ELECTRONIC INK AND SMART PACKAGING: A PERFECT MATCH Palladio Group and E Ink Introduce PhutureMed™, an Advanced Packaging Solution for Pharmaceutical Products
As the world’s leading developer and producer of electronic paper displays, E Ink Corporation provides the technology for a wide range of consumer and industrial applications, including E-Book Reader (such as Amazon Kindle), smart phone and watches, electronic shelf labels, and information and promotional signs. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to Hui Lee, the company’s Senior Director of Business Development, to find out more about E Ink, the operating principles behind electronic paper, and exciting new applications for the packaging industry.
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Ink is proud to be the market leader in the field of e-paper displays. Best known for revolutionizing the way people read books, further advances in electronic ink technology allow it to be used on a range of different surfaces, opening up a range of exciting application opportunities for the packaging industry.
A technology with vast potential Ms. Lee explains the working principle that lies behind the varied types of electronic ink displays: “Electronic ink consists of small charged color particles in a transparent fluid on a flexible substrate. The color particles are charged with opposite polarities. When a positive or negative electric field is applied, the corresponding charged particles rise to the top of the compartment, where they become visible to the viewer. The particles remain in place when the electric field removed - so the displays do not need power to maintain the image.” Electronic ink has several key advantages compared to other display technologies. The displays are reflective, which means they reflect ambient light just like traditional paper versus LCD or LED displays which shine a bright light towards the viewer. Hence, E Ink displays are clearly visible under direct sunlight. E Ink displays are ultra-low power. Electronic ink is bistable, requiring no power to maintain an image. Just like paper, the image will not change until a new image is displayed without requiring any power at all. This opens up electronic ink displays to a wide range of low power applications. Thirdly, E Ink material is flexible making for an interesting value proposition in packaging applications. 158 Industry Europe
Using YoTa phone as an example, Hui Lee, Sr. Director at E Ink demonstrated how to turn a ordinary space into a smart surface
Ideal for smart packaging According to a recent report from IDTechEx1, the global demand for electronic smart packaging devices will grow rapidly to $1.45 billion by 2023. Electronic smart packaging addresses the need for brands to reconnect with the customer, the IDTechEx report notes. It identifies the main factors driving this rapid growth as aging population, more demanding and wealthier consumers, changing lifestyles, stricter legislation as well as concern over crime and terrorism. Today more than ever, products that stand out on the shelf, efficiently deliver a brand’s story and engage customer loyalty are of key importance. Brands face stiff competition, so it is important to stay ahead of evolving packaging design standards to quickly match evolving consumer demands and technologies. E Ink is ideally positioned to deliver the goods to make this possible. E Ink’s display technology can provide an intuitive interface that consumers can easily interact with. Product information and advertising content can be seamlessly integrated into one smart surface that enhances consumer experience and contains person-
IDTechEx.com, Smart Packaging Comes To Market: Brand Enhancement With Electronics 2014-2024 (Raghu Das, Dr Guillaume Chansin)
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