Flexe

Printing Technology

Printing electronics is an exciting opportunity for both new technology and new business.

Printing Technology

Printing Technology A Key enabler for Printed Electronics

Flexible electronics is a fast growing business aiming at light-weight, low-cost, and large area applications. Printing has the potential to meet the needs of both device functionality and cost efficient mass production. At NCFlexE we work on utilising and adapting existing technologies of the printing industry to fulfil the requirements of printed electronics.

In general, the cost level that will create a real breakthrough for printed electronics in the market, can only be reached by switching to R2R production. Therefore, this facility that aims specifically at printed electronics will be an essential enabler for Indian companies to create applications based on printed electronics.

Process Flow

Process Flow

Our Expertise

  • Dedicated Team
    Project engineers, Technicians with printing degree/experience
  • Theoretical understanding
    Predicting & Modeling printing behavior
    Ink characterization
    Resolving Printing issues
  • Printing process development
    Printing of functional inks
    Printing parameters for different printing technologies
    Pre and Post-treatment
  • Printing of functional devices
    Printing process according to device requirements
    Choice of technology and ink vs. functionality

Our Facilities

  • Pre-Treatment
    Wet/Dry Cleaning
    UV/Ozone Treatment
    Plasma Treatment
  • Printing
    Wirebar/Doctor blade Coating
    Slot Die coating
    Gravure/Flexo Printing
    Inkjet Printing
    Screen Printing
    Sheet-to-Sheet AND Roll-to-Roll
  • Drying & Post Treatment
    Precision Hotplates and Ovens
    UV Curing
    Photonic Sintering
    NIR Drying
    Lamination
  • Characterisation
    Optical
    Profilometer
    Electrical
    Functional

VCM * Roll-to-Roll Coater

*Versatile Coating Machine

Versatile Coating Machine

Design Philosophy

  • Industrial scale processing on R&D level
    Speed
    Substrate width
    Printing Technologies
    Low Material Consumption
  • Modular design for maximum process flexibility
    Any two print method combination
    Interchangeable units
    Drying/Sintering/Curing methods freely combinable
    Extendable
  • Suitable for (Pre)pilot processing
    High Througput
    Easy/Fast switch over between modules
  • State-of-the-art and beyond components
    KonicaMinolta, Heraeus, Vetaphone, MAAN, TSE, GEW, RK, Keyence, Reajet, Teknek, Frasier
  • Fulfilling requirements of Printed Electronics
    Fast metal sintering
    Printing Technologies
    Alignment
    Substrate Choices
  • Optimised for yield and device performance
    Advanced sintering/curing
    Contamination control
    Non-contact forward turns
    CR 10,000 environment
    VOC compatible

Detailed Specifications

  • General
    0 -10 m/min precision range, 50 m/min max
    Substrate width: 10 cm – 30 cm
    Tension range 1 – 200 N
    Alignment accuracy 50 µm
    Polymer films, metal foils, paper, fabric
    Two consecutive coating steps
    VOC compatible
    Exchangeable coating modules
  • Printing Technologies
    Inkjet printing
    Slot Die coating 9/12’o clock position
    Rotary Screen printing
    Flexo printing
    Direct Gravure printing
    Inkjet marker printer
  • Drying/annealing technologies
    Pre-drying unit (impingement dryer)
    2 x 5 Impingement dryer units
    individual controlled, with CR10,000 air supply
    IR drying
    UV curing
    Flash sintering
  • Other features
    SDBD Plasma and Corona pretreatment
    Contact cleaning
    Liner film removal and placement
    Lamination hot/cold
    No front side contact, use of air turns
    Passive & Active antistatic control

Printed Electronics Technology Development Process Flow

Device Development

Standard Processing steps, e.g. Lithography and Vacuum deposition

All Solution Processed

Choice of ink and substrates, Using Spincoating and Substractive Patterning

Sheet-to-Sheet Printing

Base Printing Process Development, Industry compatible Technology on Sheet-to-Sheet level

Roll-to-Roll Printing

High Throughput processing on industrial level

Printing Infra Structure

Printing Equipment
  • Grafica Screen Prepress
    Grafica Screen Prepress
  • UniTech Prepress
    UniTech Prepress
  • Grafica Nano-Print Screen Printer
    Grafica Nano-Print Screen Printer
  • UnitTech Duralab Screen Printer
    UnitTech Duralab Screen Printer
  • Manual Screen Printer
    Manual Screen Printer
  • Fujifilm Dimatix DMP2831 16 nozzle Inkjet printer
    Fujifilm Dimatix DMP2831 16 nozzle Inkjet printer
  • Pixdro LP50 Industrial Printhead Inkjet Printer
    Pixdro LP50 Industrial Printhead Inkjet Printer
  • nTact nRad Slot die Coater
    nTact nRad Slot die Coater
  • RK K202 Wirebar & Doctorblade coater
    RK K202 Wirebar & Doctorblade coater
  • IGT F1 Gravure and Flexo Tester
    IGT F1 Gravure and Flexo Tester
  • RK FlexiProof Flexo Printer
    RK FlexiProof Flexo Printer
  • RK KPP Gravure Printer
    RK KPP Gravure Printer
Specialised Curing/Sintering Equipment
  • Adphos NIRLAB NIR Dryer
    Adphos NIRLAB NIR Dryer
  • Novancetrix PulseForge1200 Photonics Sintering
    Novancetrix PulseForge1200 Photonics Sintering
  • Grafica nano-uv UV curing
    Grafica nano-uv UV curing

Let’s create something extraordinary together

contact us