Andrew Strudwick | Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre: Can we de-risk the transition of novel 2D formulations to high-throughput roll-to-roll manufacturing without risking production line downtime?
00:08:56 - 00:10:02
Other snippets from this talk
Summary of the clip:
Can we de-risk the transition of novel 2D formulations to high-throughput roll-to-roll manufacturing without risking production line downtime?
Transitioning a novel 2D material ink formulation from laboratory vial to high-volume production remains one of the largest bottlenecks in printed electronics. Industrial roll-to-roll coating lines are reluctant to allocate expensive machine time to unproven formulations, leaving a massive scaling gap for advanced material developers.
The Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre addresses this by utilizing a pilot-scale Ultima Baseline coater configured for flexographic, gravure, slot-die, and rotary screen printing. This intermediate platform allows researchers to evaluate fluid dynamics, drying profiles, and substrate interactions under realistic web tensions and shear rates.
By generating a robust parameter dataset at a pilot scale, innovators can present production facilities with proven run conditions. This systematic de-risking of ink viscosity, coating speed, and drying temperature reduces industrial adoption barriers and accelerates the commercialization of flexible electronics.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How pilot-scale slot-die and gravure printing bridge the gap between lab-scale ink formulation and volume manufacturing.
* The strategic importance of de-risking machine run-time on industrial roll-to-roll web presses.
* How to systematically validate novel substrates and 2D material binders under realistic shear environments.
π **Clip Abstract** This clip details how the GEIC leverages pilot-scale roll-to-roll coating technology to test and validate advanced 2D material formulations. By optimizing deposition techniques like slot-die and gravure on a pilot scale, they significantly de-risk the transition to commercial production lines.
π Link in comments π
#RollToRollCoating, #SlotDieCoating, #2DMaterialInks, #PilotScaleValidation, #PrintedElectronics, #FlexibleElectronics
This is a highlight of the presentation:
2D materials in printed electronics
Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA 2026
10-11 June 2026
Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California, USA
Organised By:
TechBlick
More Highlights from the same talk.
00:13:47 - 00:14:28
How do you transition delicate benchtop 2D-material characterization into inline quality control for high-speed manufacturing?
How do you transition delicate benchtop 2D-material characterization into inline quality control for high-speed manufacturing?
To successfully transition printed 2D materials from low-volume prototyping to gigafactory scales, real-time metrology is indispensable. Traditional characterization methods are destructive, slow, or require contact, making them incompatible with rapid, continuous roll-to-roll printing speeds.
In collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory, researchers integrated a non-contact magnetic resonance cavity directly onto a roll-to-roll web coater. This integration enables the non-destructive measurement of electrical conductivity of printed graphene tracks as they pass through the system in real time.
This transition from stationary benchtop evaluation to continuous inline monitoring is a vital step forward for quality control. It allows immediate adjustment of deposition parameters, ultimately driving down defect rates and ensuring sheet-resistance uniformity across large-scale flexible substrates.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The integration of non-contact magnetic resonance cavities into continuous web coating equipment.
* How to perform inline, real-time electrical conductivity monitoring on moving graphene tracks.
* The role of standardizing body collaborations in shifting characterization from R&D into production-grade quality control.
π **Clip Abstract** This clip highlights a collaborative project between the GEIC and the National Physical Laboratory to implement inline quality control for printed graphene. By adapting a non-contact magnetic resonance sensor to a pilot coater, they demonstrate real-time electrical conductivity measurements on active production webs.
π Link in comments π
#MagneticResonanceCavity, #InlineMetrology, #PrintedGraphene, #RollToRollProcessing, #PrintedElectronics, #FlexibleElectronics
00:02:42 - 00:03:49
How can you accelerate advanced materials R&D from a 3-year cycle to just 3 months?
How can you accelerate advanced materials R&D from a 3-year cycle to just 3 months?
The Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) operates on a fundamentally different model than traditional university research collaborations. Instead of engaging in multi-year research packages, their entire process is designed to align with industrial timescales and commercialization goals. This approach is built to bridge the "valley of death" between fundamental research and market-ready products and processes.
The core of this methodology is a "make fast, break fast, learn fast" philosophy. Projects are structured around rapid optimization loops with two-to-three-month stage gates. Within each short cycle, the team can formulate materials, test a set of process parameters, interpret the results, and collaboratively decide on the next steps, allowing for agile and rapid progress.
This industry-focused model is crucial for de-risking the adoption of new technologies like graphene and other 2D materials. By providing quick, tangible results and a clear path toward scale-up, the GEIC enables partners from startups to multinationals to accelerate their innovation pipelines and integrate advanced materials into their products more efficiently.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The "make fast, break fast, learn fast" approach to applied R&D.
* How to structure projects with 2-3 month stage gates for rapid learning cycles.
* Why this agile model is more effective for industrial partners than traditional academic collaborations.
π **Clip Abstract** This clip explains the GEIC's agile, industry-focused R&D model, which uses rapid 3-month development cycles. This "make fast, break fast, learn fast" approach is designed to accelerate the commercialization of advanced materials.
π Link in comments π
#AdvancedMaterialsR&D, #GrapheneInnovation, #2DMaterialsCommercialization, #AgileMaterialsDevelopment, #PrintedElectronics, #FlexibleElectronics
00:18:00 - 00:18:58
Why does graphene outperform other carbon-based additives in flexible printed electronics and composite materials?
Why does graphene outperform other carbon-based additives in flexible printed electronics and composite materials?
The choice of conductive carbon additives in printed inks determines how well a flexible electronic device will perform under cyclic mechanical stress. Graphene offers unique morphological advantages over zero-dimensional carbon blacks, maintaining superior electrical percolation pathways even under extreme bending.
While formulating custom inks from scratch is often unnecessary due to the availability of mature commercial formulations, selecting the right material morphology is critical. Graphene's two-dimensional structure allows flakes to slide and maintain contact during substrate flexing, preserving device conductivity where standard carbon structures would fracture.
Furthermore, combining different carbon nanomaterials yields powerful synergistic effects. Hybridizing two-dimensional graphene with one-dimensional carbon nanotubes creates a hierarchical network that significantly improves electrical conductivity and mechanical reinforcement in both printed electronics and advanced composite matrices.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The mechanical and electrical advantages of 2D graphene flakes compared to other carbon allotropes in flexible form factors.
* How to select commercial ink formulations tailored specifically to dynamic stress and bending requirements.
* The engineering principles behind hybridizing graphene with carbon nanotubes to optimize electrical percolation in composite systems.
π **Clip Abstract** This clip explains why graphene is the preferred additive for maintaining electrical conductivity in flexible and dynamic electronic applications. It also introduces the concept of hybrid carbon systems, demonstrating how pairing graphene with carbon nanotubes yields superior electrical and mechanical performance.
π Link in comments π
#GrapheneConductiveInks, #ElectricalPercolation, #HierarchicalCarbonNetworks, #CyclicMechanicalStress, #PrintedElectronics, #FlexibleElectronics