Pressing for change

Brand owners worldwide are seeing the potential for printed electronics in paper and board applications: from birthday cards and children's books, to board games and packaging.

In this headline article, Hallmark speaks to +Plastic Electronics about where these emerging technologies could be used, while its UK business Tigerprint discusses its collaboration with Nano ePrint on a series of cards for Marks & Spencer. Print Yorkshire, Novalia and Polyscorp also reveal their work on applications and manufacturing plans for integrated electronics.

Silver service

Printed electronics rely on the high conductivity inks deposited onto flexible substrates. And silver-based inks offer the conductivity needed to drive these emerging applications.

Nanogap is a producer of nanomaterial inks that could help create new products such as printed displays, integrated RFID and electronic advertising. Executive director Allen Reid discusses the company's work on nanosilver inks, how they are being prepared for market, and the R&D projects that are pushing this progress.

Nanomaterials are used to add new or enhanced functionality to materials, and technology such as nanosensors and nanoinks are likely to play a big part in making printed electronics efficient and economical.

In this Plugged in feature, +Plastic Electronics runs a series of articles on the opportunities for exploiting nanotechnology in printed and organic electronics, and challenges to widespread market use. Developers such as Novacentrix, Intrinsiq Materials, Bayer MaterialScience and Nano Science Diagnostics reveal their strategies to progress in the market.

Nanomaterials have the potential to create new materials and devices for diverse applications, including medicine, electronics and energy production. Nanotechnology is already being used to improve paper and board, inks and pigments.

Market watch uses information from Pira market reports to illuminate the biggest markets for nanotechnology-based printed electronics, and forecast growth areas.

Mitsubishi Chemical's scale-up of OLED lighting manufacture, and LG's plans to work with ex-Kodak employees at TechnoCorp Energy suggest that OLED lighting is becoming the focus of Asia's electronics manufacturers.

UK-based projects are pushing the development of building-integrated photovoltaics, as Dyesol, Corus Colors, Polysolar and Pilkington Glass prepare business offerings for the construction market.

Apple's iPad is making e-reader companies like Bookeen, Polymer Vision and Plastic Logic change their market approach - though the iPad is by no means an e-reader killer.

And paper could be the substrate of choice for printed electronic power devices. R&D at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Institute for Print and Media Technology at Chemnitz University of Technology aims to prove cheap production of paper-based photovoltaics.

+Plastic Electronics reports from Smart Fabrics 2010 in Miami, Florida. The April event included presentations on best practice for getting smart textile products to market, and discussions on how to attract interest and partnership from commercial brands. Presentations came from the likes of Textronics, Ardica Technologies and Angel Chang.

Organic Photovoltaics 2010 in Philadelphia highlighted the ways in which developers can exploit the unique characteristics of organic solar cells to find commercial applications. Presentations also revealed the major obstacles to practical use of organic cells, and proposed technical solutions, with talks from Navigant Consulting and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.