US firm iimak, a leading supplier of thermal transfer ribbon, and other inks and imaging consumables, is expanding its range of conductive inks and ribbons.
The New York state-based company's highly conductive silver alternative screen ink, called Metallograph, is targeted at printed electronics applications, including membrane switches, flexible circuits, displays, and electroluminescent lighting.
The conductive screen inks are curable at low temperatures. Sintering is not required. The company says its conductive ink provides a cost-effective alternative to other conductive inks based on silver, an expensive metal, while performing on par with silver in terms of resistivity requirements for many applications. The ink can be used to deposit fine line features.
Thermal transfer ribbon
As well as the silver alternative Metallograph conductive inks, developed for flexographic as well as screen printing, the company has developed a conductive thermal transfer ribbon, opening up further applications for its technology.
Thermal transfer is an established digital printing technology ideal for short-run production, rapid prototyping and design. The first products from iimak, commercialised over 20 years ago, were thermal transfer ribbons for barcode applications.
Smart packaging
The Metallograph thermal transfer ribbons provide consistent conductive thickness. RFID antenna, smart packaging, electro-textiles and other printed electronics are target applications. Because sintering is not necessary, circuits are conductive immediately after printing.
Interest and demand among industrial manufacturers of electronic components and devices across many industries - including printed circuit boards, solar photovoltaics, displays and membrane switches - is increasing for more economical and efficient alternatives to conventional conductive inks, and circuit fabrication and patterning processes.
New lower-cost conductive inks and consumables can also benefit the fledgling smart packaging and related industries, where manufacturers are looking to commercialise concepts but need to maintain minimal production costs.
The latest issue of +Plastic Electronics magazine is an energy harvesting special, with a series of articles on the latest technologies and emerging markets for printed and organic solar, and other energy harvesting technologies.
To sign up for your copy immediately, click the link below, contact publications@pira-international.com or visit our subscriptions page.
Documents and links
-
Subscribe to +Plastic Electronics magazine
Subscribe to +Plastic Electronics magazine, published six times a year, for just £100/€110/$160. Find out more here
External Link
-
iimak
The US-based producer of printing inks and consumables has launched an expanded range of conductive inks and thermal transfer ribbons
External Link
-
Ynvisible targets point-of-sale with electrochromic display technology
Point-of-sale advertising will likely be the first commercial application for an interactive electrochromic display being developed by Portuguese start-up Ynvisible
External Link
-
Forecasts of Disruptive Technologies in Consumer Packaging to 2019
Pira International report identifying the top 25 disruptive technologies likely to have the greatest impact on consumer packaging over the next 10 years
External Link