Printed electronic interactive drum poster by UK-based company Novalia, a simple example of an application of printed interactive capacitive touch using conductive ink that transforms a simple graphic into a fully interactive audio poster.
78 | PRINTABLE ELECTRONICS
Printable Electronics… changing the game No longer will designers be constrained by the shapes of physical equipment when the equipment can be part of the shape Francis Slade
Game changing technology The term ‘game changer’ is often used but less often is it appropriate. In the case of printable electronics it would be hard to think of a better superlative; ‘game changer’ is an apposite term for a technology that will not only change the way electronic systems are created but also the purposes for which they can be applied. We caught up briefly with Steven Bagshaw Marketing Executive and Jon Helliwell, Director of printable Electronics at the Centre for Process Innovation to get the up-to-date information on this exciting technology. There wasn’t long so we kept our questions brief but their responses were complete, as you’ll see.
Printable Electronics for Industry 2013: What will make Printable Electronics a game changer in the Advanced Engineering sectors? Steven Bagshaw & Jon Helliwell: People’s experience with consumer products is changing as we seek the responsiveness of touch screen technology in everyday items. Car interiors now have touch screens inserted into the consoles. With printable electronics we can give designers the freedom to create thin, curved panels, containing switches, illumination and displays and integrate these into the console design. The game changer is in the ability to create bespoke designs and open new supply chain opportunities for the UK manufacturing base.
www.ukplasticelectronics.com 2013 | SHOWGUIDE
Printable electronics have the potential to be thinner, lighter and more rugged, leading to the creation of a whole new range of products such as flexible displays, large-area energy efficient lighting, printed logic and memory, sensors, batteries, low cost solar cells, and entirely new form factors for functional electronic devices. PEI 2013: Would you say that Printable Electronics is a disruptive technology and, if so, in what ways will it change the ways things are done? SB & JH: Printable electronics has the potential to change the way components are made – replacing wiring with printed circuitry and components embedded into the moulded part. As technology