Damien Bouisset | Forvia: Why is printed electronics, a technology known for large-area applications, not cost-effective for automotive interior heating?
00:18:25 - 00:19:07
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Summary of the clip:
Why is printed electronics, a technology known for large-area applications, not cost-effective for automotive interior heating?
While printed electronics seems like a natural fit for creating large, flexible heated surfaces inside electric vehicles, Forvia has concluded it is not the right technology from a commercial standpoint. The speaker provides a clear and concise explanation for this counter-intuitive decision, highlighting a crucial distinction between technical feasibility and cost-competitiveness in the high-volume automotive industry.
The core issue is not the printing process itself, but the fundamental cost of the materials required. To generate heat effectively and evenly across a large surface, the design must incorporate wide conductive tracks, or busbars, to distribute the electrical current. These busbars are essential for the heater's performance and reliability, ensuring that power from the source reaches all the resistive heating elements.
The problem is that these high-current busbars must be printed with a highly conductive material, which in most cases is silver-based ink. The sheer volume of expensive silver ink required to create these wide busbars has a significant impact on the total bill of materials (BOM). This inherent material cost makes the printed electronics solution more expensive than alternative heating technologies, leading Forvia to conclude that it is not the right path for this specific, highly cost-sensitive application.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The critical role of busbars in printed heater design.
* How silver ink material cost can make or break an application's viability.
* The crucial distinction between process cost and material cost in product development.
đź“‹ **Clip Abstract** The speaker provides a powerful explanation for why printed electronics is not the right solution for automotive heating, despite its technical feasibility. The high material cost of the silver ink required for high-current busbars makes the technology uncompetitive against alternatives.
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#PrintedElectronics, #AutomotiveHeating, #SilverInk, #BusbarDesign, #FlexibleElectronics, #AdditiveElectronics
This is a highlight of the presentation:
Strategy for interiors using printing electronics
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00:09:09 - 00:11:05
Smart LEDs or standard LEDs? Solder or conductive adhesive? How do you solve the critical design trade-offs for printed electronics in automotive lighting?
Smart LEDs or standard LEDs? Solder or conductive adhesive? How do you solve the critical design trade-offs for printed electronics in automotive lighting?
Forvia's development of an automotive "smart light" bar, designed to replace multiple traditional PCBs with a single printed electronics film, faces several critical technical challenges. The core of the problem is navigating the trade-offs between different technologies, materials, and their associated costs to arrive at a solution that is not only functional and reliable but also commercially viable for the automotive market. This requires a deep understanding of the entire technology stack, from the component level to the final assembly.
The key decision points revolve around material and process selection. There is an internal debate on the choice of LEDs—whether to use more expensive, individually addressable "smart LEDs" or standard top-emitting LEDs which require more complex circuitry. Similarly, the choice of conductive silver ink is a trade-off between electrical performance (impedance) and material cost. A major challenge is the LED attachment method: should they use traditional soldering, or move to newer methods like conductive or structural adhesives, each with its own implications for process complexity, reliability, and thermal management?
To navigate these challenges, Forvia employs a structured development methodology. The approach is centered on creating a decision matrix by running parallel Proof-of-Concept (PoC) validations for the different technology options. Each PoC is assessed for its technical capabilities, manufacturing cost, and potential risks. This data-driven process is underpinned by the creation of a strong supplier ecosystem, ensuring full involvement from LED manufacturers, ink and adhesive suppliers, and manufacturing partners to de-risk the technology and accelerate its path to market.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The specific material and process trade-offs in automotive printed electronics.
* Key challenges in LED selection, ink formulation, and component attachment.
* A structured approach to de-risking new technology using PoCs and ecosystem collaboration.
đź“‹ **Clip Abstract** Forvia details the critical technical challenges and trade-offs faced when developing a "smart light" bar using printed electronics. The speaker outlines their methodical approach, from LED and ink selection to attachment methods, to find the most cost-effective and reliable solution.
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#PrintedElectronics, #SmartLEDs, #ConductiveAdhesives, #ConductiveInk, #FlexibleElectronics, #AutomotiveElectronics
00:04:33 - 00:06:18
Lighting, heating, or sensing? How does a Tier 1 automotive supplier decide where to bet its R&D resources for printed electronics?
Lighting, heating, or sensing? How does a Tier 1 automotive supplier decide where to bet its R&D resources for printed electronics?
This clip offers a fascinating look into the strategic decision-making process at Forvia for applying printed electronics in automotive interiors. The speaker outlines a systematic evaluation of three potential high-growth applications: interior lighting, heated surfaces, and capacitive sensing. This analysis demonstrates how a technology leader balances market trends, technical fit, and commercial constraints to focus its innovation efforts effectively.
The evaluation reveals that lighting is the most promising application. The market is rapidly moving beyond simple ambient lighting to complex, dynamic systems that enhance safety and user interaction. Printed electronics is an ideal technology to enable these advanced, integrated lighting features. Conversely, heated surfaces, while a growing market with the rise of EVs, is deemed a poor fit. The market is extremely cost-driven, and as Forvia determined, the material costs associated with printed heaters make them uncompetitive against established solutions.
For capacitive sensing on surfaces, the deciding factor was market timing and uncertainty. While initially seen as a fast-growing market, Forvia observed a shift in OEM strategy towards multimodal Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI), which prioritize voice controls and large central touch displays. This trend has slowed the immediate demand for ubiquitous smart surfaces, leading Forvia to strategically pause its development in this area and concentrate its resources on the more certain and immediate opportunity in advanced interior lighting.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How to evaluate potential applications based on market trends, cost drivers, and technology fit.
* The rationale for selecting lighting as the primary focus for printed electronics in automotive interiors.
* Why cost-sensitivity (heating) and market uncertainty (sensing) are valid reasons to de-prioritize technically feasible projects.
đź“‹ **Clip Abstract** This clip provides a masterclass in technology strategy, showing how Forvia analyzed the lighting, heating, and sensing markets for printed electronics. The decision-making process highlights the importance of balancing technical capability with commercial realities like cost pressure and market timing.
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#PrintedElectronics, #AutomotiveLighting, #CapacitiveSensing, #PrintedHeaters, #AutomotiveInteriors, #FlexibleElectronics