Trouble in Your Tank: Causes of Plating Voids, Pre-electroless Copper
Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Growth Hacker Marketing’
Happy’s Tech Talk #38: Novel Metallization for UHDI
Powercast and Liquid X Announce Printed Electronics Venture to Enable Durable, Washable e-Textiles that Seal in Wireless Charging Electronics
May 5, 2020 | PRWEBEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Powercast Corporation, the leader in radio-frequency (RF)-based long-range over-the-air wireless power technology, and Liquid X, an advanced manufacturer of functional metallic inks with prototype-to-production design and manufacturing capabilities, today announced a printed electronics venture to enable garment manufacturers to easily integrate wireless power functionality into durable, flexible, high performance and washable e-textiles.
Utilizing Liquid X’s proprietary ink technology, manufacturers can print circuitry directly onto a garment, add Powercast’s wireless power technology and a battery, and seal this all into the garment during the manufacturing process. The two companies’ goal is to enable cost-effective manufacturing of durable e-textiles, with battery-powered features such as health and wellness, movement monitoring, or LED-based illumination embedded directly into garments, that consumers can conveniently recharge over the air, and wash, without having to remove a battery pack.
Today’s smart garments often snap electronics onto the garment along with battery packs that users must detach before washing. With the combined technologies of Liquid X and Powercast, now manufacturers can integrate the electronics directly into the garment. First, circuitry is printed on the fabric using Liquid X’s proprietary particle-free ink, including Powercast’s RF wireless receiving antenna. Next, Powercast’s Powerharvester® RF wireless power receiver chip, a battery, and other components are mounted onto the printed traces. Finally, an encapsulant provides a high strength waterproof bond to seal in all of the electronics.
To recharge the battery, consumers simply place a Powercast RF transmitter in the closet or drawer where they store their smart wearable. It transmits RF energy over the air to the RF receiver embedded in the wearable, which then converts it to direct current (DC) to charge the battery.
The two Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based companies showcased at CES in January 2020 a wirelessly rechargeable smart athletic shirt prototype that illuminates using printed electronics, embedded power harvesting technology, and LEDs powered over the air up to 10 feet away from the wireless transmitter.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Creative Electron Strengthens Leadership Team with Strategic Appointments in Marketing and SMT Business Unit
05/08/2025 | Creative ElectronCreative Electron, the largest U.S. manufacturer of X-ray inspection systems for the electronics industry, is proud to announce the addition of two seasoned leaders to its executive team: Wagner Lima as Marketing Director and Giancarlo De La Garza as SMT Business Unit Director.
LG Electronics India Limited Begins Construction of Its Third Manufacturing Plant in India
05/08/2025 | BUSINESS WIRELG Electronics India Ltd. (LGEIL) announced the commencement of construction of its new manufacturing facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh today at a ceremony graced by the presence of Shri Nara Lokesh, Hon'ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications.
Scanfil Boosts Investment in Electronics Manufacturing in the US
05/08/2025 | BUSINESS WIREScanfil is investing in a second electronics manufacturing line in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The demand for manufacturing electronics in the USA has increased over the past two years and is expected to continue growing.
IPC Strengthens Global Focus with Promotion of Sanjay Huprikar to Chief Global Officer
05/08/2025 | IPCIPC, the global electronics association, announces the promotion of Sanjay Huprikar to chief global officer. This newly created position reflects the association’s forward-looking strategy and industry needs to strengthen the electronics supply chain.
IPC White Paper Maps the Regulatory Terrain for Electronics Suppliers in E-Mobility Sector
05/07/2025 | IPCElectronics suppliers supporting the rapidly growing e-mobility sector are facing a dramatic escalation in environmental and social governance (ESG) compliance expectations. A new white paper from IPC’s e-Mobility Quality and Reliability Advisory Group provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving regulatory landscape and outlines the data infrastructure needed to stay ahead.