<div data-hook="post-title" id="isPasted" tabindex="-1"><div id="isPasted"><article><div><div><p>As part of TechBlick series on additive and printed electronics, TechBlick invited Butler Technologies to share some insights how they leverage screen printed electronics on flexible substrates to enable textile-based truly wearable and washable biosensors. They even went the extra mile, providing a full solution with complete software suite [data capture processing and UX]. The article originally appeared <a href="https://www.techblick.com/post/how-printed-electronics-can-make-healthcare-more-accessible" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></p></div></div></article></div><h1 data-hook="post-title">How Printed Electronics Can Make Healthcare More Accessible</h1></div><div data-hook="post-description"><article><div data-rce-version="9.9.0"><div data-id="rich-content-viewer" dir="ltr"><p><strong>Authors</strong>: &nbsp;Michael Wagner, Chief Innovations Office at Butler Technologies &amp; Courtney Houtz, Marketing Manager at Butler Technologies</p><p>From grocery shopping to doctor appointments, we can do just about anything online these days. Virtual appointments have become increasingly popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, but can doctors make accurate judgements based on a video chat?&nbsp;</p><p>Telemedicine and virtual doctors&rsquo; appointments have long relied on subjective feelings from the patient rather than actual data. Printed electronics are the solution to provide doctors with accurate data to monitor in real time.</p><p>Printed electronics are typically circuitry printed onto flexible substrates, including PET, PC, and TPU using conductive inks or materials. Printed electronics is an all-encompassing phrase for any electronic that is printed. Traditional examples of printed electronics include membrane switches and printed circuit boards, but this technology is ever evolving. New and innovative ways to use conductive inks are being discovered every day. Conductive materials can create flexible printed heaters that can be easily incorporated into clothing items like socks or gloves. Biometric sensors, which send or receive electricals, can also be printed with conductive inks. This new type of printed electronics has countless applications in the medical field.&nbsp;</p><div data-hook="rcv-block7" type="paragraph"><br></div><p><a data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://butlertechnologies.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Butler Technologies</u></a> is at the forefront of this advanced printed technology. Last year, we partnered with <a data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.loftllc.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Loft LLC,</u></a> a software design firm, to build a functional biometric wearable. The wearable sleeve was designed with printed biometric sensors and measured muscle activity in the arm. Butler Technologies manufactured the printed sensors whereas Loft designed a web platform to track and display the data gathered by the biometric sensors. By combining hardware and software design, doctors and physical therapists can rely on actual objective data for at-home health monitoring rather than subjective data.</p><div data-hook="rcv-block11" type="empty-line"><br></div><p><strong>Printed biometric sensors for telemedicine</strong></p><div data-hook="rcv-block13" type="empty-line"><br></div><div data-hook="reactPlayerWrapper" tabindex="0"><div data-loaded="true"><iframe frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="1" title="Printed Biometric Sensors for Home Healthcare" width="100%" height="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2G4lXq7o7kg?autoplay=0&mute=0&controls=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techblick.com&playsinline=1&showinfo=0&rel=0&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&enablejsapi=1&widgetid=3" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block14" type="video"><br></div><div data-hook="rcv-block15" type="empty-line"><br></div><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1686247481770-1686247481770.png" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/634751_f8ae74a2f3e24099af40926f468124ff~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1040,h_302,al_c,lg_1,q_80/634751_f8ae74a2f3e24099af40926f468124ff~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><p><strong>Book your place now: Free-to-attend Innovations Festival on Printed Flexible Wearable Electronics. 65 talks, 50+ exhibitors, and 1200 registrations - see<a data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.techblick.com/innovation-festival-june-2023" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>&nbsp;here</u></a></strong></p><p>Biometric sensors are used to track muscle activity, heart rate, breath rate, brain activity, and more. A biometric sensor can send or receive electrical signals through contact with skin.&nbsp;</p><p>Printed biometric sensors are dry electrodes. They can be easily adhered to clothing garments or medical braces without the need for messy gels or annoying wires. Traditional biometric sensors are cumbersome with messy gels or complicated wires to collect accurate data, which is not helpful when the doctor or nurse aren&rsquo;t in the room with the patient. Printed biometric sensors are the best solution for telemedicine visits because they can be adhered to garments that the patient is already familiar with, like a standard brace or compression shirt. These printed sensors can also be washed like a normal garment whereas traditional sensors tend to be single use.</p><p>The data collected by the sensor can then be transmitted to an app or website via WiFi or Bluetooth connection. This gives the doctor or physical therapist objective data in real time despite their patient being at home. The doctor can also review the data him/herself instead of relying on the patient to communicate the data over the phone.&nbsp;</p><div data-hook="rcv-block25" type="empty-line"><br></div><p><strong>Bridging the gap between hardware and software</strong>&nbsp;</p><p>Butler Technologies uses conductive inks to screen print <a data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://butlertechnologies.com/biometric-sensors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>biometric sensors</u></a> onto flexible TPU substrates. The biometric sensors that Butler Technologies manufactures are just one part of the wearable puzzle. Without someplace to send the data, the sensors are moot.&nbsp;</p><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1686247482792-1686247482791.png" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/634751_0a108d0a0b1041579b53a05ffb780510~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_672,h_448,al_c,lg_1,q_85/634751_0a108d0a0b1041579b53a05ffb780510~mv2.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="rcv-block29" type="image"><br></div><p>Loft helped finish the puzzle by working on the software side. The Butler Technologies team sent Loft sample biometric sensors to confirm they could easily read the signal from the sensors. Loft used WiFi to transmit the signal from the sensor to a webpage that displayed the data.</p><p>Once it was confirmed that the biometric sensors were working properly, Butler Technologies purchased off-the-shelf compression sleeves and shirts that would become the final wearable product. Biometric sensors made with stretchable conductive inks are designed to stretch and flex with the body. At Butler Technologies, we typically print biometric sensors on a flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate and then adhere to the garment with a hot melt adhesive through a common heat transfer process.</p><p>However, the off-the-shelf products quickly proved challenging as the sensors were hard to apply in a shirt that was fully stitched. Butler Technologies&rsquo; team of engineers had to use a mannequin and find a way to curve the sensor within the shirt so that it would still collect the correct muscle activity.&nbsp;</p><p>In order for the sensor to collect proper data, three sensors were adhered to the sleeve of the compression shirt. Two electrodes ran parallel to the bicep muscle and one sensor acted as the reference electrode. One active electrode was placed on the middle of the bicep muscle and the other on the end of the bicep muscle. The reference sensor was placed on the forearm. This sensor picks up ambient electrical activity in the body to make it easier to clean up noise in the data. Loft&rsquo;s computer program could then pinpoint what signals were the bicep muscles firing and what a resting signal looked like.</p><div data-hook="rcv-block39" type="empty-line"><br></div><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1686247482373-1686247482373.png" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/634751_fff7e781c8ca46959d0411bc3815fd8c~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_900,h_506,al_c,q_85/634751_fff7e781c8ca46959d0411bc3815fd8c~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="rcv-block40" type="image"><br></div><p><strong>Connect with the printed flexible wearable electronics community in Berlin and learn the latest - explore programme here https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped</strong></p><p><strong>Why printed electronics are the right solution</strong></p><p>Traditional wires hinder movement, accessibility, and usability. They are bulky and uncomfortable for prolonged use. Printed biometric sensors are comfortable, conformable, and stretchable. They are lightweight, so the wearer would not notice the sensors were embedded in the shirt.&nbsp;</p><p>From idea to finished product, the finished wearable device was completed in six weeks. Printed electronics can make remote healthcare more accessible and reliable. A patient does not need to visit a doctor&rsquo;s office in order to detect health concerns. Physical therapists and doctors can track how well a muscle is recovering after surgery or injury with printed biometric sensors. They can also track if their patient is completing exercises and exerting the right muscles.</p><p>Biometric sensors have many other applications outside of the healthcare field. They can be embedded into outdoor or exercise apparel so consumers can track their own vitals. The possibilities with printed electronics are endless.</p><div data-hook="rcv-block49" type="paragraph"><br></div></div></div></article></div>

A washable wearable biometric device using printed electronics technology provides real-time data for telemedicine. Integrated into a sleeve, the sensors monitor muscle activity. The data, transmitted to an online platform, facilitates remote health monitoring. 

How Printed Electronics Can Make Healthcare More Accessible

<p id="isPasted">Mass manufacturing electronic textiles and in doing so combining textile fibers/garments as well as textile based wiring and sensors with PCB electronics is no easy task. A critical manufacturing challenge here has always been the creation of a reliable high-quality connection between textile wiring/sensors and PCBs/rigid components using a mass manufacturing machine. ZSK has innovated to solve this issue for embroidered electronic textiles. &nbsp;This article originally appeared <a href="https://www.techblick.com/post/embrioded-electronic-textiles-solving-the-textile-to-pcb-and-ecosystem-challenges" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a></p><p>ZSK will be exhibiting in Berlin at TechBlick&#39;s event on RESHAPING ELECTRONICS. &nbsp;Please join us and the entire global community on 17-18 OCT 2023. Lear more here <a data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped</u></a>&nbsp;</p><div data-hook="rcv-block3" type="paragraph"><br></div><p><a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a></p><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjg2MTI2MjU3ODA0LTE2ODYxMjYyNTc4MDQucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/634751_9cf1c10eb91548198a7b527d61b55af7~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1135,h_281,al_c,lg_1,q_80/634751_9cf1c10eb91548198a7b527d61b55af7~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></a></div><p><br></p><div data-hook="rcv-block6" type="image"><br></div><p><strong>Solving the textile-to-PCB connection issue</strong></p><p>As you can see in slide [1], typically PCBs do not lend themselves well to embroidery of electronics. This is because one often has loose connections, because the high thickness and the sharp edges act as failure points and because the large holes allow movement which loosens the connections. This means that it is not easy to achieve automatic manufacturing with standard PCBs in a reliable way.</p><p>This is why - as shown in slide [2] - ZSK developed the ZSK E-Tex-Board, which addresses the above mentioned issues, optimizing the board geometry (hole size, smooth edges, thickness, outer line design, etc) for mass embroidered e-textiles combining textiles wiring/sensors with PCBs.&nbsp;</p><p>As shown in slide [3], these special boards are also compatible with automatic placement machines, enabling a fully automatic manufacturing of e-textiles. This is an important step towards the realization of mass embroidered electronic textiles.&nbsp;</p><p>These PCBs - together with the ZSK&rsquo;s F-head for their embroidery machine - enable interesting opportunities. In the F-head, one can embroider the conductive threads with textile/garment to create wiring in the textiles. Using this head, one can also embroider insulating areas as needed, creating cross-overs which vastly improve wiring possibilities in tight spaces.&nbsp;</p><p>An example of a full system with embroidered conductive threads [wires] as well as crossovers and a stitched PCBs are shown in slide [3], showing how these innovations bring the entire system together, from conductive yarns to insulating to textile garments to PCBs and electronic components like LEDs etc</p><div data-hook="rcv-block18" type="paragraph"><br></div><p><strong>Solving the ecosystem issue</strong></p><p>ZSK has multiple other embroidery heads for different purposes [K-head for ECG and other sensors based on the moss embroidery and W-head for laying down tubes, fibers etc]. What is however of importance in our view is that they also offer business model innovation</p><p>They have correctly realized that the e-textile ecosystem is still immature and full of players each offering only a small part of the full system, which makes it very difficult for a potential end user to develop projects.&nbsp;</p><p>To this end, they have launched 3E Smart Solutions - an in-house engineering team - to help companies develop their ideas, prototype them, find manufacturing partners, etc. This fills an important void and we expect will accelerate the development of this industry &nbsp;</p><div data-hook="rcv-block28" type="empty-line"><br></div><div data-hook="galleryViewer"><div data-key="pro-gallery-inner-container" tabindex="-1"><div data-hook="item-link-wrapper" data-id="6cf29513-5f7f-4179-8b8a-06517f1e9ccb_0" data-idx="0" tabindex="-1"><div data-hash="6cf29513-5f7f-4179-8b8a-06517f1e9ccb_0" data-hook="item-container" data-id="6cf29513-5f7f-4179-8b8a-06517f1e9ccb_0" data-idx="0" tabindex="0"><div data-hook="item-wrapper"><div data-hook="image-item"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" alt="" data-hook="gallery-item-image-img" data-idx="0" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/634751_4462c26945914d79aedc69a6a5d20bb1~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_960,h_540,fp_0.50_0.50,lg_1,q_90/634751_4462c26945914d79aedc69a6a5d20bb1~mv2.webp" data-pin-url="https://www.techblick.com/post/embrioded-electronic-textiles-solving-the-textile-to-pcb-and-ecosystem-challenges" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="item-hover-0"><br></div></div></div></div><div data-hook="item-link-wrapper" data-id="9ed71f4c-92f5-411a-a4b1-9884572c75e5_1" data-idx="1" tabindex="-1"><div data-hash="9ed71f4c-92f5-411a-a4b1-9884572c75e5_1" data-hook="item-container" data-id="9ed71f4c-92f5-411a-a4b1-9884572c75e5_1" data-idx="1" tabindex="-1"><div data-hook="item-wrapper"><div data-hook="image-item"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" alt="" data-hook="gallery-item-image-img" data-idx="1" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/634751_ada4a85aa3b6442082dd761c94ded95f~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_960,h_540,fp_0.50_0.50,lg_1,q_90/634751_ada4a85aa3b6442082dd761c94ded95f~mv2.webp" data-pin-url="https://www.techblick.com/post/embrioded-electronic-textiles-solving-the-textile-to-pcb-and-ecosystem-challenges" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="item-hover-1"><br></div></div></div></div><div data-hook="item-link-wrapper" data-id="a3d36c35-14e3-4573-be23-ef2eb88c3181_2" data-idx="2" tabindex="-1"><div data-hash="a3d36c35-14e3-4573-be23-ef2eb88c3181_2" data-hook="item-container" data-id="a3d36c35-14e3-4573-be23-ef2eb88c3181_2" data-idx="2" tabindex="-1"><div data-hook="item-wrapper"><div data-hook="image-item"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" alt="" data-hook="gallery-item-image-img" data-idx="2" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/634751_cd72824a188d43d8a2d99d26b1067bbb~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_960,h_540,fp_0.50_0.50,lg_1,q_90/634751_cd72824a188d43d8a2d99d26b1067bbb~mv2.webp" data-pin-url="https://www.techblick.com/post/embrioded-electronic-textiles-solving-the-textile-to-pcb-and-ecosystem-challenges" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="item-hover-2"><br></div></div></div></div><div data-hook="item-link-wrapper" data-id="42028f17-645a-4b23-99f1-b6eb6bf9ec59_3" data-idx="3" tabindex="-1"><div data-hash="42028f17-645a-4b23-99f1-b6eb6bf9ec59_3" data-hook="item-container" data-id="42028f17-645a-4b23-99f1-b6eb6bf9ec59_3" data-idx="3" tabindex="-1"><div data-hook="item-wrapper"><div data-hook="image-item"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" alt="" data-hook="gallery-item-image-img" data-idx="3" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/634751_565a3421206f4ee0a48ee8126aae357e~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_960,h_540,fp_0.50_0.50,lg_1,q_90/634751_565a3421206f4ee0a48ee8126aae357e~mv2.webp" data-pin-url="https://www.techblick.com/post/embrioded-electronic-textiles-solving-the-textile-to-pcb-and-ecosystem-challenges" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div 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Mass manufacturing electronic textiles and in doing so combining textile based wiring and sensors with PCB electronics is no easy task. In this article, you will learn about an innovative approach to enable embriodery of PCBs and conductive wiring/sensors in mass produced e-textiles 

Embrioded Electronic Textiles: Solving the textile-to-PCB and ecosystem challenges

<p id="isPasted">Leading brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Victoria&#39;s Secret are already benefitting from digital manufacturing. Innovative designers like Sylvia Heisel and Danit Peleg are using the technologies to push the boundaries of fashion like never before.&nbsp;</p><p>So digital manufacturing is fast; it provides excellent process transparency and design flexibility, but how exactly is that impacting the fashion industry daily? Let&#39;s take a look at three trends built on the foundations of digital manufacturing:</p><p><strong>Sustainable Fashion</strong></p><p>The fashion industry could have a better reputation as an eco-friendly one. In fact, many consider it one of the most polluting industries, the 6th highest in 2023, responsible for over 2.1 billion tonnes of Green House Gases per year, according to <a href="https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/blog/top-7-most-polluting-industries" target="_blank">EcoExperts</a>. The fashion industry has some work to do. Many leading brands have sustainability at the top of their short-term and long-term strategies, with digital manufacturing helping them achieve those goals.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/services/3d-printing/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-wearables-0323&utm_content=wevolver-fashion-blog-0523" target="_blank" title="3D Printing">3D printing</a> is a game changer when it comes to minimising waste. As an additive process, it creates clothing one layer at a time and only uses the necessary amount of material required for that item. Plus, the precision accuracy of the process means little to no mistakes happen, reducing the number of scrap products.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/services/injection-moulding/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-wearables-0323&utm_content=wevolver-fashion-blog-0523" target="_blank" title="Injection Moulding">Injection moulding</a> is another great option for a more sustainable fashion industry. The process is a fast and cost-effective way to produce high-quality, identical parts in large quantities, so it&#39;s ideal for creating plastic components in fashion accessories like buttons, zippers, and buckles. One of the primary ways injection moulding is helping the fashion industry be more sustainable is by creating recycled plastic materials. Many fashion brands use recycled plastics like PET bottles to create products.</p><p>Both of these production methods are suitable for small batch sizes and can produce products rapidly, eliminating the long lead times for shipments from overseas. The fact that products can be made locally at speed not only reduces the carbon footprint of the process but also allows for supply chain optimisation, which brings us nicely to our second point.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 474px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjg1NDUzODc1MDUzLVJlYWNoIGZvciBDaGFuZ2UucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 472px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner"><strong id="isPasted">Reach for Change bracelet injection moulded using pellets made from Lyfecycle&rsquo;s plastic cups.</strong></span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted"><strong>Goods on demand</strong></p><p>New technologies are allowing fashion brands to radicalise their supply chains. Automation, big data analytics and digital manufacturing enable brands to rapidly source and produce products at shorter lead times, with fewer production partners involved. This agile supply chain brings many benefits:&nbsp;</p><ol start="1" type="1"><li>A consolidated supply chain is easier to manage. It reduces the opportunity for error or non-conformity, enabling brands to focus on their value-add tasks of designing, promoting and selling clothing.</li><li>The data provided by digital technologies create process transparency, ensuring that sustainable practices are followed throughout every production stage.&nbsp;</li><li>Digital manufacturing processes can be rapid, offering improved lead times and the ability to react to any demand instantly.</li></ol><p>This robust supply chain has created a whole new level of agility within the fashion industry, allowing many brands to adopt a goods-on-demand strategy. Brands can now manage consumer demand with a just-in-time production approach, meaning that brands can now fulfil orders when needed rather than guessing what consumer demand will be each season and stockpiling inventory. This is a considerable benefit as it mitigates inventory costs by reducing stock levels, helping cash flow and reducing the risk of unwanted stock going to landfill.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Mass Customisation&nbsp;</strong></p><p>More than ever, consumers can customise products to suit their individual needs. Mass customisation isn&#39;t a new trend; in 1909, Henry Ford famously said, &ldquo;A customer can have a car painted any colour he wants as long as it&#39;s black&rdquo;. A coy marketing plan, no doubt, but the Ford Model T was truly customisable, with over 5000 gadgets available to adapt to the car to suit the needs of the individual. Customisation has steadily grown ever since and is now at an all-time high. In her report,&nbsp;<a href="https://kpmg.com/be/en/home/insights/2023/02/re-trend-3-the-age-of-mass-customization-emerges.html" target="_blank">The Age of Mass Customization emerges</a>, Veerle Coussee of KPMG claims that &quot;Humanity is now in an Age of Mass Customization&quot;, and fashion is right at the forefront of that age.</p><p>More and more brands compete to deliver products tailored to customer needs or tastes. Whether it enables customers to determine the colour palette of their shoes or to produce a shirt to their exact dimensions, fashion commerce is becoming dominated by customisation. Unsurprisingly, digital manufacturing has played a massive part in this cultural shift in fashion:</p><p>3D printing allows fashion designers to create complex designs and intricate textures that are difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods. It also allows for quick prototyping and customisation, allowing designers to iterate on their designs quickly, test new ideas, and rapidly produce the customised product. Plus, 3D printing is highly cost-effective in small batches, so you can always print a product to meet the demand if you run out of stock. See how Protolabs&#39; 3D printing helped <a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/about-us/press/zac-posen-turns-to-protolabs-and-ge-additive-s-3d-printing-expertise-to-bring-met-gala-creations-to-life/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-wearables-0323&utm_content=wevolver-fashion-blog-0523" target="_blank" title="ZAC POSEN TURNS TO PROTOLABS AND GE ADDITIVE’S 3D PRINTING EXPERTISE TO BRING MET GALA CREATIONS TO LIFE">Zac Posen bring his Met Gala creations to life!</a></p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjg1NDUzOTE1NzY3LU1ldCBHYWxhIERyZXNzLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 418px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p><br></p><p id="isPasted">Injection moulding is a fast, cost-effective manufacturing process for producing high-quality, identical parts. Traditionally, fashion brands have had to mass-produce large volumes of identical products to achieve economies of scale. However, Protolabs&rsquo; rapid injection moulding makes producing smaller quantities of customised products possible without sacrificing efficiency or quality.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/services/cnc-machining/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-wearables-0323&utm_content=wevolver-fashion-blog-0523" target="_blank" title="CNC Machining">CNC machining</a> is a versatile manufacturing method that produces various fashion products, from jewellery to footwear. It allows for precise cutting, drilling, and shaping of materials like metal, wood, and plastics, resulting in high-quality, intricate designs. CNC machining is also ideal for producing small batches of customised products, allowing designers to offer unique and personalised products to their customers. See how Protolabs&#39; Injection moulding and CNC machining services helped <a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies/ieva/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-wearables-0323&utm_content=wevolver-fashion-blog-0523" target="_blank" title="IEVA">IEVA launch a range of customisable smart jewellery!</a></p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjg1NDUzOTQxNTcwLUlFVkEuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 434px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p>

Met Gala creation bought to life by Protolabs expertise

Digital manufacturing has revolutionised the fashion industry, and it's no surprise. By definition, fashion is a popular or the latest style of clothing, hair, decoration, or behaviour, so why wouldn't the latest innovations in manufacturing be of interest?

How Digital Manufacturing is more than Fad or Fashion

The wearables market is going from strength to strength, but challenges around inter-compatibility and power supply remain. 


The Continued Evolution of Wearables

<p id="isPasted">Printed electronics is a promising additive technique to produce all manners of devices. It is already a very successful industry. However, &nbsp;some continue to consider only a technology of the future. This is partly because when printed electronics succeeeds, it is often no longer called printed electronics, leading some to overlook its current successes.</p><p><a href="https://www.techblick.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TechBlick</a> is the home of additive and printed electronics. In this TechBlick presentation - which was originally posted<a href="https://www.techblick.com/post/full-presentation-review-of-industrial-applications-of-printed-electronics-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a>- &nbsp;aims to highlight a diverse range of printed electronics applications which are already industrialized today. This offers a good view of the depth and breadth of the industry, demonstrating how this technology is literally everywhere!</p><p><strong>You can download the slides accompaying this presentation<a href="https://www.techblick.com/post/full-presentation-review-of-industrial-applications-of-printed-electronics-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a><br></strong></p><p>Here we will cover the following</p><ul><li>Printed metalization of Si PVs (PERC, Topcon, and HJT PVs)</li><li>Organic and Perovskite Photovoltaics</li><li>QD-OLED Displays</li><li>MicroLED Color Conversion</li><li>MLCCs</li><li>PCB Industry (solder printing, solder &amp; legend printing)</li><li>Automotive industry (from occupancy sensors to seat heaters to 3D touch surfaces)</li><li>Medical and Biosensors (from glucose test strips to multilayer precision biosensors)</li><li>HMIs</li><li>2.5D and 3D Electronics</li><li>Intelligent packaging</li><li>Semiconductor packaging</li><li>and many more</li></ul><p>To learn more about the world of printed and additive electronics, and to network with all the key players from around the world, please join us in <strong>Berlin on 17-19 OCT 2023</strong> where you can hear more than 50 onsite talks, visit more than 74 booths, and network with 600+ peers and partners. <a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Here</a> you can find mroe info</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 715px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1681376756569-email+%28Berlin-2023%29+%282%29.jpg" style="width: 713px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" data-dl-input-translation="true"><a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped</a></span></span></span></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

TechBlick's presentation reviews printed electronics' industrial applications, dispelling the notion that it's solely a technology of the future. The talk showcases various commercial success stories incl.  photovoltaics, displays, sensors, HMIs, 3D electronics,  MLCCs, PCBs, semicon packaging, etc

Review of industrial applications of printed electronics - what are current successful applications?

<p id="isPasted">This article was written by Tsuyoshi Takeda from Panasonic for TechBlick and first appeared on <a href="https://www.techblick.com/post/beyolex-for-soft-circuit-solutions-panasonic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this link.</a> The Electronic Materials Business Division of Panasonic Industry Co.,Ltd. (Panasonic) is a premier supplier of electronic materials like printed circuit boards laminates, semiconductor packaging materials, display films and other leading-edge products.&nbsp;</p><p>Leveraging our core expertise in high-performance thermosetting polymer chemistry, we developed BEYOLEX&trade;, a fully cross-linked, non-silicone, thermosetting stretchable film. BEYOLEX&trade; is specifically designed as a soft, stretchable, and durable substrate for reliable printed electronics. BEYOLEX&trade; exhibits superior performance when compared to existing stretchable films like Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and is under evaluation and qualification for a wide variety of demanding applications. In collaboration with our innovative partners, Panasonic introduces our latest case studies on soft circuit development which is one of the promising applications of BEYOLEX&trade;.</p><hr><h3>Case Study 1: Pliable PCB made with copper sintering ink</h3><p>InnovationLab and Panasonic developed a pliable PCB demonstrator. This device was designed and manufactured by InnovationLab using BEYOLEX&trade; and sintered copper ink. Generally, the copper inks require a high sintering temperature (&gt;160 &deg;C), which is extremely challenging for TPU. As can be seen in Pic 1, the BEYOLEX&trade; substrate had no difficulty tolerating the sintering temperature and exhibited no damage from the process. Furthermore, the combination of the high temperature tolerance of BEYOLEX&trade; and the solderability of the sintered copper ink &nbsp;enabled component mounting with standard solders such as Sn-Bi or SAC305: resulting in reliable and high density assemblies and delivering a functional PCB with more pliability and softness than typical flexible printed circuits (FPCs.) 　</p><div data-hook="rcv-block12" type="paragraph"><br></div><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgxMjQzMzQ4MTIzLTE2ODEyNDMzNDgxMjMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/090711_4a367e5ea8b54dc3b278e4d91f691fab~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_900,h_742,al_c,q_85/090711_4a367e5ea8b54dc3b278e4d91f691fab~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="rcv-block14" type="image"><br></div><p>Pic 1: Pliable PCB made by InnovationLab</p><hr><p>Panasonic will be exhibiting at the TechBlick event on the Future of Electronics RESHAPED. Please join us in Berlin on 17-18 OCT 2023. More info <a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" id="isPasted" target="_blank">here</a></p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 766px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1681243834906-email+%28Berlin-2023%29.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" data-dl-input-translation="true"><a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped</a></span></span></span></p><hr><h3>Case Study 2: Stretchable hybrid PCB made using copper ink and stretchable silver paste&nbsp;</h3><div data-hook="rcv-block17" type="h3"><br></div><p>Kelenn Technology, a leading manufacturer of printing equipment, also makes functional inks that are customized for their printing systems. Using their proprietary Direct Material Deposition (DMD) technology, Kelenn Technology printed land pads with copper ink and circuit traces with stretchable silver-based paste onto BEYOLEX&trade; film (Pic 2). This hybrid circuit produced a solderable, stretchable PCB configuration that would be difficult to achieve with copper circuitry alone. Definitely, BEYOLEX&trade; is the only substrate solution for this design.&nbsp;</p><div data-hook="rcv-block19" type="paragraph"><br></div><div data-hook="rcv-block20" type="paragraph"><br></div><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgxMjQzMzQ4OTcxLTE2ODEyNDMzNDg5NzEucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/090711_ec3b66bae7ef4a8bac4b59e8699970c5~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_900,h_717,al_c,q_85/090711_ec3b66bae7ef4a8bac4b59e8699970c5~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="rcv-block21" type="image"><br></div><p>Pic 2: Stretchable PCB made by Kelenn Technology &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>Subsequently, Panasonic engineers reflowed solder paste onto test vehicles prepared by Kelenn Technology. We printed an industry standard SAC305 solder paste and reflowed the part in a Vapor Solder Oven with a temperature of 230&deg;C. We confirmed both the solderability of the copper ink pads provided by Kelenn Technology as well as the mechanical integrity of BEYOLEX&trade; after soldering (Pic 3). As a result of this test, we believe BEYOLEX&trade;, with sintered copper ink, is a promising solution for solderable, pliable or even stretchable PCB constructions.</p><div data-hook="rcv-block24" type="paragraph"><br></div><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgxMjQzMzQ1NzY4LTE2ODEyNDMzNDU3NjgucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/090711_a29a1cd0f67343ecbbf3dea16b496471~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_900,h_556,al_c,q_85/090711_a29a1cd0f67343ecbbf3dea16b496471~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="rcv-block26" type="image"><br></div><p>Pic 3: Soldering on Cu</p><p>This technology will be presented at TechBlick&#39;s event in Berlin on 17-18 OCT 2023. You can learn more info<a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> here</a>. This is the most important global event on printed electronics, stretchable and soft electronics, and wearable electronics.&nbsp;</p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1681243915891-email+%28Berlin-2023%29.jpg" style="width: 760px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><hr><h3>Case study 3: Tackling the challenges of truly stretchable electronics</h3><p>Stretchable silver pastes are an attractive conductor solution for new form factor devices. However, these polymer composite pastes have inherent limitations for forming truly stretchable electronics; typically, the resistance increases significantly with each elongation cycle and these increases are cumulative, climbing with each stretch cycle. A printable Liquid Metal Based Composite developed by University of Coimbra (UoC) is a promising solution to this issue. UoC&rsquo;s ink exhibits metallic conductivity and much lower resistance change during stretch cycles compared to silver-polymer pastes. Thanks to the lack of plastic deformation of BEYOLEX&trade;, UoC&rsquo;s ink printed on BEYOLEX&trade; looks to be a promising combination for truly stretchable electronics requiring repeated stretching (Pic 4).&nbsp;</p><div data-hook="rcv-block31" type="paragraph"><br></div><div data-hook="rcv-block33" type="empty-line"><br></div><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgxMjQzMzQ4NDAzLTE2ODEyNDMzNDg0MDMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/090711_7b7f233db9a746e6ad504d65e4c2c543~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1200,h_787,al_c,q_85/090711_7b7f233db9a746e6ad504d65e4c2c543~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="rcv-block34" type="image"><br></div><p>Pic 4: Stretchable LED with capacitive touch by UoC</p><p>The soft-circuit solutions made with BEYOLEX&trade; introduced in this article are made by additive printing processes which are generally more environmentally friendly than the conventional subtractive PCB fabrication process. &nbsp;Panasonic&rsquo;s Electronic Materials Business Division keeps contributing to create value and to society through innovative materials.</p><p data-hook="rcv-block37" type="paragraph">Panasonic will be exhibiting at the TechBlick show on The Future of Electronics RESHAPED in Berlin on 17-19 OCT 2023. You can find more information <a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></p><p><br></p>

A novel stretchable film has been developed for soft & stretchable circuit / electronic solutions, outperforming existing films like TPU.  Here you can learn about case studies showcasing its potential in pliable PCBs, stretchable hybrid PCBs, and truly stretchable electronics. 

A Novel Substrate for Soft Circuit Solutions: Case Studies and Results

<p>In this episode, we talk about a device developed using shape memory alloys which can prevent and reverse the effects of muscle atrophy.&nbsp;</p><p><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/79c9b46a-fe02-4e58-ba1b-8e1db22fbb2d?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe></span></p><hr><p>This podcast is sponsored by <a href="https://www.durolabs.co/?utm_source=Wevolver&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=the_next_byte" id="isPasted" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Duro</a>. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjcxNTU0MzkxMTUzLWV5SmlkV05yWlhRaU9pSjNaWFp2YkhabGNpMXdjbTlxWldOMExXbHRZV2RsY3lJc0ltdGxlU0k2SW1aeWIyRnNZUzh4TmpZMU5ESTBOakl5TkRZd0xWVnVkR2wwYkdWa0lHUmxjMmxuYmk1d2JtY2lMQ0psWkdsMGN5STZleUp5WlhOcGVtVWlPbnNpZDJsa2RHZ2lPamsxTUN3aVptbDBJam9pWTI5MlpYSWlmWDE5LndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><hr><p id="isPasted">(5:00) -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/wasting-muscles-built-back-better" target="_blank">Wasting Muscles Built Back Better</a></p><p>Episode 101 was brought to you by Duro, the PLM platform behind some of Farbod &amp; Daniel&rsquo;s favorite hardware products!</p><p>Click<a href="https://www.durolabs.co/?utm_source=Wevolver&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=the_next_byte" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a> to learn more about Duro and <a href="https://www.durolabs.co/case-studies/how-carecubes-gained-traceability-for-compliance-through-duro/?utm_source=Wevolver&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=TheNextByte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> to check out the case study discussed in this episode about how Carecubes leverages Duro&rsquo;s platform to create the critical enclosures that allow medical facilities to handle contagious diseases.</p><hr><p id="isPasted">As always, you can find these and other interesting &amp; impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.</p><p>To learn more about this show, please visit our<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" target="_blank">&nbsp;shows page</a>. By following the page, you will get automatic updates by email when a new show is published. Be sure to give us a follow and review on<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/the-next-byte/id1548255861?l=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;</a>podcasts,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6lPPsRtegnivsRUEsQ09R7?si=IPMiah7xT_apJtPjqvXMlA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">&nbsp;Spotify</a>, and most of your favorite podcast platforms!</p>

This image shows examples of MAGENTA prototypes fabricated with a “shape memory alloy” spring and an elastomer, and how their sizes compare to that of a one cent coin. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

In this episode, we talk about a device developed using shape memory alloys which can prevent and reverse the effects of muscle atrophy.

Podcast: Fighting Muscle Loss Via Wearables

PCBA design capabilities are crucial to the future of wearable technology. Wearables and PCBA design are inextricably linked since both have a significant influence on each other. As wearable devices become more popular, electronics designers and manufacturers are designing smaller, denser, and more flexible devices.

Impact of Wearables on PCBA Design: Their Past and Future

<p id="isPasted">It was a simple idea &mdash; maybe even too simple to work.</p><p>Research scientist James Ponder and a team of Georgia Tech chemists and engineers thought they could design a transparent polymer film that would conduct electricity as effectively as other commonly used materials, while also being flexible and easy to use at an industrial scale.</p><p>They&rsquo;d do it by simply removing the nonconductive material from their conductive element. Sounds logical, right?</p><p>The resulting process could yield new kinds of flexible, transparent electronic devices &mdash;&nbsp;things like wearable biosensors, organic photovoltaic cells, and virtual or augmented reality displays and glasses.</p><p>&ldquo;We had this initial idea that we have a conductive element that we&#39;re covering with a nonconductive material, so what if we just get rid of that,&rdquo; said Ponder, who earned a Ph.D. in chemistry at Georgia Tech and returned as a research scientist in mechanical engineering. &ldquo;It&#39;s a simple idea, and there were so many points where it could have failed for different reasons. But it does work, and it works better than we expected.&rdquo;</p><p>To make a plastic film that can carry an electric charge, chemists start with a known polymer backbone &mdash; in this case, a popular polymer called PEDOT that&rsquo;s used in industry in certain formulations. It&rsquo;s great for conducting electricity, but difficult to use in its bare form because it&rsquo;s insoluble. However, when side chains are added to the PEDOT, it can be dissolved and used like a printable ink or a spray paint. That makes it easy to use and apply. Unfortunately, those side chains are essentially waxy material, and wax isn&rsquo;t so great at electrical conductivity.</p><p>&ldquo;If you think about electrical conductivity, imagine a copper wire: it&#39;s nice and conductive. Then you cover it with wax, and it&#39;s not as conductive; you have a barrier,&rdquo; Ponder said. &ldquo;The idea was, we really want both: we want the side chains for processing, but we don&#39;t want them in our final material. So, we add side chains that, once we&#39;re done with the processing, we can knock off and wash away.&rdquo;</p><p>In other words, Ponder and his collaborators create the polymer with side chains, print or spray it to apply, chemically cleave the side chains, and wash them away with common industrial solvents. After a final conversion step, the result is a flexible, highly conductive film that&rsquo;s stable and now impervious to water or other solvents.</p><p>The research team spanned mechanical engineering, chemistry and biochemistry, and materials science and engineering. They&rsquo;ve published their work in a pair of studies this year in two prestigious chemistry journals: first <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c11558" target="_blank">describing the idea and proving it could work in the <em>Journal of the American Chemical Society</em></a>, and in recent weeks, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202211600" target="_blank">optimizing the design for maximum conductivity in a study in the top German chemistry journal, <em>Angewandte Chemie</em>.</a></p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1670396326668-PEDOT-polymer-both.webp" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Left: A bluish, semi-transparent strip of the PEDOT polymer before the final processing step. Right: The flexible, highly conductive PEDOT(OH) polymer after the final doping. (Photos Courtesy: James Ponder)&nbsp;</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">&ldquo;This idea that we&#39;ve come up with a way to make a polymer that has a conductivity of over 1,000 siemens per centimeter, that is able to be processed using simple industrial printing methods and solvents that the industrial people like, and that, on top of conductivity, have this optical transparency is just so expansive to me,&rdquo; said&nbsp;<a href="https://chemistry.gatech.edu/people/john-reynolds" target="_blank">John Reynolds</a>, professor in the&nbsp;<a href="https://chemistry.gatech.edu/" target="_blank">School of Chemistry and Biochemistry</a> and one of the co-authors of the two papers. &ldquo;I just get very excited about it.&rdquo;</p><p>Reynolds was Ponder&rsquo;s Ph.D. advisor. When Ponder came back to Georgia Tech after a postdoctoral fellowship, he joined Associate Professor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.me.gatech.edu/faculty/yee" target="_blank">Shannon Yee&rsquo;s</a> lab in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.me.gatech.edu/" target="_blank">George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering</a>. Because of those connections, Ponder became the bridge that cemented the collaboration. The team developed the molecules through chemistry. They measured their effectiveness with engineering.</p><p>&ldquo;James basically put his feet in both camps and served as the conduit between the groups,&rdquo; said Reynolds, who also is jointly appointed in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. &ldquo;This multidisciplinary approach to research is the reason I made the move to Georgia Tech 11 years ago. I was excited about the ability to easily cross between the College of Sciences and the College of Engineering. Having collaborations such as these with Shannon are really important, and this is what makes Georgia Tech tick.&rdquo;</p><p>The team already is attracting attention for their material, which they call PEDOT(OH). They have a patent application in process and are meeting with industry collaborators interested in licensing the technology because of a few key advantages of the films.</p><blockquote><p>&ldquo;These polymers we&rsquo;ve designed are mechanically flexible. There&#39;s an entire area called bioelectronics, where people are putting electronic devices onto skin and into implantable devices, where mechanical flexibility is very important. That&#39;s where these kinds of materials will shine.&rdquo;</p><p>JOHN REYNOLDS<br>Professor, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry</p></blockquote><p>One of the most widely used transparent conductors for flat panel displays, photovoltaics, smart windows, and other applications is indium tin oxide. However, the material has some drawbacks, Reynolds said.</p><p>&ldquo;It is quite difficult to make curved and flexible devices using indium tin oxide because it&rsquo;s a brittle material that cracks,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;These polymers we&rsquo;ve designed are mechanically flexible. There&#39;s an entire area called bioelectronics, where people are putting electronic devices onto skin and into implantable devices, where mechanical flexibility is very important. That&#39;s where these kinds of materials will shine.&rdquo;</p><p>Another advantage? Indium tin oxide must be used in thin films to balance how it&rsquo;s prepared with maximum conductivity and transparency. The Georgia Tech team&rsquo;s material, on the other hand, can be easily processed to thick films that maintain their conductivity.</p><p>&ldquo;One real benefit here is that you have a lot of control over how you process the material,&rdquo; said Ponder, who now works for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. &ldquo;Industrially, the biggest benefit to this in my mind is that if you want a 20-nanometer film, you can do that. Or if you want a one-micron film&nbsp;&mdash; which is 500 times thicker &mdash; you can do that, too. You really have a lot more control.&rdquo;</p><p>Ponder said other researchers have experimented with breaking off the side chains of polymers to boost conductivity, but their work usually only removed a few of the chains. Plus, that process wasn&rsquo;t the main thrust of their research.</p><p>&ldquo;It&#39;s combining the right type of polymer backbone with the right type of breakable linkage for the right application&rdquo; &mdash; high electrical conductivity, in this case, Ponder said. &ldquo;For the most part, other researchers haven&rsquo;t been doing this; they didn&rsquo;t cleave off enough chains and use a well-designed backbone.&rdquo;</p><p>Reynolds said the simplicity of the team&rsquo;s polymer was key: &ldquo;Being able to make a very simple, straightforward backbone to this polymer is what really has led to the high level of conductivity.&rdquo;</p>

The polymer created by Georgia Tech researchers is initially a bluish tint when it's cast as a film and not transparent. Further processing results in a flexible, highly conductive, transparent plastic. (Photo Courtesy: James Ponder)

Chemists and engineers collaborate on process that washes away nonconductive side chains from a robust polymer backbone to create a powerful conductive plastic.