Ashok Sridhar | TracXon: What are the key equipment limitations hindering the widespread adoption of printed electronics for PCB replacement?
00:07:14 - 00:07:31
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Summary of the clip:
What are the key equipment limitations hindering the widespread adoption of printed electronics for PCB replacement?
The speaker identifies a critical equipment gap in the printed electronics industry: the lack of suitable equipment for creating high-density vias at high throughput. While traditional PCB manufacturing has well-established processes for creating vias (vertical interconnect accesses), the same cannot be said for printed electronics. This limitation significantly hinders the ability to create complex, multi-layered printed electronic circuits.
The absence of efficient via creation equipment prevents double-sided printing and the effective connection of layers within the printed circuit. Currently, connections between layers often rely on external connectors, which are less than ideal in terms of size, reliability, and design flexibility. This lack of internal connectivity limits the complexity and functionality of printed electronic devices.
The speaker emphasizes that this equipment gap is a major obstacle to the widespread adoption of printed electronics for PCB replacement. Overcoming this challenge requires the development of new equipment and processes specifically tailored to the unique requirements of printed electronics, enabling the creation of high-density vias at high throughput.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The lack of suitable equipment for creating high-density vias in printed electronics.
* The limitations this poses on double-sided printing and internal layer connections.
* The impact of this equipment gap on the complexity and functionality of printed electronic devices.
π **Clip Abstract** The segment identifies the lack of suitable equipment for creating high-density vias at high throughput as a major limitation hindering the adoption of printed electronics for PCB replacement. This equipment gap restricts double-sided printing and internal layer connections, limiting the complexity of printed electronic devices.
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#PrintedElectronics, #HighDensityVias, #ViaCreationEquipment, #PCBReplacement, #AdvancedManufacturing, #CircuitFabrication
This is a highlight of the presentation:
Expanding the boundaries of printed electronics for volume manufacturing of PCB-replacements
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00:03:06 - 00:04:15
Can roll-to-roll screen printing actually achieve sub-100 micron features with multi-mode curing?
Can roll-to-roll screen printing actually achieve sub-100 micron features with multi-mode curing?
Scalability in hybrid printed electronics requires a transition from batch processing to continuous web-based manufacturing. This clip highlights an advanced, cleanroom-ready screen printing line designed around a 60-centimeter web width. To support diverse ink chemistry, the system integrates three distinct inline curing methods: ultraviolet (UV), near-infrared (NIR), and thermal convection.
This physical co-location of curing sources allows a single tool to process conductive, dielectric, sensing, and graphic inks sequentially on the same line. Precision registration mechanics enable the line to resolve fine structures down to 100-micron lines and 100-micron spacing. This high spatial resolution is critical for the miniaturization of modern smart patches and automotive sensor foils.
Additionally, the foundryβs sheet-to-sheet assembly line mimics these roll-to-roll dynamics, supporting massive PCB substrates up to 1.8 meters long by 0.6 meters wide. This allows developers to prototype large-area, multi-device form factors while retaining a smooth path to continuous web upscaling.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The integration of inline UV, NIR, and thermal convection curing on a single 60cm roll-to-roll line.
* Manufacturing design rules for high-precision printing down to 100-micron lines and spaces.
* Sheet-to-sheet assembly processing capabilities for large-format flexible substrates up to 1.8 meters.
π **Clip Abstract** This video showcases a cleanroom-integrated 60cm web roll-to-roll printing line equipped with inline UV, near-infrared, and convection curing. It demonstrates how co-designed printing and assembly lines achieve 100-micron feature resolution for miniaturized flexible hybrid electronics.
#RollToRollScreenPrinting, #MultiModeCuring, #Sub100MicronPrinting, #FlexibleHybridElectronics, #WearableSensors, #AutomotiveSensorFoils
00:16:00 - 00:17:28
How do you bridge the gap between high-speed web printing and slow pick-and-place assembly?
How do you bridge the gap between high-speed web printing and slow pick-and-place assembly?
One of the most persistent bottlenecks in flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) is the mismatch between roll-to-roll web printing and component assembly. While advanced screen and gravure printing presses can run at speeds exceeding 100 meters per minute, standard pick-and-place assembly machines operate at a fraction of that throughput. This discrepancy creates a significant production imbalance at the interface where printed traces meet silicon components.
To resolve this speed transition, manufacturers must deploy strategic machine architectures. For high-component-density designs, a single high-speed printing line must feed multiple parallel pick-and-place assembly clusters. Conversely, applications with low component densityβsuch as RFID tags or large-area sensor arraysβcan maintain a more balanced, inline throughput with fewer assembly heads.
The ultimate solution lies in developing custom inline, multi-mix assembly blueprints. Future FHE manufacturing lines will integrate parallel high-speed placement heads directly inline with the web, capable of mounting hundreds of thousands of multi-sized components per hour. Until then, balancing production requires sophisticated queueing, offline assembly clustering, and careful co-design of the physical layout.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The throughput mismatch between high-speed web printing and pick-and-place component mounting.
* Production balancing techniques using parallel assembly clusters fed by a single web printing line.
* The future technical blueprint for inline, multi-mix FHE assembly lines handling high component volumes.
π **Clip Abstract** This video addresses the classic assembly bottleneck in flexible hybrid electronics where high-speed printing meets slow component placement. It details the clustering strategies and future inline machinery blueprints required to balance production throughput.
#FlexibleHybridElectronics, #PrintedElectronics, #R2RAssembly, #PickAndPlaceBottleneck, #InlineComponentPlacement, #ThroughputBalancing
00:08:35 - 00:10:55
Why should printed electronics adopt a pure-play semiconductor foundry model?
Why should printed electronics adopt a pure-play semiconductor foundry model?
The printed and flexible electronics industry has struggled to scale due to a wide commercial gap between lab-scale prototypes and high-volume manufacturing. By adopting a pure-play foundry approach inspired by TSMC, companies can bypass massive capital expenditures. This model decouples design from fabrication, providing standardized design rules that allow diverse clients to fabricate their circuits on shared, optimized manufacturing lines.
Standardization in materials, substrate compatibility (such as PET, PI, and TPU), and multi-layer registration rules protects client IP while maximizing production efficiency. Because a roll-to-roll printing line running at typical speeds can produce hundreds of thousands of components in a single shift, capital equipment utilization is unsustainable for individual startups. A shared foundry model aggregates this demand to lower unit costs.
Crucially, this model features a unique technology-transfer path. Once a client's commercial volume justifies dedicated in-house manufacturing, the foundry licenses the process IP and assists in replicating the entire production line at the customerβs facility. This de-risks the entire scaling journey from early-stage pilot runs to massive industrial deployment.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How a TSMC-style pure-play foundry model lowers the entry barrier for flexible electronics.
* The economics of shared roll-to-roll manufacturing capacity versus private capital investment.
* A unique IP-safe technology transfer pathway for shifting from foundry production to in-house manufacturing.
π **Clip Abstract** This clip outlines the business model of a pure-play foundry dedicated to printed and flexible hybrid electronics. It explains how standardized design rules and a strategic IP transfer option de-risk the scaling process for hardware startups and OEMs.
#PrintedElectronicsFoundry, #RollToRollManufacturing, #FlexibleHybridElectronics, #ProcessDesignKits, #FlexibleElectronics, #WearableElectronics