials—and uniquely qualified for the precision deposition in manufacturing needed to create advanced products. Inkjet technology for materials deposition operates at the microscopic level to produce flexible printed electronics, photovoltaics, flat-panel displays, backplanes, RFIDs, smart tags, sequences of genetic material, and chemical and biological sensors. In short, hybrid to full Si-MEMS piezo DOD is well positioned to participate in industrial applications ranging from printed electronics, photovoltaics, and optics to 3-D mechanics, chemistry, and biomaterials. Laboratory development Applying materials deposition to industrial production requires a great deal of planning and testing and proving fluids, materials, and processes before major capital investments in new facilities can be justified. The first phase in product development often takes place in the research lab, developing and testing manufacturing processes and product prototypes. For low-volume manufacturing applications, researchers commonly use benchtop materials-deposition systems designed to print features as small as 20 μm over a small, controllable area (Figure 2). november/december 2011 | 13

Figure 1 Piezo DOD inkjet printers are able to deposit a variety of fluids, including conductive formulations, precisely. Shown here are examples of conductive silver traces for photovoltaic production [top] and a silver-ink circuit printed on Kapton [bottom].

Typical inkjet-development systems for laboratory purposes employ single-use, Si-MEMS-based cartridge printheads. These printheads are engineered to minimize waste of expensive fluid materials and reduce the cost and complexity associated with traditional product development and prototyping. Such development systems also provide features demanded of the applications, such as temperature-controlled platens, camera systems that permit researchers to visualize droplet formation, and software enabling the calibration of individual nozzles to provide ultra precise performance of the nozzles. Once the basic manufacturing process is verified, the manufacturer or specialty printer can methodically scale it up with the large-format systems needed for volume manufacturing. And this development activity is taking place now. TRANSITIONING TO PRE-PRODUCTION Key issues that need to be addressed for scale-up include product functionality and manufacturability: Does the manufactured product work like it should? Can the product be reliably and consistently produced? Once these issues have been examined and addressed satisfac14 | INDUSTRIAL + SPECIALTY PRINTING www.industrial-printing.net

torily, attention turns to satisfying the key goal of manufacturing scale-up: profitability. As high-throughput and large-area processes are required to enable production at low costs, one key issue is production speed; another is process yield. Although some printing parameters may need to be changed to accommodate industrial vs. lab printing, faster throughput and higher yields can be achieved by maintaining a close correlation between the technology used in the development system and the manufacturing system. A materials-printing system based on the same technology platform that multiplies the number of jets per printhead and number of printheads while maintaining design integrity offers the best chance for successful scale-up. Some of these printing parameters can range from temperature and viscosity of the material being jetted and drying time of the ink on substrate to simultaneous control of all printhead nozzles. To address the demands of materials deposition, also known as micro-deposition, a series of materials printers have been recently introduced with designs ranging from flatbed for progressively larger single sheets to scalable width continuous roll systems. Here, benchtop systems are designed to minimize waste of expensive fluid materials and eliminate the cost and complexity associated with traditional product development and prototyping. The ability to jet a variety of functional fluids onto virtually any surface with micro-precision is a critical component of these systems. Other important attributes include having a vacuum-controlled substrate-handling system to ensure accurate registration, as well as having a platen that can be heated to thermally manage substrates during printing and a camera to let researchers capture and analyze in-flight droplet formation and firing data. Printhead-cartridge systems allow researchers to perform print and deposition functions without having to possibly waste production printheads. A 1-pl cartridge, for example, can deposit features as small as 20 Îźm to fabricate products organic thin-film transistors (TFTs) and printed circuits or to closely pack large numbers of elements in DNA arrays to permit more accurate and efficient analyses. Together, the printers, printheads, and software comprise turnkey systems that enable users to develop new materials and products, and bring them to market faster, more simply, and at significantly lower costs. FROM LAB TO SMALL-VOLUME PROTOTYPING In the lab, piezo DOD precision and accuracy supports even the most rigorous R&D requirements. On the manufacturing floor, systems outfitted with piezo DOD inkjet printheads meet initial requirements for speed and accuracy, able to operate at frequencies exceeding 50,000 cycles/second (50 kHz) and at print speeds up to one 1.5 m/sec. Sophisticated electronics allow the printhead to be calibrated on a per-nozzle basis to compensate for any channel-to-channel variability. Using a second camera system within the device allows substrate measurements and alignment, observations of fluid drying behavior, and droplet measurement and placement calculations. Roll-to-roll (R2R) single-pass systems are gaining notoriety for high-speed continuous feed and wide-width singulated piece pro-

Figure 3 This roll-to-roll system is engineered to handle high-volume manufacturing of printed electronics.

Figure 2 Benchtop materials-deposition systems are used in prototyping, testing, and small-scale production.

duction. These console-style systems are based on industrial inkjet print controllers that accommodate a variety of printhead clusters and orientations with support for many jetting fluid types. These controllers enable the printhead clusters to be operated in several print modes, including narrow, multicolor lane with support for contiguous images up to 30-in. wide, and can be operated in a standalone, distributed networked mode or operated via standard industrial line-control interfaces. FROM PROTOTYPING TO PRODUCTION Additional features required for laboratory testing may also be required for manufacturing systems. One example is a vision system that enables measurement and finetuning in the lab and process monitoring on the production floor. This scalable approach maintains process consistency from the research lab through prototype system design to the manufacturing floor. One early example of this progression from benchtop laboratory development to full production manufacturing is the use of an integrated roll-to-roll (R2R) system for digital electronics fabrication (Figure 3). The R2R system was developed by German manufacturer 3D Micromac AG and used by Dr. Reinhard Baumann at the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS at the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany. Baumann started with laboratory experiments using a nanoparticle-based copper ink to produce line patterns that, for example, can be used

as base electrodes for Schottky diodes. Initial lab efforts relied on a small, benchtop system using 16-jet printheads for fluids and process development, then progressed to a large-format device and 128-jet printheads once fluid and process verification was achieved for product prototyping. This culminated in the development of a high-speed, roll-to-roll system using multiple production printheads on multiple print stations. On this production system, copper ink is heated to 40°C and deposited with a specific driving voltage pulse waveform to manufacture square patterns on PET foil at a drop spacing of 20 μm. The patterns are subsequently sintered using an intense pulse from a flash lamp at approximately 1.2 J/cm2. Immediately after printing, the copper line patterns are dried using an infrared dryer, then sintered using a flash lamp. Because the production printhead shared jetting characteristics similar to the cartridge printhead used in the laboratory printer, the researchers were able to adapt the waveforms used in the laboratory to achieve process consistency in R2R production. Many of the key issues that will accelerate the migration of inkjet printing from the development lab to production floor are being addressed. These include: • Speed, with multiple printheads and

arrays able to operate interchangeably and at exceptionally high frequencies • Reliability, through the use of print-

•

heads offering exceptional durability and registration features, enabling interchangeability and quick replacement. Consistency, by employing printheads based on similar technology for development and production purposes Control, with the ability to calibrate nozzles individually to compensate for channel-to-channel variability Jetting dependability, with the PZT actuators placed apart from the fluid path, the ability to heat or cool fluids across a broad temperature range, and proven degassing techniques Drop-formation accuracy, with the use of hybrid to full Si-MEMS printheads offering exceptional drop uniformity

These and other advances will allow manufacturers to apply the many advantages of piezo DOD inkjet technology to tap into the rapidly growing markets for printed, thin film and organic electronics, among many others. © 2010 FU JIFIL M Dimatix, Inc.

CHUCK GRIGGS

Fujifilm Dimatix, Inc. Chuck Griggs is vice president of applications engineering for Fujifilm Dimatix, Inc. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 | 15

FEATURE STORY

Applications, Methods, and Materials for Printed Electronics Daniel Fenner Henkel Corp.

The world of printed electronics is big and grows each day as more imaging techniques find their place in it.

he idea of using printing processes to produce electronic circuitry is not new. Companies have been using screen-printing equipment to make simple membrane switches and keypads for more than 20 years. As consumers push demand for smaller and less expensive products, manufacturers must incorporate high-volume, low-cost solutions. As one of the most cost-effect production methods, printed electronics (PE) is helping to address this high-throughput, reduced-cost scenario. Currently, there are few standalone PE methods. Each technology in use today incorporates some type of interconnect with other electronic components—or is the base component in assembly. Surface-mount technology (SMT) is required for the majority of applications. For the bulk of the applications in PE, the three most commonly used technologies are flatbed (screen/stencil), flexographic, and rotogravure printing. FLATBED SCREEN PRINTING Flatbed screen printing is a time-tested method. Screen mesh is stretched over and adhered to a frame. Ink is placed onto the screen, and a squeegee is drawn across the screen, thereby pushing the ink through and leaving an image on the substrate. Flatbed screen printing one of the most versatile and widely used of all printing methods, including within the PE markets.

Types of printers vary by application and throughput rates and include clamshell, four post, and a modified type of screen press called a cylinder press (Figure 1). Screenmaking requires the following items: emulsion, frame, and mesh. Screens come in a variety of sizes and are sized according to the number of threads per inch (or centimeter) and the diameter of the threads in the mesh. Screens are then given a number based on the thread count and diameter. For example, mesh used for printing conductive silver inks is 230 threads/in. with a thread diameter of 40 μm. Using these numbers, the amount of open area a given screen has can be determined. In the case of the example used here, the open area is 41%. This percentage allows us to determine optimum coating thickness and provides data for consistent lay down in regards to the maximum particle size that can effectively pass through the mesh while printing. A good rule the largest particle size be no more than 30% of the opening diameter. The emulsion is a photosensitive polymer that is applied to the screen. Capillary emulsion is a film that is applied directly to the screen. It comes in sheets that are different thicknesses depending on the mesh size of your screen and the deposit thickness desired. The screen is moistened, then the film is applied. The screen is then allowed to dry before stencil exposure.

16 | INDUSTRIAL + SPECIALTY PRINTING www.industrial-printing.net

After the emulsion is fully polymerized, it is taken to a high-pressure washout to remove the undeveloped emulsion. This leaves the open image on the screen ready for printing. Direct emulsion is a photosensitive liquid that is applied in layers to achieve the same effect as the capillary emulsion. Once the direct emulsion dries, it can then be exposed using the same process. The application-specific screen is then loaded into the printer. The flatbed screen press comprises a vacuum table, floodbar, and squeegee. The screen is set so there is minimal off-contact between it and the substrate. Ink is placed onto the screen, and the printer cycles by flooding the screen and then following up with a squeegee stroke. The squeegee then moves down the screen, transferring the image. Many factors determine ink-film thickness applied by flatbed printing: screen size, emulsion thickness, and squeegee hardness, sharpness, and blade profile. An ink’s solids content also can influence ink-film thickness. Coarse mesh applies more material, giving a thicker deposit, but loses some line definition. A 156-thread/in. mesh will deposit more material than a 330-thread/in. mesh, but it won’t be able to print a line finer than 150 μm in width. A 330-thread/ in. mesh will be able to print lines as fine as 100 μm, but ink-film thickness will be limited.

Deposit thickness can also be manipulated with emulsion thickness. A thin emulsion can give very fine features to a print but will lack the necessary buildup to get the functionality needed out of the ink. A thicker emulsion will give more gasketing ability to the screen but can cause scooping effects when the lines are too wide. There is definitely a balance that has to be achieved when determining screen sizes and emulsion thicknesses. Try to use the largest screen possible to maintain the proper coating thickness along with the line definition need for the given part. Squeegee hardness and blade profile also play a part in ink-film thickness. These factors do, however, largely impact line definition. A soft squeegee (60 durometer) will flex more, causing more hydraulics to be applied. This will force more ink to be pushed through the screen, which improves coating thickness but also tends to cause more bleeding of the line, resulting in some line-definition sacrifice. A hard squeegee (90 durometer) will not have the same hydraulic properties as a softer squeegee but is capable of printing finer features with less chance of bleed. The angle at which the squeegee is oriented in the printhead when placed against the screen influences the amount of material applied. Slight adjustments can have subtle changes in ink thickness and print quality. FLEXO Flexographic, or flexo, printing is a type of letterpress printing that uses a flexible polymer plate that is attached to a cylinder. Ink is placed into a reservoir then transferred to a cylinder that goes into the ink pan. This cylinder is called a pick-up roll or fountain roll. The fountain roll then transfers the ink to a second roll, which is called an anilox roll. The anilox roll has grooves in it that meter a precise amount of ink. The ink fi lls the grooves in the anilox and then a sharp metal blade, called a doctor blade, wipes off the excess ink. The remaining ink is then transferred to the plate cylinder, which holds the flexo plate. This cylinder rotates and then comes into contact with the substrate, transferring the ink from the plate to the substrate forming the printed image (Figure 2). Flexo printing is a continuous process

Figure 1 The cylinder screen press is a specialized system that is particularly suited to printed electronics.

Doctor Blade

Anilox Roll

Printing Plate Cylinder

Impression Cylinder

Rubber Ink Fountain Roll

Ink Fountain Pan

that is made up of different stations. Each station has the capability to print and cure a layer of ink. Typical flexo lines for graphics printing have four stations. These inline stations are made up of a printhead and some sort of drying or curing capabilityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;forced air, UV, or IR dryers. There are two types of flexo presses: sheet fed, used primarily for printing on cardboard, and web fed. Web fed is the primary press type for the PE industry. Flexo presses have seen more advances in ink development, process changes, and press designs in the last ten years than flatbed and rotogravure combined. Developments range from changes in flexo-plate designs and materials to improved anilox designs and drying capabilities. Continuous roll-to-roll processing enabled newer flexo machines to run at speeds of 2000 ft/min. Because of the deposit thicknesses and drying capabilities needed for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s functional inks, typical processing capability for the PE industry is closer to 100 ft/min.

Substrate

Figure 2 This illustration depicts the foundation of the flexo process.

FOUNTAIN ROLL Flexo presses comprise four rolls: three that carry ink to the given substrate and an impression roll, which runs on the backside of the substrate to support it for the contact being made with the plate cylinder. The three rolls that carry the ink are the fountain roll, anilox roll, and plate-cylinder roll. The fountain roll is typically made of a polymer or rubber-coated material and picks up ink from the tray or fountain. The distance between the fountain roll and the anilox roll dictates how much ink is transferred to the anilox roll. ANILOX ROLL The anilox roll is one of the key components in flexo printing. It is the primary component responsible for controlling the film-deposit thickness onto the substrate and is made up of either a metal that is soft enough to be engraved or a ceramiccoated roll. The roll is engraved or etched by a steel-milling or a laser-etching process. Laser-etched rolls are becoming more popular due to the different types of cell NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 | 17

Impression cylinder

Gravure cylinder

Figure 3 (above) This illustration depicts the basics of the gravure process. Figure 4 (right) Conductive inks are the heart of printed circuits.

designs that can be created on the roll. This system is better suited for PE types of printing with the newer cell designs. Anilox roll are made in many different size and cell configurations. Anilox rolls are measured by line screen, which correlates to the cell volume in the roll, and are characterized by a line-count designation and a volume specification. The line count reflects the number of cells per inch. The volume is measured in billion cubic microns (bcm) and is calculated by a direct measurement from the etched roll. Anilox rolls can also be etched with several bands on one roll. Each band is etched with different cell volumes to allow for comparing line definition and coating thicknesses without changing rolls out completely. Banded rolls allow research to determine the best line count per cell volume at a lower cost through reduced printing time and ink consumption. Anilox rolls have traditionally been etched for graphics applications that incorporate much smaller ink-pigment sizes. Conductive inks present a challenge with large-sized, highly pigmented, dense systems. In typical cell designs, silver

pigment packs in or fills the cells Paper without transferring completely to the substrate. This limits the amount Doctor Blade of silver ink that enters the cells Ink and renders the anilox roll ineffecInk Fountain tive within minutes of printing. Due to the deposit thicknesses required for maximum functionality, many anilox manufactures have developed rolls with different types of etching designs in an attempt to transfer more ink than what is typically achievable with traditional graphics-ink designs. A new method, ART (Anilox Reverse Technology), uses an engraving that has an open-cell design as opposed to traditional, single-cell designs. Using these new anilox designs enables printers to deposit ink thicknesses up to three times higher than with conventional anilox designs. The open pattern also helps to improve the transfer of much larger silver-particle sizes to the substrate without packing the cell walls. Plate-cylinder roll The plate cylinder roll, a chromed metal cylinder to which the flexo plate is attached, holds the image that is transferred to the substrate. The flexographic plates are sheets of polymer that are not completely polymerized but can be polymerized or developed using analog or digital processing. Analog processes require a mask similar to the methods used for developing screens in a screen-printing process. Digital development incorporates a carbon film on the flexographic plate that is thermally imaged with a digital printhead. The developed plate is then exposed to either a solvent or dry thermal process to remove the unex-

18 | Industrial + Specialty Printing www.industrial-printing.net

posed material forming the image. The polymer plates come in different hardness levels and surface textures to help transfer material more precisely onto the substrate. The plate is attached to the cylinder with a double-sided tape, referred to as sticky-back, which is an adhesive that is coated to both sides of a spacer material. The spacer material comes in many different thicknesses and hardness levels, which helps determine line definition in the finished print. Another benefit of flexographic printing is the versatility to change head designs. Flexographic presses have the ability to incorporate rotary screen heads in their stations. These screen heads give a flexo line the ability to provide screen-printing characteristics inline. Other flexo-line alterations include laminating systems, inline surface treatments, inline converting, and die cutting. These adaptive abilities are some of the reasons for the rapid advancement in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flexographic lines. Rotogravure Rotogravure printing incorporates an etched copper roll that goes directly into an ink well and picks up the ink. The recesses in the etched roll fill with ink when in the well. A metal blade called a doctor blade removes the excess ink from the roll and the remaining ink that is in the etched cylinder then transfers to the substrate (Figure 3). Rotogravure is currently capable of providing the fastest speeds in PE printing. With proper drying, rotogravure can reach speeds capable of processing 3000 fpm. Due to the heavier volumes of ink that can be deposited, rotogravure is typically used for high-end magazines where color and photographic type quality is important. The process is also used in the production of low-cost, high-volume parts such as EKG and tension pads for the medical industry, as well as for RFID applications. The cost of setting up a rotogravure line is much higher than that of a flexo line, and therefore tend to be cost-effective only when looking at programs where parts needed are in the millions. Rotogravure is a web-fed process with multiple print and curing stations much like flexo but on a larger scale. Web widths for typical flexo lines are from 12-36 in. Av-

erage rotogravure web widths are 60 in. or more. The extreme speed requirements and the need for quick-drying materials require inks with solvent systems that having a very low flash point. Because of this, systems are built to be explosion-proof. Ink fountain The ink fountain consists of an enclosed reservoir and a reticulating pump. The pump pushes ink into the pan to be picked up on the cylinder. Many systems have viscosity control inline to monitor changes in the ink and automatically add more solvent to the system as needed. Gravure roll The gravure roll is made up of a metal roll electroplated with a film of copper. The copper is etched with a mirror image of the print design. The rolls are often chrome plated to extend their life on press. Etch thickness and depth determine the amount of material deposited onto the substrate. Impression roll The impression roll comprises a steel cylinder with a rubber coating. It is used to push the substrate into the gravure roll to enhance the capillary action, transferring the ink from the cell walls to the substrate. Many presses are equipped with electrostatic assist (ESA) to further enable the complete transfer of ink from etched cells to the substrate. ESA works by adding an electric current to the impression roll. When the voltage is applied, the ink is transferred not only by capillary action, but also by electrostatic action. With some ink chemistries, a 30% improvement is seen in the amount of ink being transferred from cell to substrate. This further enables ink-deposit thicknesses needed for proper functionality. Ink rheology Ink requirements vary greatly in the PE industry because of the variety of print methods used. Material viscosity, shear rate, and film deposit depend on the type of printing being performed. Flatbed printing requires a relatively thick ink that shears quickly to a much lower viscosity. Shear thinning is required

for good transfer of the ink from the screen mesh to the substrate. The ink also needs to recover quickly after shear to support finer lines without much slumping or bleed. This is especially important when printing high film thicknesses. Flexographic inks need to be much thinner to be able to flow into the anilox, transfer to the cylinder plate, and again to substrate. The use of polar solvents in ink formulation helps in the transfer. Rotogravure inks need to be even thinner. The viscosity of the inks must be low enough to flow quickly and completely into the cell at high speeds. Surface energy is also important, as optimized surface tension is required to hold the ink in the cell until it comes into contact with the substrate without running and causing fuzzing of the lines. If there is too much surface tension, the ink tends to bubble when running at high speeds. The use of polar solvents help ink transfer in gravure printing as well, especially when using a press equipped with ESA. Ink function and markets The PE industry has developed many different types of inks to suit the needs of various markets. While many are market/ application-specific, some inks are crossfunctional and can be used for a variety of PE applications. Two such inks are highconductive and dielectric formulations. Conductive inks Inks developed for high conductivity are used throughout the PE market as the primary circuitry carrying the electrical current to all components on a given board or flexible part (Figure 4). Generally speaking, most companies desire the highest conductivity possible in printed lines and at a cost point they can absorb. Many different inks are used in conductive printing. These include waterbased, UV-curable, and solvent-based systems. They are built to perform on many different substrates and under varying environmental conditions. While the resin and carrier systems differ greatly, the types of conductive pigments used in the systems do not. There are only two types of conductive pigments widely used: silver and carbon.

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Figure 5 Dielectric inks are a critical part of multi-layer printing and building complex circuits in small areas.

Silver inks Silver is the most electrically and thermally conductive material of all the metals. One of the key properties of silver is its ability to remain conductive after oxidation has occurredâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the oxides that are produced on silver are as conductive as the silver itself. This makes silver a perfect material where fine inner-particle contact is important. There is a great deal of development in other metal pigments, such as copper and nickel, as a replacement for silver. Of course, the primary driver for these developments is the reduced cost of the inks. The primary drawback of other pigment systems is that the oxides formed on other metals are not conductive. Over time, these oxides reduce the conductivity of a given trace to the point at which it is no longer conductive. While there has been some advancement in development of these pigments, there are currently no commercial inks that use alternative pigments with the effectiveness of silver. Carbon inks Carbon inks, or carbon-graphite blends, are also used across the entire field of PE. Carbons are typically three orders of magnitude more resistive than silver but are typically a lot less expensive. Often, if november/december 2011 | 19

a manufacture can change the electrical needs of a given part, carbon alternatives can be used. Carbon systems are incorporated in applications where resistance is a requirement and used as a component of the functional part. Some of these applicaNEW from Chromaline® tions include printed resistors, heaters, and potentiometers. Dielectric inks

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(800) 328-4261 www.chromaline.com

Dielectric inks also play a very important role in the structure of PE circuitry. They provide environmental protection to the printed conductive trace, stop shorting, and make it possible for multi-layered printing to take place (Figure 5). This allows for building more complex circuitry in a smaller area. Dielectrics are also used to help minimize silver migration, which is important where there is current draw and moisture present in a printed circuit. Dielectric formulations are made for thermal- and UV-curing systems, with the vast majority of systems being the latter. Their 100%-solids formulations and crosslinking properties make UV systems the preferred chemistry choice for most applications. Processing speed and chemical and environmental resistance make UV systems ideal. Specialty inks Some inksets are developed for specific markets. Silver/silverchloride inks are primarily used for medical applications, specifically for ECG/EKG pads. Functionality is achieved through the combination of silver inks and conductive gels. The inks are printed onto the ECG pad itself. The silver/silver-chloride pad and conductive gel combine and, when placed against the skin to form a conductive salt bridge, pick up the electrical pulses from your heart. These pulses are then transferred to a machine that records the information. Another use for silver/silver-chloride inks is for drug-delivery systems or iontophoresis, a process using electrical current to deliver a medicine or other chemicals through the skin. This process operates under the same principle as an ECG pad, where silver/silver-chloride inks combine with a conductive gel. In the case of iontophoresis, the gel is also loaded with the drug to be delivered. A current is applied, and the system ionizes the skin, which promotes drug delivery. Delivery rate can be increased or decreased by changing the amount of current applied. Lighting and display Functional lighting devices are also facilitated by modern ink materials. Electroluminescent (EL) lighting applications can also be facilitated through printing practices. EL displays are constructed by printing a multilayered construction that consists of a phosphor layer between two conductors. A field effect causes the phosphor particles between the two conductors to excite when power is supplied. As they become excited, they emit photons that are given off as light. EL lamps require an AC power source. The current switching between cycles is what causes the light to generate. By changing the frequency of the power supply, the brightness and color of the lamp can be changed. EL lamps are the primary source of light used in watch backlighting. They’re also used in cells phones, point-ofpurchase displays, and automotive dashboard backlighting. Clear conductives are used for EL lighting and capacitivetouchscreen assemblies. There are different degrees of transparency found within different inksets. Some of these systems are filled with material pigments such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and antimony tin oxide (ATO), while others use conductive polymers. Although these inks are conductive, many lack the degree of conductivity needed for certain display applications. Because of this, sputtered, clear conductors are still the preferred method

used for achieving clear conductive layers. The uses of nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes (CNT) shows great promise for the development of next-generation clear conductives. Sensors Using inks to print sensors has been a standard method of electronics printing for some time. Inks for printing sensors and resistors vary widely in resistance values and compositions. These inks are used for a variety of other applications, including seat sensors for airbag deployment, printed potentiometers for automotive and consumer markets, and printed heaters. Ink formulations include extreme hardness ratings for wear resistance, which may be required for automotive-foot-pedal potentiometers, for example. Wear-testing requirements for this type of application are in excess of eight million cycles with Dither testing. Positive Thermal Coefficient (PTC) inks are also used in the sensor market. These inks are very unique. They act as a fusible link when used in a printed circuit. Functionality is achieved based on the ink’s reaction to the current that passes through it. When current is introduced to these inks, they begin to heat and become less conductive as the temperature increases. When the inks reach a predetermined temperature based on formulation requirements, they go through a phase change at which point the ink resistance increases greatly. This prohibits electricity from passing through the circuit and effectively shuts down the unit until the ink cools below its phase-change temperature. Current is reintroduced when the ink temperature drops low enough. This ink technology is most widely incorporated into set heaters and mirror-defrost heaters for the automotive market.

As new materials are produced for applications such as photovoltaics, energy storage, and interactive displays, PE—in combination with surface-mount technology—will deliver the low-cost, high-volume capability required to meet consumer demand. Excerpted from the 2010 SMTA International Conference Proceedings.

Dan fenner

Henkel Electronic Materials Dan Fenner currently holds the position of field-applications engineer at Henkel Electronic Materials and has been involved in the electronics industry for nearly 20 years. In his current role, Fenner lends his applications expertise to printed-electronics processes and interfacing with customers regarding printing techniques for next-generation materials. He is based in Henkel Electronics’ Irvine, CA headquarters.

Summary The possibilities for printed electronics are endless. In many ways, printed electronics is still very much in its infancy. The functionality delivered and throughput rates available with printing will no doubt ensure its viability for the foreseeable future. Increasing product diversity and the need for form factor modifications will drive printed electronics growth. november/december 2011 | 21

COVER STORY

IME: Taking IMD a Step Further In-mold electronics is a powerful gateway to advanced circuit design and construction. This article describes how the process works and discusses its benefits to designers and OEMs.

Use your smartphone to capture this QR Code and watch a video demonstration of capacitive-sensor technology. If you do not own a smartphone or have trouble with image capture, point your Web browser to ww.youtube.com/ watch?&v=7Kw5XYVkvN8.

Scott Moncrieff

Canyon Graphics Inc.

n-mold decorating (IMD) is a widely used and, in many cases, preferred method of decoration in the appliance, automotive, and consumer-electronics markets. The process’s ability to simulate metallic and other special effects has been a driving force, as has the exceptional durability and high perceived value of an IMD part. The quality and look of an IMD component has become the new standard for products designed to compete in the mid- to high-dollar price range (Figure 1). In the appliance and automotive markets, IMD is often specified as the decoration method for the user-interface (UI) surface that typically contains switches and indicator lights to allow the user to control and receive feedback from the device. These products are expected to perform for many years in challenging environments. In the case of a washing machine, for instance, the control panel containing the IMD fascia and associated electronics is expected to last from seven to 15 years. It is constantly exposed to corrosive cleaners, such as laundry soap and bleach, and aggressive spot removers, high humidity, moisture, and—on occasion—physical abuse. IMD plastic control

panels have proven to perform exceptionally well in this type of harsh environment. While IMD control panels have provided the high-quality look and feel OEMs want, the electronics package could be improved. The appliance and automotive industries in particular, have shown an increased interest in the integration of capacitive-touch technology into their products as the primary means of control. Capacitive-sensor switching has been in production for some time in top-of-the-line appliances, often with a black glass UI touch surface. It can also be found in a significant number of ice makers in refrigerator units. Additionally, new automobiles produced by Ford and Lincoln have now implemented a touch-capacitive UI in their center stack control consoles, but it has yet to appear in the mid- or low-cost product lines. Most likely the current cost of the technology being used has yet to make it financially viable for products at those lower price points. It appears as though there is an opportunity to fill a void—assuming a lower cost solution can be found—for what is most certainly the higher volume portion of the business.

22 | INDUSTRIAL + SPECIALTY PRINTING www.industrial-printing.net

CURRENT UI TECHNOLOGY

The typical UI found in many appliances today comprises a decorated control panel (often IMD), a printed circuit board (PCB) with mechanical switches and LEDs, a molded housing with plastic switch actuators, a light guide or light pipe component of some sort, and an interface cable to connect to a master control. Normally, its function is to simply send information to a master control located on a separate PCB based on the user input and then display the machine’s status via indicator LEDs on the control panel. These switch/status modules are typically large and bulky, requiring a significant amount of space within the product. The rigid PCB this design is based on does not adapt easily to alternate form factors, such as curved or complex geometries, and seriously limits the creative options available to the industrial designer (Figure 2). ALTERNATIVES TO MECHANICAL SWITCHES

Today there are a number of alternatives to using a mechanical switch. The conventional membrane switch is one of those options and has been in use now for more than 40 years.

The basic membrane concept normally requires some sort of separation or air gap between the contact surfaces and does not lend itself well to surviving a molding process and retaining this required separation. The exposure to high temperatures and pressures experienced in the molding process will render a membrane switch nonfunctional. For that reason, this article focuses on the capacitive-touch options because they are, in fact, a viable switch alternative that can be molded successfully. Capacitive touch

Capacitive-touch technology has been around for some time, in one form or another, and is here to stay. One manufacturer alone—and there are a few—has replaced more than 3.5 billion mechanical switches with its capacitive-touch solution. Capacitive touch has gained widespread acceptance in the global marketplace over the years, in great part due to the advent of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Now everyone is familiar with, and knows how to use, capacitive touch as a user interface. There is an apparent trend across industries to implement capacitive-sensor controls where possible due to its many benefits. This phenomenal growth spurt is the result, in part, of significant advancements that have made the technology relatively easy to implement and use. Today, there are a number of companies offering touch solutions, some of which are proprietary and others that are generally available to everyone. One such company, Cypress Technologies, manufactures a controller chip called a PSoC, which is short for Programmable System on Chip. The PSoC controller is the brain of many touch-capacitive solutions in use today and is one way to build a capacitive-touch switch or array of switches. Its features include the ability to integrate linear sliders, radial scroll wheels, proximity sensors, water-detect sensors, as well as process input from all kinds of sensor—light, tem-

perature, humidity, and the like. It can also be programmed to turn on and off LEDs at preset light levels and activate a haptic or audio feedback module based on user input. All inputs to the PSoC are processed and converted into a digital signal that is then transmitted via a five-wire interconnect— regardless of the number sensors or I/Os used—to a master control. Because these controllers are programmable, they can be customized to manage most any UI capacitive-sensor device. The PSoC can communicate via a number of different interfaces, including I2C, SPI, or USB. This particular technology, using the PSoC chip in conjunction with the specified resistors and capacitors, is all that is needed to implement a capacitive-touch UI. It can, based on touch input or proximity detection, turn indicator LEDs on and off, trigger a user-feedback device, and transmit data per the customized program it has been instructed to carry out. Additionally, it has a built-in program that makes it possible to tune each

sensor individually once it is assembled. This is an important feature because the sensitivity of each individual sensor can vary depending on the touch substrate, the substrate thickness, the sensor design, and the distance the sensor is from the control chip. It is also useful for setting the touch sensitivity based on the design preference. Some applications may prefer a light or near-touch activation point while others may require a full or longer touch to activate the sensor. This ability to finely tune the sensors for each individual position and application is significant, as it is not always predictable how each sensor will perform prior to testing the fully assembled, finished product. Capacitive-touch alternatives

There are essentially three ways to build a capacitive-sensor switch. These options are discussed here in further detail, and each may use any one of a number of known technologies to process the sensor input and communicate with a master control.

Figure 1 (top) IMD has become a preferred method of decoration in mid- to high-end product offerings. Figure 2 (bottom) Tech boxes stand in the way of creativity in industrial design.

november/december 2011 | 23

Figure 3 (left) Mounting a PCB that holds sensors and other components to the control panel is a popular way to integrate capacitive-sensor technology. Figure 4 (below) This diagram illustrates the basic construction of an IME component.

IME Construction Circuit Construction Conductive Silver Circuit Layer 1 - P1 Dielectric Bridge Insulator - P2 Dielectric Bridge Insulator - P3 Conductive Silver Circuit Layer 2 - P4 Conductive Carbon - P5 Dielectric Coating - P6 Binder - P7 Surface-mount conductive epoxy - P8

Rear Circuit Film 2nd Surface Substrate Printed Electric Circuitry Electronic SurfaceMounted Components

Plastic Resin Total molded panel thickness = 3 mm

Multiple Decorative Print Layers 1st Surface Substrate - Decorative Decorative Panel Front

PCB based

One popular method of capacitive-sensor integration has been to mount a PCB (Figure 3) containing the sensors, circuitry, and required electronics to the back of a glass or molded-plastic control panel. The PCB is mounted using a mechanical means or an adhesive and must be placed carefully so that the sensors are in perfect alignment with the panel graphics that indicate the exact switch locations. Care must also be taken to ensure that no air gaps exist between the sensors and the surface to which the PCB is mounted.

sensor arrays and some surface-mounted components and is typically mounted to the rear side of an injection-molded housing or glass panel. With the FPC option it is difficult to integrate and use LEDs without the use of an additional PCB. The benefit to using a film circuit is its ability to conform to a curved surface. Generally, all of these systems can be designed to function when applied to a plastic or glass panel up to 5 mm thick. The price point for both the PCB and FPC options tends to be competitive, depending on the product design. Capacitive touch/in-mold electronics

FPC based

Similar in design to the PCB option, the FPC (film printed circuit) contains the

The basic idea of in-molding capacitive touch sensors has been around for a while as evidenced by various patents that were filed

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as far back as eight or more years ago. These patents usually describe a construction that involves a single film, molded to either the front or back side of a plastic panel that contains the printed sensors and associated circuitry. A single-film construction has some inherent disadvantages compared to the two-film option, so both options will be reviewed in detail. It should be noted that although the idea and the technology have been around for a long time, it is extremely difficult to find any products in the marketplace that use this form of the technology, where the sensors are actually molded as an integral part the product itself, as described here, using either of these methods. The single-film method uses a film substrate where, as in conventional IML or FIM, the decorative layers are screen printed onto the second surface of the film, which results in a finished molded part with the graphic-ink layers sandwiched between the film substrate and the molding resin. In a single-film construction that includes circuitry with printed sensors, the circuit layers are printed directly onto the last layer of graphic ink, resulting in a single film to mold. Although this can be a viable solution in certain applications, there are a number of challenges and limitations associated with this method of construction that have yet to be resolved. This method is a step in the right direction, but it will never be the complete solution. One of the challenges associated with the single-film method involves the interconnect and finding a way to make a clean, uninterrupted, and reliable connection to the master control. A review of some of the published patents reveals such methods as inserting pins into the injection mold prior to molding and bonding them directly to the rear of the appliquĂŠ during the molding process. Aside from adding a great deal of complexity to the molding process, this will most likely result in an unacceptable cosmetic blemish on the face of the finished part where the pins are located and touch off on the rear conductive surface of the printed circuit. Other options included using a ribbon-cable membrane-switch tail, extending out from the edge of the finished part or plastic shutoffs that leave a portion of the circuit exposed for some sort of spring post or clip connection. Although these options can be made to work, they will likely

add to the cost unnecessarily and require design concessions to implement. The ability to surface-mount components on this circuit, which is also the decorative film, without having sinks or cosmetic blemishes show on the finished class A surface is unlikely. This means that all LEDs and control components required to process the signals from the touch sensors will need to reside on a separate PCB or FPC. This, of course, adds cost and is now only a partial solution to the ultimate goal of eliminating the PCB component as a part of the switch assembly. An undesirable consequence of having to mount the control chip remotely is that the connection will require at least one trace for every discrete switch, LED, and sensor in the circuit, which could, depending on the application, result in a very high pin count and a connection that will be more prone to failure. The signals traveling through the circuitry are analog prior to reaching the processor and are subject to noise issues and false triggers until they have been converted into a digital format by the PSoC. A final issue revolves around components that have complex, 3D geometry and require a formed appliqué. Conductive silver inks normally used in membrane switches have forming limitations; therefore, parts that must be formed will typically require a special conductive, formable ink that can sometimes have problems with cracking and will add to the cost of the parts. Another single-film option is to overmold the appliqué containing the decoration and sensor circuit that is printed as in the method just described. This option will leave the entire circuit exposed, including contact pads, providing the necessary points to make a connection. As with the other single-film option, overmolding makes it very difficult to provide the optimal solution, because surface-mounting the components prior to molding would make it all but impossible to mold. They could possibly be attached after molding, but the components would still be exposed and require some sort of conformal coating or encapsulation to protect them from the elements—again adding unnecessary cost when compared to the other options. IME

The second method we will discuss involves the molding of two separate films into what

becomes a double-sided, molded part that has a decorative film molded to the A side, a separate film circuit molded to the B side, and the molding resin injected in between the two films. In-mold electronics (IME), a two-film method, provides a way to incorporate important features that are either a challenge or impossible when attempted using only a single piece of film. In this construction, the circuit, including the printed sensors, resistors, and other required components, results in a self-contained, fully functional device that is completely encapsulated in the molding resin (Figure 4). This encapsulation of the circuit and the surface-mounted components produces a waterproof input device that is capable of withstanding harsh and challenging environments that would eventually destroy many UI modules in use today. Design

From a design perspective, this two-film construction virtually eliminates the need for the large and bulky tech boxes currently used in one form or another in numerous products today. What previously required an IMD plastic part plus a tech box can now all be consolidated into a single component. The ability to combine the switching, sensing, and lighting functions in a 3-mm thick, decorated control panel is now possible. Being able to include all this functionality and control into to what previously was simply a decorated panel will open up design possibilities and form factors that until now were totally inconceivable. Designers will be free to use their creative talents in ways never conceived of. Concerns over the integration of mechanical switches, PCBs, and molded buttons using complicated actuation mechanisms will quickly be forgotten and replaced with clean, contemporary designs using only a fraction of the space previous needed. Lighting

Combining PSoC technology with in-molding of the LEDs will enable a host of new lighting opportunities. In-molded LEDs capture 100% of the available light output. This makes it possible to have a brighter and more even backlight, potentially with fewer LEDs using less power. The ability to now have complete control over individual LEDs and groups of LEDs will lead to new creative solutions. Through the use of topand side-firing LEDs and custom program-

ming, it will be possible to indicate status, pre-set light levels, set scenes, or run unique lighting sequences based on input, resulting in a user-feedback experience previously unexplored. Environmental benefits

The printing of conductive silver circuitry, as used in the manufacture of a typical membrane switch, is an additive process that produces relatively little waste. It is a more environmentally friendly process than the one required to manufacture a PCB or FPC and does not generate anywhere near the hazardous waste of either those processes. Additionally, this process does not require the use of lead and is RoHS compliant. The IME product requires fewer resources and less energy to manufacture. By using the IME technology in place of the tech box, you can effectively eliminate the need for a PCB or FPC, which means no copper, fiberglass, resins, or acid etchants; no molded housing components or switch-activation mechanisms; no mechanical switches; no molded buttons; no expensive injection molds or engineering required to make those molded components; no copper-wire cable assemblies or all the resources and energy that go into purchasing, managing, inventorying, assembling, packaging, and transporting this long list of items. The IME solution, assuming the component requirements and need for an IMD panel go unchanged, requires in place of all these components a film substrate with printed circuitry. There has been a lot of discussion regarding printed electronics and the lack of realworld applications that could benefit from its use. As it so happens, IME is a real-world application that is ready for implementation now and can provide significant advantages and benefits when compared to the technologies being used in touch applications today. While there are more than enough good reasons right now to use IME, imagine the future possibilities as the science of printed electronics advances and the printing of OLEDs, OLED displays, and various other electronic components becomes routine. While IME is now a superior way to integrate decoration with capacitive-sensor switching, lighting, and sensing functionality—especially for UI applications—it will, in the not too distant future, be used in ways that are inconceivable today.

november/december 2011 | 25

Reliability

Capacitive switches are, by nature, extremely reliable as there are no moving parts to fail or wear out as there are with mechanical switches. The additional protection realized from the total encapsulation of the circuit, switch sensors, and LEDs takes the reliability factor to a new level. The ability to mount the PSoC controller in close proximity to the capacitivetouch sensors (highly recommended by the manufacturers of the chips) provides a number of significant benefits that are not possible in designs that have these components remotely mounted. Shorter circuit runs translate into an analog signal that is subject to corruption from electrical noise and false triggers for the shortest possible period of time. These analog signals are converted into a digital signal in the PSoC processor and then transmitted via I2C to a master controller in a digital format that is not subject to corruption.

The other advantage to converting the data within the molded circuit, and as early as physically possible, is the ability to communicate to the master control from the PSoC via a five-wire digital connection, regardless of the number of sensors or LEDs (PSoC I/Os) contained in the circuit. Designs where the PSoC has to be mounted remotely requires an interconnect or cable that typically has at least one wire for each and every sensor and LED in the circuit. This means that a UI with ten switch sensors and ten status LEDs would have, at a minimum, a 21-wire connection that would have to transmit an analog signal to the board or FPC where the PSoC resides. This condition, depending on the distance the signal has to travel in analog form, is far from optimal and potentially a recipe for failure. Durability

The printed film circuit and electronic components are completely encapsulated and able to survive for many years in extreme

Your Complete Manufacturing Source

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Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies

and harsh environments with no adverse effects. The molded components cannot be degraded by exposure to dirt, moisture, corrosive chemicals, physical abuse, or salty environments found in coastal communities and marine environments. The possibility of failure due to exposure to these elements is significantly less than the alternative conventional options. Service calls and warranty claims due to these types of failures that are typically the result of environmental damage will virtually be eliminated. Cost savings

IME is a low-cost alternative to the existing technology that uses PCB-mounted mechanical switches and the tech-box design concept for many of reasons. The IME design means fewer components and raw materials, no assembly, and a more reliable finished product. The film circuit can be produced using a highly efficient and costeffective roll-to-roll manufacturing process. The additional time required to place the circuit film in the injection mold is only a

matter of seconds. These features translate not only into a significant savings, but also a superior product using the most current and desirable switch technology available today. Another benefit of this solution is that the design can be revised quickly, refreshed, or updated without the expense of costly new injection molds and associated new tooling. Switches can be repositioned easily, added, or deleted by simply making changes to the artwork. Multiple models and products can be made to look and function in entirely different ways, all sharing a common form factor (injection mold). All of the benefits already enjoyed through the use of IMD can be realized with IME as well. Who can benefit from this technology?

The appliance, automotive, and consumer-electronics industries already have capacitive touch products, in one form or another, in their product lines and understand the benefits of using it. As the cost of the technology comes down and additional benefits can be realized, as with IME,

these industries will continue to design it into more of their products, taking full advantage of all of the features and benefits it has to offer. Industries that typically have lower volume programs, but produce higher value products, can also benefit. These include medical, military, industrial controls, pool and spa controls, lighting, security, HVAC, point-of-sale and kiosk applications, and toy manufacturers. This group, and others, will find that IME can solve problems unique to their products and will use it for that reason.

IME technology. Demand for IME will then grow, and new products and unique designs will be developed that previously were impossible. Conclusion

The capacitive-touch UI has been an established part of our everyday life for some time. It is used on everything from appliances to light switches to the touchscreen on your iPad or smart phone. In the years to come, we can look forward to an improved UI experience across many devices as this technology thrives and is designed into more and more new products.

Challenges facing IME going forward

Inmolding capacitive-touch sensors and circuitry, along with all the associated electronic components to make it a fully functional standalone component, is relatively new and only recently has become a reality. As with any new technology, it will take time to educate the industrial designers, engineers, and OEMs about the possibilities, features, and benefits of the

Scott Moncrieff Canyon Graphics Inc.

Scott Moncrieff is president and CEO of San Diego, CA-based Canyon Graphics Inc. He founded the company more than 30 years ago and has specialized in in-mold decoration for the last nine years.

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feature story

Same-day prototyping, even for precision and tight-tolerance parts and products, is now possible thanks to 3D printing. Find out about some of the many applications and industries for which it’s suited. Kevin Lach

Z Corporation

t’s so fun to ponder what 3D printing might accomplish some day that we tend to overlook what’s really happening today. Fly to the moon and print out a city? Not yet. Replace your dead coffee maker by printing out a new one in your workshop? Closer, but no, not yet. Because these scenarios seem so outlandish—today, at least—we sometimes forget that businesses are using 3D printing every day to obtain quantifiable business benefits. Some of the most aggressive and innovative engineering organizations—many whose names are very familiar—are actually using 3D printing on a daily basis to boost innovation at every stage of the design and engineering process. They’re creating killer prototypes from concept through manufacturing to improve speed, quality, and creativity at every phase. So, while novel applications abound, 3D printing is definitely no longer a novelty (Figure 1). Three-dimensional printers, which create real, physical objects from 3D data, are paralleling the evolution of office document printers. They’re getting faster. The price is falling. Output quality is soaring. Multicolor printing is here. Devices are becoming easier to use and more office friendly. This third generation of 3D printing technology is transforming early adopters into high performers. It’s helping designers and engineers overcome limited time and budgets, the complex dynamics of working with colleagues and external partners, and the technical limitations of design tools. With a clever idea today, designers can do a lot more than daydream. Without a budget and before someone can shoot their idea down, they can just CAD up a concept, push a button, print a model, walk it around the company, and try to inspire managers to produce it. Designers and engineers have never been in a better position to shine. With low-cost, highvolume, fully automated prototyping technology, they can innovate every day, and add value to the design, development, sales and marketing processes. Rather than toiling away at the same old designs, they are creating more and being more creative. While solidifying its presence in manufacturing, 3D printing is making deep inroads into the most advanced architecture firms. It is also making an impact in fields like entertainment, education, anthropology, geographic information systems, medicine, and more. Real-world applications The Cisco Consumer Business Group (CBG) in Denmark uses 3D printing to produce some of the world’s most elegant consumer electronic equipment. CBG’s ability to produce prototype after prototype helps the company combine the

28 | Industrial + Specialty Printing www.industrial-printing.net

time-honored tradition of Scandinavian design—functional, minimal, and affordable—with the hyper-paced world of consumer electronics. The Timberland Company uses 3D printing to more quickly and affordably produce prototypes for new arch supports, tread patterns, heel stabilizers, and materials. By switching from handcrafting prototypes to 3D printing, the company has experienced a more than 30-fold reduction in prototype cost, a reduction in prototype creation time from one week to 90 minutes, and a 33% reduction in design time. Stanley Black & Decker uses 3D printing to help make its tools leap from the store shelf, feel good in the consumer’s hand, and ultimately trigger a purchase. The company is creating high-quality prototypes overnight instead of the week or more that CNC and hand-painting required. The Denby Pottery Company, a 200-year-old UK manufacturer of fine tableware, has reduced prototyping time from four weeks to two hours and is launching product lines in half the time it used to. Clarks, a world leader in footwear for men, women, and children, uses 3D printing to dramatically reduce time and cost. It now creates detailed, colorful, physical shoe models in hours instead of the two weeks it used to take for manufactured samples to return. Why 3D printing makes sense Recent advances in 3D printing’s speed, affordability, color capability, and office friendliness are tipping points for product companies that have traditionally outsourced their prototyping. Developing prototypes in house is now an attractive investment with a tangible, positive return. Inkjet-based 3D printers, for example, can now print a typical part in less than two hours. Material costs are as low as $2 per cubic inch. Organizations can not only bring prototyping in house, but they also can have more models earlier in the design process—and 3D printed parts are increasingly versatile. You can build them to be strong and economical, and many can be drilled, tapped, sanded, and painted or electroplated to replicate the look and feel of the final product. Other 3D printers, which use light to solidify a liquid photopolymer, build durable, plastic parts that rival injection molding’s accuracy, material properties, detail, and surface finish. They enable engineers to verify designs for form, fit, and function prior to full-scale production, eliminating costly modifications to production tooling and shortening time to market. 3D printers used to be complicated and make a mess. Not anymore. You can find machines that automate most of their operations—including recycling the composite powder left over from a

build—making them fit right into the professional office. If not for the 3D output, you might think they’re document printers. One of the biggest advances in 3D printing is the ability of some devices to print a single object in any combination or pattern of hundreds of thousands of colors. This is as momentous as the emergence of multicolor document printing. It permits not only multicolored objects, but also the application of complex texture designs—even photographs—on parts. This flexibility enhances communication, improves designs, and provides a better understanding of what a final product will look like before expensive production steps begin.

Thermal analysis, stress/strain analysis, geological analysis, and more can now be applied to a physical 3D model in multiple colors, vividly representing data for better understanding.

Concept models Since many products, especially consumer products, have sophisticated color patterns, labels, and eye-catching packaging, it’s vital to help others envision these elements early in the design cycle. Historically, companies have resorted to the time-consuming and tedious process of painting their models. To evaluate packaging and labels, companies have typically relied on computer renderings alone. True multicolor 3D printers can now handle all of this. But beware. Some devices billed as color 3D printers are essentially monochrome printers that enable printing in any of seven colored materials—one at a time. The colored materials are impossible to blend during printing. To get a multicolor assembly, users of these devices need to print parts separately, gather the colored parts, and assemble them. The finished assembly will have no more than seven colors. Textures, photographs and labels are out of the question. Not surprisingly, this is an extremely laborious prospect with sometimes disappointing results. Communication Multicolor 3D printers enable a wide range of new applications not possible without the color capability. For one, these printnovember/december 2011 | 29

ers enable you to print text and engineering labels on parts. The reason for this is that a monochrome 3D printer only enables you to print in the color of the build material, usually white, whereas a monochrome document printer actually gives you both black and white—the white being the paper. Obtaining the same contrast and revealing printed text on a prototype requires a multicolor 3D printer. Labels matter. No one would consider producing a CAD drawing without some form of engineering label to provide information about the drawing. The same goes for a 3D part. Without any label on the part, a lot of information is lost. With an engineering label, one can quickly see what the part name is, what scale it has, when it was printed, who designed it, etc. Multicolor 3D printing also makes it quick and simple to mark up parts. Arrows and other highlighting techniques can spotlight what has changed in the latest iteration of the part. Different colors or patterns can convey instructions when a complete design is ready to be transferred to manufacturing or a supplier. By using multiple colors, it is easy to highlight part surfaces that need to be machined, such as holes that need to be drilled, or the assembly order—blue first, red second, and yellow last, for example. Designers can get creative and ass visual effects like shadows onto a part to enhance communication. The possibilities are limited only by the designer’s imagination. Data analysis is another area where multiple colors can offer tremendous value. Sometimes it’s impossible to properly visualize the output of a finite element analysis if you’re only looking at the colorful data on the flat computer screen. It can be difficult to share analysis information in a meeting if there are no parts to pass around. Thermal analysis, stress/strain analysis, geological analysis, and more can now be applied to a physical 3D model in multiple colors, vividly representing data for better understanding. Improved printing resolution means better application of colors than ever. A company selling soft drinks can now design and print various versions of can labels directly onto a can model with enough detail to read the ingredient list and scan the bar code. A 3D printer capable of printing high-resolution parts in multiple colors can now be had for less than $25,000. 3D scan, CAD, and print A few visionary companies are beginning to combine 3D CAD and 3D printing with high-resolution, 3D-data capture. One global automotive supplier uses a 3D mobile scanner to capture the precise contours of a standard auto interior with components removed, thus creating a digital foundation on which to design a new, more technically advanced, cockpit. Engineers import the data into their 3D CAD tools and create sleek, new designs, then 3D print the parts and install them in a real automobile to create a powerful and persuasive prototype.

Figure 1 What’s possible with 3D printing? Shown here are a reciprocating saw, shoe sole, and medical model, all of which were created in part or whole by 3D printing.

30 | Industrial + Specialty Printing www.industrial-printing.net

Education Schools are boosting the proliferation of 3D printers, where the systems help design and engineering students—the innovators of tomorrow—gain experience with advanced technologies they’ll use in their careers. The use of this technology at the Royal College of Art, for example, has “enabled students to obtain 3D physical models quickly and at a fraction of the previous price so they

could receive more feedback earlier in the design process,” says Martin Watmough, manager of the institution’s rapidform digital manufacturing facility. “As a result, there was suddenly every opportunity for multiple iterations. Communication improved dramatically, resulting in significantly improved designs. The transformation was remarkable.” The printers help ensure that large classes can successfully handle all the prototypes to cap off final projects. Other disciplines, like art and medicine, are also finding value in 3D printing sculptures and biology models from CT scans. This multidisciplinary use magnifies the benefits to a campus while reducing per capita cost. Beyond manufacturing These applications just scratch the surface of what a 3D printer can actually do today. There’s a big world of 3D printing beyond the engineering workstation and the manufacturing company. Architecture firms like Foster + Partners create beautiful and accurate building models in a fraction of the time required to handcraft them. The firm behind such masterpieces as Wembley Stadium and the Millennium Bridge can now create architectural models that would otherwise be too geometrically complex to handcraft. And they can do this overnight, expediting reviews and accelerating innovation. Entertainers like Pixar use 3D printing to develop characters for its beloved animated films. In fact, Pixar also featured 3D printing prominently at the studio’s celebrated Museum of Modern Art exhibit. Shapeways is pioneering mass customization through its community for buying, personalizing, making, and selling new designs. LandPrint.com generates 3D maps on demand, transforming satellite imagery into physical 3D landscapes, relying on the speed, affordable materials, and multicolor capability of its 3D printing technology. Hospitals like Walter Reed Army Medical Center are using 3D printing to save lives. Doctors are improving the success of delicate surgeries by using 3D printed models as a roadmap for treatment. Surgeons spend less time investigating the anatomical structures of the patient after the incision is made, reducing blood loss and the likelihood of infection. Gamers who play World of Warcraft

are bringing their imaginations into the real world through 3D printouts of their personalized avatars. Scholars like those at Cornell University are preserving ancient artifacts, and researchers studying Sumerian and Babylonian cuneiform tablets as 3D printed models are learning more than they would from photographs. The technology preserves the originals from damage, thereby enabling more students to examine them. Anthropologists like those at the University of Western Ontario are identifying the human remains of missing soldiers, providing comfort for families. Researchers recently used 3D printed models of a soldier’s skull as a basis for photo matching, a key step in confirming the identity of a missing WWI soldier. Meanwhile, architects are seizing these same benefits, and 3D printing is finding an increasingly important role in a rapidly expanding range of exciting new markets. As you can see, 3D printing has become a signature capability for the world’s highest performing engineering organizations. It’s putting their designers and engineers in a better position to align their goals with those of their organizations. They can now explore more ideas while saving money. They can present iterations in a way that encourages group development. They can inspire prospective customers. They can get the green light to make their designs real. They can create more and see their creations succeed in the marketplace. Even though printing a city is still a fantasy, and that coffee maker is still slightly out of reach, the next time you hear about the wonders of 3D printing in the future, know that in many industries, the future is now.

Kevin Lach

Z Corporation

Kevin Lach is vice president of Z Corporation, where he is responsible for corporate and channel marketing worldwide. Previously, he was VP of marketing with Web-infrastructure provider Fact City and digital-audio developer Cakewalk Software. Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Massachusetts. He can be reached at klach@zcorp.com.

How Do You Do It? A 3D printer quickly transforms an idea into a physical object. Here’s how it’s done. First, you create your idea as a virtual model in 3D CAD software. The software then exports 3D models as files in any of a number of standard formats for 3D printing. The exported file is a mesh, or series of triangles oriented in space, that enclose a 3D volume. It’s important that this mesh be watertight, so to speak, so that the model is a solid, not just surfaces hanging in space that may not connect or have any thickness. In other words, the virtual model must at this point be ready to exist in the real world, not just on a computer screen. With the file now in a printable format, you launch the printing software on your PC. You can scale up or scale down the file you wish to print, orient the part, and direct the 3D printer to print multiple versions of the part in the same build (with or without variations). Then software slices the 3D model file into hundreds of digital cross-sections, or layers. Each 0.004-in. (0.1-mm) slice corresponds to a layer of the model to be fabricated in the printer. Entering the print command sends the digital layer files to the printer, and the model begins printing immediately. The printer prints each layer of the model one atop another. The print carriage moves across each layer, depositing binder—and various inks for a color model—in the pattern of the first slice that was sent. The binder solidifies the powder in that cross-section of the model, leaving the rest of the powder dry for recycling. The cycle repeats itself until the model is complete. A short drying cycle runs once the printer completes the final layer. When finished, the model is suspended in powder to cure. Model removal follows soon after curing.

november/december 2011 | 31

FEATURE STORY Find out about the role adhesives play in the production of tamper-resistant labels and the ways in which these labels enhance product value and safety.

Kim Hensley

What’s in a Nameplate Label? Overcoming counterfeiting with security labeling solutions

MACtac

he United States Customs and Border Protection unit revealed that consumer electronics, computers, and hardware were among the top ten most counterfeited products sold in the U.S. in 2010. Similarly, the European Commission estimates interception of approximately €1 billion (or $1.4 billion) worth of counterfeit goods that year. In many instances, durable-goods manufacturers experience huge losses and tarnished product integrity because of counterfeiters stealing their nameplate labels and placing them on counterfeit products that infiltrate their markets. This widespread proliferation of counterfeits and cheap knock-offs is a source of concern to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who are continuously seeking ways to preserve the integrity and reliability of their products and brands and secure their customers’ trust. Manufacturers spend millions on a yearly basis on anti-counterfeiting measures to combat this issue. More specifically, durable-goods manufacturers task converters and printers with finding and recommending high-performance nameplate-security labeling to address their concerns. Nameplate labels play more than an aesthetic function on end products such as power tools, washers and dryers, recreational tools, lawn and garden equipment, chemical drums, and more (Figure 1). Manufacturers rely on nameplate labels to communicate pertinent information to end users; therefore, labels must not only stick permanently to the end product, but the information conveyed must also remain legible

throughout the product’s lifetime. In recent years, nameplate-label offerings have expanded, giving converters, printers, and manufacturers even more options. Trends such as variable-data printing have increased the demand for labels to look like metal nameplates, which in turn has increased the demand for bright, matte, and brushed-silver stocks that accommodate variable-data printing. However, void nameplates have proven to be the major trend in the industry for tackling counterfeiting. Void labels leave behind a tamper-evident message when removed from original application surfaces (Figure 2). Void labels, when tinkered with cannot be reused, which gives manufacturers the confidence to launch their products to market without the fear or risk of counterfeiting. Some OEMs are taking this trend a step further by customizing their void labels. When removed from the application surface, instead of featuring the traditional void imaging, the residual message displays the printed information that was originally on the nameplate or other, predetermined, information. By doing this, counterfeiters are prevented from using original nameplate labels on their sub-standard products, while pertinent information remains on the original product. Tamper labels are great for preserving warranties and preventing unlicensed use of equipment. Another way OEMs and converters can overcome counterfeiting is by using labels and security seals that fracture from attempted removal or altering. These

32 | INDUSTRIAL + SPECIALTY PRINTING www.industrial-printing.net

destructible labels are made with fragile materials that, once applied, react to misuse or attempted removal and alert owners of any product tampering. Typical applications for destructible labels might be warranty seals, package-security seals, lab samples, or asset tracking. CHOOSING A NAMEPLATE LABEL OEMs rely on their converters for insights and recommendations on high-performing nameplate labels. Charged with this role, converters need to consider certain factors when selecting a nameplate label. So how do you select the right nameplate label for an end product? First off, nameplate labels have to stick to, and often outlast, the life of the end product. Exposure to chemicals, moisture, ultraviolet light, or extreme temperatures can undermine the performance of nameplate labels, which can lead to loss of important consumer or product information that an OEM intended to communicate to users. Compromised labels can expose manufacturers to legal liabilities. There are other factors that converters need to consider: Is an overlaminate required, or will the final label be topcoated? Will the end application be immersed in water? To what type of substrate will it be adhered—high or low surface energy, metal, powder-coated paint, or plastic? What type of print method—flexo, thermal transfer, digital, or laser? Will the product be used indoors or outdoors? Will the product be exposed to chemicals and solvents? Will the product be in an extremely cold or hot envi-

Figure 1 MACtac durable films are designed to tackle heavy-duty labeling needs on tough applications, including chemical drums, wet cell batteries, appliances and outdoor equipment.

ronment? These will help determine which material is the best fit for your nameplate. For example, polyester is not affected by most solvents and chemicals and will resist heat up to 300°F; whereas polypropylene and vinyl are not as temperature resistant. They tend to soften around 200°F. However, vinyl is an extremely conformable film that handles outside conditions well, making it great for chemical-drum and marine labeling. The changing topography of substrates—from textured to curved or uneven surfaces—makes it even more difficult to select the right nameplate label for specific applications. It is also important that inks used on nameplate labels also last the life of the product. For example, film inks are required in flexo printing, a wax-resin ribbon is required for thermal-transfer printing on polypropylene material, and a full-resin ribbon is required when printing on a polyester material. Sometimes, you can’t control the conditions where labels might go, so adding an overlaminate can give a label additional protection from abrasion, chemical exposure, high temperatures, and extreme weather exposure. With so many factors involved, how can converters overcome this challenge? Whatever the end-use application, converters should partner with trusted industry suppliers and simplify the selection process by obtaining appropriate recommendations for nameplate labels that perform optimally and exceed durable-goods manufacturers’ material and inventory demands. Some industry suppliers offer programs that allow

Figure 2 Tamper-resistant labels help overcome counterfeiting by displaying a silver, tamper-evident, VOID message that indicates tinkering.

converters to order the precise amounts of nameplate labels they require for small runs or specific jobs. These types of programs help reduce scrap and maximize efficiency. In addition, some suppliers offer one adhesive type that is compatible with various substrates. The advantage here is that converters are able to streamline their inventories. THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATIONS The Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is one of the most recognized, independent conformity-assessment providers in the world. UL works with adhesive and label suppliers to certify inks and substrates for use on durable products. UL-certified labels comply with industry performance standards that keep safety information affi xed to end products permanently (Figure 3). UL also offers resources that can help end users identify counterfeit UL-identification or certification marks. The ANSI/UL 969 certification process involves four tests: a visual examination to ensure there is no edge lift, a legibility test to ensure there is no print or ribbon smear, a defacement test to ensure there is no abrasion or edge lift when the label is scraped with a blade, and an adhesion test to ensure there is no peel when exposed to varying extreme temperatures. Another third-party tester is the British Standards Institute (BSI). It tests for, and certifies, for salt-water immersion. BSI conducts the BS 5609 test, which is a requirement for self-adhesive drum labels

Figure 3 For optimal performance, UL-recognized nameplate labels comply with safety standards and communicate important cautionary information to end users. Labels remain legible and permanently affixed to end products.

that need International Maritime Dangerous Goods certification. Testing includes a three-month-long exposure of labeled test plates in salt water at mid-tide. Suppliers who see the value in continuous label testing also take it a step further by conducting their own in-house tests to ensure label integrity and durability. Such in-house tests could include measurement of thermal properties, peel and tack tests or, void-removal property testing, which helps assure suppliers that they can identify alteration of the label on the product substrate. An example could be the label that seals a DVD or ink cartridge. The demand for security labels will continue to increase as OEMs fight their ongoing battle against counterfeiters to protect their brands and bottom lines. Converters can take hold of this opportunity to diversify and expand their revenue streams.

KIM HENSLEY MACtac

Kim Hensley is the product manager, durable films, for MACtac Roll Label. In this role, she is responsible for standards and regulatory planning and administration, inventory management, price-strategy development, multigenerational product planning, marketintroduction planning and implementation, cost optimization, sales-tool development, and overall customer satisfaction. Hensley has more than 13 years of experience in the pressure-sensitive-adhesive industry. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 | 33

INDUSTRY NEWS

Market movements and association updates

Apple Leads in Smartphone Sales Apple’s smartphone sales increased by 9.1%, helping it to raise one position from second place in the first quarter of 2011 to become the largest smartphone maker in an IHS report on worldwide cell phone sales. IHS says that Apple’s iPhone line plays a key role in driving the rapid expansion of the smartphone market. Global smartphone unit shipments are expected to amount to 478 million in 2011, up 62.4% from 294 million in 2010. Shipments will more than double by 2015, IHS predicts. By 2015 smartphone shipments are expected to rise to account to more than half of all cell phones. As the smartphone market increases, so does the need for printed electronics in one form or another including printed circuits, OLED usage, and more. Global Smartphone Shipment Ranking in Q2 2011 (Ranking by Unit Shipments in Thousands) Q2 2011 Rank

Brand

Q2 2010 Shipments

Q1 2011 Shipments

Q2 2011 Shipments

Q2 2011 Market Share

Sequential Unit Shipment Growth

Annual Unit Shipment Growth

Apple

8,398

18,647

20,340

18.4%

9.1%

142.2%

Samsung

2,800

12,600

19,600

17.8%

55.6%

600.0%

Nokia

24,000

24,200

16,700

15.1%

-31.0%

-30.4%

RIM

11,200

14,800

13,200

12.0%

-10.8%

17.9%

HTC

5,079

9,603

11,966

10.8%

24.6%

135.6%

Motorola

2,700

4,100

4,400

4.0%

7.3%

63.0%

Sharp

1,078

1,386

1,480

1.3%

6.8%

37.3%

Others

5,545

17,364

22,714

20.6%

30.8%

309.6%

Total

60,800

102,700

110,400

100.0%

7.5%

81.6%

Source: IHS iSuppli Oc tober 201 1

Ashland Rebrands UV/EB Coatings

Dublin, OH-based Ashland Performance Materials, a commercial unit of Asland Inc., has named its range of UV/EB coatings and adhesives PureRad. The transition to the new name is projected to be completed before the end of 2011. “Asland produces a broad range of UV/EB coatings and adhesives used for labels, commercial printing, and flexible packaging industries,” says Rick Stokes, product manager, Coatings and Adhesives Performance Materials. “By renaming the product line to PureRad, we pull together all of Ashland’s high-quality UV/EB coatings and adhesives under one strong brand.”

OSRAM Invests in OLEDs

OSRAM has invested €20 million in a pilot production line for OLEDs in Regensburg, Germany. The plant manufactures transparent OLED panels. As production expands, costs are expected to go down by 90%. “Two years ago, we were the first company to offer serial OLED products on the market,” says Martin Goetzeler, COO of OSRAM AG. By increasing production at the new plant, the company expects to gain widespread use of OLED panels for lighting. OLEDs produce light with the evaporation of organic, synthetic materials onto a base material. When switched off, OLED can display a mirroring effect, be neutral, or be transparent. 34 | Industrial + Specialty Printing www.industrial-printing.net

China, Finland Partner for E-paper Device

On the Move

A Chinese-Finnish joint project combines broadcast technologies and e-paper devices to create a new media platform for information distribution. The goal of the venture is to develop a low-cost, digital medium that specifically targets the problems of communicating with a dispersed population over a wide geographic area. The Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Aalto University, and Shanghai’s research group, National Engineering Center of Digital Television, represent the two partners in the project. Together, participants plan to create device that is energy efficient—enough so to run on solar power—and mimics the appearance of ordinary paper. To keep the device inexpensive and consverative in power consumption, it would only receive, not transmit, messages. The device would be used throughout rural China so that the population would receive a variety of commercial and publicservice information, including news, educational materials, and official government bulletins.

SEND US YOUR NEWS E-mail gail.flower@stmediagroup.com

InteliCoat Technologies of South Hadley, MA, appointed Ed Williamson new business development manager. Rochester, NY-based Intrinsiq Materials added Michael Carmody, Ph.D., as the director of ink research and applications. IndusCarmody trial + Specialty Printing magazine added Scott Moncrieff, president of San Diego, CA-based Canyon Graphics, as Advisory Board member. Plastic Logic of Moscow, Russia, appointed Indro Mukerjee as CEO. Kapco of Kent, OH, has added Denise Smith as purchasing agent. Polyonics, Wesmoreland, NH appointed Kevin E. Young chief operating officer. Soitec of Bernin, France named Justin Wang senior vice president of corporate marketing and strategy.

nTact Joins Holst for R2R

nTact, a U.S. manufacturer of deposition equipment for the microelectronics and energy industries has formed a partnership with Holst Centre, an open-innovation movement by imec and TNO. Their joint research efforts will focus on roll-to-roll processes and homogeneous film layers on flexible foils. These layers are needed for large-scale manufacturing of flexible OLED lighting and organic PV.

February 6-9 Flexible Electronics & Displays Phoenix, Arizona Conference & Exhibition Join us for the 11th annual Flex Conference where you will network with top industry experts and experience the latest developments in: » Flexible, printed and

» Printing processes,

» Smart sensors and RFID

» Equipment for roll-to-roll

organic electronics

» Manufacturing on

flexible substrates

» Medical devices and bio sensors

technologies and materials manufacturing

» Photovoltaics » Solid state lighting

november/december 2011 | 35

printing methods

Screen Printing Flat Glass Wim Zoomer

Technical Language

Glass is a unique material. The evolution of its use in society has found it in applications that range from purely aesthetic to functional. Printing technology has opened the window to coating, the deposition of ultrathin nanoparticle-based inks and conductive pastes, and more. The versatility of screen printing and the ongoing development of ceramic pastes and nano-inks, for example, contribute to the increased use of this cost-effective technology and eliminate huge investments in special equipment. In addition, glass can be processed easily by simply modifying its surface properties. This characteristic facilitates its use in architectural objects, automobiles, slot machines, appliances, and art objects. Surface modification Glass-surface-modification techniques produce most required optical or functional characteristics, such as: • Applying metal-oxide coatings at low pres-

sure and elevated temperature using plasma or CVD coatings to allow light transmission and permit the heat of the sun to pass through the glass into a building. • Combining one or more glass panes by laminating using intermediate layers of resilient polyvinyl butyral (PVB) to create impact-resistant glass for shop fronts, stair railings, and roof glazing. • Using batch treatments to create a uniform, matte surface—acid etching and sandblasting, for example. Transmitted light takes on a very soft appearance. Acid-etched glass is a decorative treatment for indoor glass applications. Sandblasting means spraying sand at high speed against the glass surface. This technique gives the glass surface a rough appearance, although the surface remains translucent. A mask covers the areas that

are supposed to remain transparent. Screen printing is an ideal technique for applying the mask image. The depth and the degree of translucency of the sandblasted finish depend on the force and type of sand applied. Sandblasted glass is used for several indoor applications, such as doors, shower screens, furniture, and interior screens. Enamel Enamel, also known as ceramic paint, ceramic paste, glass paint, and glass enamel, is used to tint or decorate a glass surface. We encounter decorative enamels on architectural, furniture, and automotive glass. All applications require different kinds of decorative glass enamels, with a wide color variety and functionality and, therefore, different characteristics. There are several ways to apply these glass enamels. The application method determines the deposit thickness of the enamel on the glass surface. Full-surface treatment can be applied by digital and screen printing, as well as spray, curtain, and roller coating. • The spray coater’s nozzles move across

the horizontally positioned glass pane, depositing a 20- to 25-μm-thick coat of wet enamel. Spray coating is able to cover uneven surfaces. • Curtain coating produces continuous enamel flowing out of a slit to cover the surface of the horizontally moving glass pane. Curtain coating commonly achieves a wet coating deposit up to 350 μm. The excess of coating enamel is collected and returned to its container for reuse. • Reverse- or direct-roller coating produces less waste than spray coating. This is an effective technique for producing full-surface coatings varying between 10-250 μm. The enamel between the coating roller and the

36 | Industrial + Specialty Printing www.industrial-printing.net

Figure 1 Setting up a flatbed screen-printing system

doctor roller is transferred onto the substrate. The gap between the doctor roller and the coating roller determines the thickness of the enamel deposit. Reverse-roller coating commonly produces smooth, evenly distributed deposits. • The abovementioned techniques are used predominantly for full-surface coverage. Digital printing is suitable for imaging onto flat glass. The systems are applicable for interior and exterior architectural-glass applications, automotives, and appliances where screen printing is used. Digital printing allows the operator to perform a quick and easy design change, and currently is an ideal method for customized printing or production jobs comprising a large number of uniquely decorated panes. Screen printing Screen printing is a very versatile technique. Screen printing allows replacement of the previously discussed techniques, thereby enabling the deposition of full-surface coats

of ceramic paste and images—geometric designs, halftone patterns, line patterns, organic shapes, translucent images, and four-color process on the glass substrate. Screen printing permits wet-paste-deposit thicknesses varying from 10 to more than 100 μm. Screen printing is used for aesthetic modifications of the glass surface and functional surface modifications, such as electrically conductive circuits, solar cells, and mirrors of any size using sol-gel technology. Screen printing allows deposition of functional coats at atmospheric conditions, which means eliminating an investment in precious equipment. Screen printing large, flat glass panes requires the same technique, equipment, and tools as graphics screen printing (Figure 1). The size of the equipment and tooling is just extended. A screen with a print area of 2 x 5 m is quite common, requiring a frame with a sloped profile to control the tension of the polyester fabric. Dyed polyester fabric is used for printing halftones and relatively fine details, as a dyed fabric minimizes light scatter during exposure. Rotary screen printing Rotary screen printing is even more versatile than flatbed screen printing for imaging onto glass panels. Instead of a flatbed screen, stretched on a frame, a cylindrical rotary screen is used, allowing a continuous print (Figure 2). The screen, containing the paste, rotates in one direction while the squeegee, which is in the screen cylinder, is stationary. A rotary screen does not require flooding, which results in a substantially higher print speed compared to flatbed screen printing. The squeegee fills the mesh with enamel, cuts off the excess, and transfers the enamel on to the substrate. A screen without an image is used for a full-surface coating. Besides the higher production speed, rotary screen printing hardly deforms during printing, offering excellent print performance and print registration. An innovative, patented, rotary screen-printing machine allows coating or printing glass panes of many different sizes within one production batch. The excess paste left in the screen, caused by printing a smaller shaped glass pane, is transferred onto an ink-stripping roller. A paste scraper, shaped like a trough, removes the paste from the stripping roller and collects the paste. The printing area on the rotary screen is entirely free from paste before starting the next print operation. This invention enables printing glass panes of different dimensions and shapes in any random order, ensuring clean printed patterns. Glass panes of different sizes require continuous adjustment of the printing area in flatbed screen printing. Masking tape prevents the screen from depositing paste on unwanted areas of the substrate. Computer-to-screen Conventional image transfer to the screen is performed by exposing a film positive onto a stencil. However, an entirely filmless imagetransfer process is available. Computer-to-screen (CTS) systems image remove film from the prepress workflow by imaging directly onto coated screens. The CTS unit prints an extremely dense, black, positive image directly on to the emulsion’s surface, preventing these parts from being exposed by UV-light during the next process. These screens are then exposed, washed out, and otherwise prepared for press conventionally. CTS models are available to accommodate screens of all sizes, including large-format frames. In addition, CTS

Figure 2 The rotary screen-printing process allows consistent paste deposits for long production runs. is ideal for producing screens for one-offs pieces that would otherwise be too costly in make-ready. Clearing the way for creativity and functionality Glass, for being so rigid, is extremely flexible when it comes to specialty applications. It accommodates everything from printed circuits and photovoltaics to displays and décor. It is one of the most ancient materials used in mankind’s history, yet it can serve very modern purposes. Perhaps that’s why a tried-and-true method such as screen printing is such a great complement to this unique material.

wim zoomer

Technical Language Wim Zoomer (wimzoomer@planet.nl) is owner of Nijmegen, Netherlandsbased Technical Language, a consulting and communication business that focuses on flatbed and reel-to-reel rotary screen printing and other printing processes. He has written numerous articles for international screen-printing, art, and glass-processing magazines and is frequently called on to translate technical documents, manuals, books, advertisements, and other materials in English, French, German, Spanish, and Dutch. He is also the author of the book, “Printing Flat Glass,” as well as several case studies that appear online. He holds a degree in chemical engineering. You can visit his Website at www.technicallanguage.eu. november/december 2011 | 37

industry insider

Developing the Success of the OE-A Wolfgang Mildner

Organic Electronics Association

The OE-A is an industry association initiated to drive and develop the value chain of the new, exciting technology of organic and printed electronics. It was founded in December, 2004, by 34 members who shared the vision of a world and market enabled by newly developed materials, production processes, and technologies. The vision of lots of innovative products that only can be realized by collaboration between people, organizations, and companies is still the base of the work of the OE-A and is now shared by more than 180 member organizations from 31 countries as of 2011. OE-A grew by more than 50% in the last two years—a marvelous expansion. But the growth of OE-A is not only to be measured in the number of members, but also the output: • The OE-A brochure, which describes the technology, markets, and applications and a matrix of organizations and companies contributing with their specific knowledge and competencies • The roadmap, which describes the future development of the technology and is now in its fourth version and available for download or as summary in the brochure • The demonstrators • The working groups, collaborations, and networks—to name just some of the many results and activities. From the very beginning, it was clear that this growth could only be achieved on a global base with the help of a strong backing organization, which OE-A found in the VDMA (German Engineering Federation). Although OE-A is not a typical organization for the VDMA, VDMA supported OE-A in its specific ideas and requirements from the very beginning. It’s also the base of the OE-A backbone,

the secretariat and team headed by Klaus Hecker, Ph.D., the managing director of the OE-A. In 2009, OE-A opened its North American office to provide optimal services to its local members. Key factors of success What are the key factors for success of OE-A? A common vision and belief in the future of organic, printed electronics and a joint goal to establish the market, enable the technology, and make organic and printed electronics happen and create a new value chain. A common understanding among all the members is that no company or orga-

Future development A lot of development remains on the technology side. The OE-A roadmap shows brick walls in various areas and technology and material breakthroughs are still targeted. R&D is required in all areas to resolve these issues. Here are some examples where improvement is essential: • New and improved materials (e.g. mobility, stability) • Adapted and improved production processes (roll-to-roll, batch, hybrid) • Encapsulation (flexible, transparent barriers at low cost) • New standards (specifically for organic and printed electronics).

We see a lot of investment in production is going on— more than a $1 billion in the near future, not counting the billions already invested in OLED manufacturing.

nization can do this alone—collaboration is needed and the key to success, as are people who are enthusiastic and dedicated. A lot of the work was done by people working voluntarily, convinced that they will help the whole industry and vision to come true. Status today We see a lot of investment in production is going on—more than a $1 billion in the near future, not counting the billions already invested in OLED manufacturing. Production and products will be ready soon and going to markets and customers. Is everything solved and everyone satisfied? Not at all!

38 | Industrial + Specialty Printing www.industrial-printing.net

Markets and applications Although technology needs to move forward, market penetration needs to start also. First, products that have come to market will serve in initial applications. This is a very important process. Establishing this feedback loop between first applications, customers, and technology companies is helping to better fulfill needs and requirements. This phase is intricate for customers and suppliers, but it is necessary and beneficial. Risk-taking pilot customers and test markets in which to mature products are critical. For OE-A The growth period for OE-A is not over;

the group is still only at its beginning. Growth and collaboration opportunities can be identified worldwideâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in the U.S. and especially in Asian countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and China. There are hot spots or technology clusters in this development phase that have key competencies and need links to other groups to enable collaboration. Collaboration is key also for OE-A with other organizations with regional activities, such as KoPEA, and in the area of events, OE-A is teaming up with IDTechEx on LOPE-C starting in 2012 to establish the worldwide leading marketplace in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Technology application is another important area for OE-A to develop further. End users will be invited more often to join and discuss, influence, or initiate possible applications with their ideas and input. So the OE-A will be a marketplace for future applications, bridging the technology to discuss integration, functional-

ities, and target developments. The idea and innovation process at the user level will be started with lots of new input out of the discussion with the producers and technologists. Of course, product development will always be a bilateral development between the companies. Standardization will also be an important topic for OE-A and its members. There is an urgent need to establish specific global standards to enable faster development, testing, and collaboration. The standards need to be developed and fitted to the new possibilities in materials, technologies, equipment, production processes, and applications. Organic and printed electronics incorporate the promise of green electronics, which is defined by efficient material and energy use in production, as well as application areas like environmentally safe energy harvesting or operation with low power consumption. OE-A should communicate this important message based on the facts of the approaches and examples

of the existing products and technologies of its members to promote the technology further. The prospect for business and market growth of business creates new jobs with competence requirements in several areas. Therefore, the OE-A needs to address education as a topic and teach students and other interested people about organic and printed electronics.

Wolfgang Mildner Organic Electronics Association

Wolfgang Mildner is managing director of PolyIC GmbH & Co. KG in FĂźrth, Germany. He studied computer science at the Technical University of Erlangen. He is member of the Board of the Organic Electronics Association/VDMA and the German Flat Panel Foundation (DFF). For more information, visit www.oe-a.org.

ADVERTISING INDEX

November/December 2011

Advertiser

page

Advertiser

page

AWT World Trade Inc.

MacDermid Autotype

Douthitt Corp.

Mimaki USA

Dynamesh Inc.

Nazdar

OBC

Franmar Chemical Inc.

IBC

PChem Associates

FlexTech

RH Solutions

Graphic Parts International

Spartanics

IdTechEx

IFC

Xenon Corp.

Ikonics Corp.

november/december 2011 | 39

shop tour 3

PGS Precision Graphic Systems location San

Diego, CA

other info Since

1985, PGS has furnished customers with precision-tolerance graphics, front panels, labels, nameplates, and decals. In 1992, the company expanded production capabilities to include membrane-switch panels and keypads. PGS serves worldwide companies covering a broad range of industries, including medical, diagnostic, and surgical equipment; industrial controls; consumer electronics and telecom; and military and fitness equipment. The company offers in-house engineering and design, art preparation, printing, die cutting, fabrication, assembly, and QA testing.

1 Membrane switch, bottom circuit Screen press set up for dielectric print on 2 bottom circuit 3 Screen on press ready for dielectric printing Roland LEC provides full-color, digital, 4 The direct printing on Lexan. White backup is completed in a second pass. 40 | Industrial + Specialty Printing www.industrial-printing.net

films are inspected before 5 Circuit screenmaking. selection of membrane switches and 6 Agraphic overlays produced by Precision Graphic Systems.