The UK will get a new prototyping and development facility for printed electronic devices following an investment by the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI).
Based at CPI’s Printable Electronics Technology Centre (PETEC), the Sedgefield-based facility will support the emerging printable electronics sector with a new manufacturing resource.
The new initiative will house a range of traditional print processes and curing equipment, including UV and conventionally drying flexo, litho, digital and screen units.
The intention, said the CPI, is that pick and place equipment will be used to “attach components directly to printed devices at production speeds”.
The interest in plastic electronics is that it will lead to low cost and flexible electronic circuits which can be printed using relatively inexpensive ink-printing techniques rather that lithography.
According to the CPI, it is possible to print electronic circuits through existing print infrastructure.
“This facility opens up a huge opportunity for developing entirely new printed products that can incorporate printed moving displays, printed batteries and printed sensors,” said the CPI.
PETEC is a government-initiated commercially-funded centre set up to support research and development of plastic electoncis technologies.
“The UK has a well established competence in research in printable electronics whereas PETEC’s focus is in accelerating the commercialisation of these products through developing production processes and solving technology issues that companies face in developing products,” said PETEC director Tom Taylor.
This new facility, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will be based within PETEC’s existing site in Sedgefield, Co Durham and will be fully operational early 2012.
See: Printed electronics ‘enters fast growth phase’