The Shaughnessy Report: Back to the Future
Designers Notebook: Addressing Future Challenges for Designers
Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality—Surface Finish
OE-A at LOPEC – Printed Electronics Up Close
February 7, 2023 | OE-AEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Smart skis that “feel” the vibrations of a downhill run, a flying 3 D printed drone, a sensing glove, a biosensor test kit that helps to avoid virus spreading and some more inspiring ideas play a major role in this year’s “OE-A Competition”. This yearly competition run by the OE-A, part of VDMA, fosters and challenges engineers and designers to present their printed electronics innovations to the world. At LOPEC 2023, the leading international exhibition and conference of printed electronics, from February 28 to March 02 at ICM, Messe München, all projects are showcased at the OE-A booth.
Mega trends Mobility and Smart Living
“For me personally the best thing about the competition is the exciting mix between inspiring, trendsetting ideas and market ready products. This year’s submissions are very much in line with the Focus Topics of LOPEC, we have great projects in the field of mobility and smart living. And we see that sustainability is even in early-stage projects a leading idea.” says Dr. Klaus Hecker, Managing Director of the OE-A, an international working group within VDMA.
This year 16 contributions from international companies, research institutions and universities take part in the “OE-A Competition 2023” to present their new products, prototypes, and concepts. The submitted projects are judged by a jury of representatives from well-known international companies and institutes in three categories: “Prototypes & New Products”; “Freestyle Demonstrator”; and “Publicly Funded Project Demonstrator”.
When Clever meets Smart
“The expert jury will have a hard time rating the 16 contributions and deciding on the winners of the three categories”, predicts Klaus Hecker. Here is a first snapshot of competition contributions which will be shown at the OE-A booth:
Smooth & Sharp from Taiwan submitted a printed NFC biosensor test stripe for disease screening. The test stripe decreases the risk of virus spreading triggered through testing and transportation because it shows the result straight away. The contaminated patch can be removed safely and is easy to dispose.
How to create an eco-friendly, ultra- thin and flexible heating foil based on a copper skin film shows Avery Dennison. This novel technology enables a more sustainable production of heating and sensor foils for the mobility and healthcare sector.
The Smart skis submitted by Joanneum Research and partners sensors vibrations while skiing. The energy autonomous sensor transmits data about the behavior of the ski on different slopes, material stability and the suitability of the ski for the athlete.
Who is going to win?
Not only the jury will decide which project is a winner, – but all visitors are invited to cast their vote for the “Public Choice Award”. Visitors choose from all contributions which demonstrator deserves the “Public Choice Award”. The voting takes place March 01st at the OE-A booth and the winner will be announced on the evening of Wednesday, March 01nd during the LOPEC Get-together & Award Show. Additionally, the winner of all categories will present their demonstrators at a web seminar in April 2023.
New edition of OE-A Roadmap
More than 100 experts have contributed to the new OE-A Roadmap. The OE-A Roadmap offers end-users, developers and funding bodies alike a deep insight into the technology and applications. “Next to the inspiring demos of the competition, a visit at the OE-A booth is also worthwhile to get your copy of the newly published OE-A Roadmap. For our members is this comprehensive guide of printed electronics complimentary. For non-members we offer an executive summary right at the booth. In case you cannot make it to LOPEC, summary and whitepaper will be for download at oe-a.org right after LOPEC” adds Klaus Hecker.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Designers Notebook: Addressing Future Challenges for Designers
02/06/2025 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookThe printed circuit board is and will probably continue to be the base platform for most electronics. With the proliferation of new generations of high I/O, fine-pitch surface mount semiconductor package variations, circuit interconnect is an insignificant factor. Circuit board designers continually face challenges such as component quantity and complexity, limited surface area, and meeting the circuit board’s cost target. The printed circuit design engineer’s prominent position demands the development of efficiently manufacturable products that perform without compromise.
DesignCon 2025, Day 2: It’s All About AI
01/30/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007It’s hard to get away from the topic of artificial intelligence, but why would you? It’s everywhere and in everything, and my time attending presentations about AI at DesignCon 2025 was well worth it. The conference’s agenda featured engaging presentations and discussions focused on the technological advancements in AI, big data centers, and memory innovations, emphasizing the critical relationship between processors and circuit boards.
Beyond Design: Electro-optical Circuit Boards
01/22/2025 | Barry Olney -- Column: Beyond DesignPredicting the role of PCB designers in 10 years is a challenge. If only I had a crystal ball. However, we know that as technology progresses, the limitations of copper PCBs are increasingly apparent, particularly regarding speed, bandwidth, and signal integrity. Innovations such as optical interconnects and photonic integrated circuits are setting the stage for the next generation of PCBs, delivering higher performance and efficiency. The future of PCB design will probably incorporate these new technologies to address the challenges of traditional copper-based designs.
Designers Notebook: Impact of Advanced Semiconductor Packaging on PCB Stackup
01/07/2025 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookTo accommodate new generations of high I/O semiconductor packaging, printed circuit board fabrication technology has had to undergo significant changes in both the process methods and the criteria for base material selection and construction sequence (stackup). Many of the new high-function multi-core semiconductor package families require more terminals than their predecessors, requiring a significantly narrower terminal pitch. Interconnecting these very fine-pitch, high I/O semiconductors to the PCB is made possible by an intermediate element referred to as an interposer.
BOOK EXCERPT: The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... High Performance Materials, Chapter 4
01/02/2025 | I-Connect007In Chapter 4, Michael Gay discusses the two main types of copper foil used for PCB boards today: electrodeposited (ED) foil and rolled annealed (RA) foil. He also explains the pros and cons of each, and provides an update of the latest innovations in copper foil technology.