07 | 11 | 2024
The future of electronics is shaped at CIDETEC
Surface Engineering
| By Ana Viñuales | CIDETEC Surface Engineering |
| In the current scenario of technological-digital transition, there is a growing demand for connected and interactive systems based on functionalized and/or sensorized surfaces. In this context, plastronics, also known as “in-mold electronics” (IME) is a new technology for manufacturing printed electronic devices incorporated in plastic materials, with high added value functions or features, increasingly demanded by sectors such as the automotive, white goods, health, packaging, etc. For example, it allows making switches without mechanical elements and having smooth surfaces integrating touch elements, sensors, lighting, antennas, etc. and improve human-machine interaction (HMI). The advantages that IME technology introduces compared to conventional silicon-based electronics are numerous, including: the elimination of mechanical switches, reducing both the number of parts and the complexity of the products; the reduction of the parts thickness (up to 80%) lightening the weight by up to 70% and allowing more functions to be offered in less space; the possibility of using organic materials, reducing the environmental impact, etc. The IME process consists of 4 main stages: – Printing functional inks on a plastic sheet to generate the circuits, sensor elements, etc. – Hybridization of rigid components (such as LEDs). – Thermoforming of the flat sheet to give it the desired shape. – Over-injection of the sheet with a plastic material, thus obtaining the final piece. CIDETEC Surface Engineering, as an international reference centre for research and innovation related to surface engineering and polymeric materials, has more than 15 years of experience in 2D printed electronics. In the current scenario, CIDETEC is going one step further and is investing in IME technology, equipping itself with strategic equipment and acquiring in-depth knowledge of all stages of the process, with a special focus on the high-pressure thermoforming phase, a much more recent and advanced technique that offers extremely high precision and operates at lower temperatures than other conventional thermoforming techniques, allowing the use of a greater variety of materials. To this end, CIDETEC has recently acquired a high-pressure thermoforming unit from NIEBLING (model SAMK 720), the leading brand in this technology worldwide. CIDETEC thus becomes the 5th R&D centre in Europe to have this unique equipment, which will contribute to the positioning of the centre and the Basque Country, placing them at the forefront in the field of printed electronics/IME. The objective is to develop R&D projects that allow us to acquire in-depth knowledge of how the process affects different materials (plastic sheets and printed conductive inks) and to manufacture prototypes with embedded electronics for future technology transfer to companies that require this type of products, mainly in the automotive sector. |
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