FTA conference to feature printed electronics

FTA said that, according to recent studies, the printed electronics market is estimated to reach 40.2 billion USD by the year 2020, with a compound average growth rate of 33.8 percent each year.

The 2014 Fall Conference has the umbrella title ‘Beyond the Concept: Innovation in Action’, with the session ‘Printed Electronics: What Does it Mean to the Flexo Industry?’ to be presented by speakers from the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics at Clemson University.

Conference goers will hear from Clemson’s lead researchers who will discuss the findings of recent printed electronics benchmarking studies and share their insights into applications for printed electronics in packaging.

In his presentation ‘The Viability & Challenges of Functional Printing for Real-World Packaging Applications’, Chip Tonkin, director of the Sonoco Institute, will provide an overview of the printed electronics industry with special emphasis on packaging applications and the role flexography plays in this up-and-coming industry.

Brad Gasque, research associate for the Sonoco Institute, will follow with a presentation on ‘Printed Electronics in the Flexographic Pressroom’ which will look into some of the many challenges that flexographic printers face when producing circuitry for printed electronics. These issues include curing and sintering conductive inks, working with nano-particle inks, registration, imaging, printing hybrid processes (gravure and flexo) in-line with multiple curing systems (water-based, solvent-based and UV inks) for multi-layer devices, and more.

Liam O’Hara, with the Department of Graphic Communications at Clemson, will conclude the session with his presentation titled ‘Printed Electronics Research at Clemson’, with attendees to be given an in-depth look at the experimental research and benchmarking studies for flexo print capabilities with conductive inks. Feature sizes, press speed, plate imaging techniques and more will be addressed.

The FTA 2014 Fall Conference will take place October 20-22 at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota.