Printed Electronics; a Process in Which Printing Technology Is Used To Produce Various Kinds of Electronic Goods

 

Printed electronics is a set of printing methods used to create electrical/electronic devices on different substrates. Different printing techniques, including inkjet printing, offset lithography, flexography, gravure, and screen printing, are used to print defining patterns on substrates or materials. Some printed electronics also use substrates that have metal in their composition. Printed devices are widely used in various end-use industries, such as healthcare, consumer electronics, automotive, and media.

The printed electronics industry is evolving continuously. New designs, equipment, processes, and materials are being developed constantly to transform ideas into real products. Printed devices often include circuit boards, microchips, application software, printed circuit systems, printed connectors, printed blocks, printed panels, printed enclosures, printed controls, printed headers, printed wiring, printed encoders, printed power supplies, printed power planes, printed frontiers, printed labels, printed amplifiers, printed keypads, thermoplastic materials, and more. Many devices may contain several layers of substrate.

Printed electronics are widely used in photovoltaic panels or solar cells to produce solar power, RFID Tags and Antennas for tracking, memory devices for data storage, monitoring devices, OLED display screens, wearables, sensors, batteries, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). With 3D printing, one can also make many parts that do not require any assembly process. Printed electronics can be manufactured on various printing substrates with the help of various printing techniques, as they offer several benefits by overcoming speed and workflow complexity.

Printed electronics have come a long way since the conception more than a century ago. Today, the term ‘printed electronics’ covers an entire industry devoted to the development of electronic materials/components that incorporate this technology. Printed Electronics USA is the world's largest event on printed, flexible, structural and hybrid electronics, held every year at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, USA, to bring end users and suppliers together to create business in printed and flexible electronics.