-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueComing to Terms With AI
In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
Box Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
OE-A at LOPEC: Printed Electronics Powers Sustainability
February 6, 2024 | OE-AEstimated reading time: 4 minutes
The “OE-A Competition 2024” shows the many possibilities of flexible, organic, and printed electronics with inspiring products, prototypes, and fresh designs live at LOPEC 2024, the leading international exhibition and conference for flexible, organic, and printed electronics in Munich.
"This year's OE-A Competition impressively demonstrates how printed electronics is the technology to create sustainable electronics through low-energy non-hazardous chemicals, additive manufacturing processes and the use of recyclable materials,” says Dr. Klaus Hecker, Managing Director of the OE-A, an international working group within VDMA. The OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association) is the leading international industry association for the emerging technology of flexible, organic, and printed electronics.
The proof will be provided at LOPEC 2024, the international platform for printed electronics, from March 5 to 7, live at the ICM in Munich. This year, 17 projects from international companies, research institutes and universities are participating in the "OE-A Competition 2024" to present their new products, prototypes, and concepts. The submitted projects will be judged by a jury of representatives from renowned international companies and institutes in three categories: "Prototypes & New Products"; "Freestyle Demonstrator"; and "Publicly Funded Project Demonstrator".
Henkel and OE-A foster young talents
In addition to the established competition, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and the OE-A Working Group Education have for the first time launched an “Open Innovation Challenge” for graduate and undergraduate students on the topic of Smart Living and Smart Mobility. “Together with our member Henkel, we challenged young students to develop and prototype an innovative idea for a printed electronics application that addresses the Smart Living or Mobility markets. To bring their ideas to life, the students were provided with the Henkel Sensor Kit, which includes 5 types of printed sensors” explains Klaus Hecker. A jury consisting of Henkel, OE-A and other industry representatives will select the winner of the “Open Innovation Challenge”. The winning project will be showcased at the OE-A booth at LOPEC, along with all other OE-A Competition projects.
Enabling more sustainable products
Inspiring printed electronics projects guided by the idea of sustainability participate in this year's OE-A competition. Here a sneak peek into three of them:
IEE from Luxembourg competes with a multifunctional busbar connector for battery packs. This product is designed to reduce battery costs in e-mobility. The solution combines multiple functionalities in a single, flexible, and lightweight busbar "sandwich", that enhances drivetrain electrification. With a single compound, customers have a product that performs multiple functions such as voltage monitoring, cell balancing, temperature sensing, electrical isolation, and busbar connection. The integrated bus bar connection demands less manipulation than would be required with more components. This increases manufacturing efficiency and reduces manufacturing costs.
The CEA research institute in France, in collaboration with its industry partner, contributes a medical device use case with a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) within the EU-funded project ECOTRON. The first generation of the use case (GEN1) demonstrates that a conventional PCB can be replaced with a flexible printed one to create more sustainable healthcare and wearable devices with no compromise on performance. The flexible printed circuit board is produced in an additive manufacturing process that uses less energy and chemicals. The future use case generations will include dismantling technologies (GEN2) and bio-based/recycled materials for substrates and inks (GEN3) developed in the project.
Another approach to a more sustainable future is offered by Fundación Tekniker of Spain with its integrated de-icing system for wind turbine blades. In cold weather, ice build-up on the blades reduces the efficiency of wind turbines. The de-icing system detects ice at the initial stage of formation on the wind turbine blade and eliminates it with an integrated heater. The ice detection sensors and the heating system are printed with conductive inks on continuous fiberglass mats, and this printed fiberglass is embedded in an epoxy/glass composite by infusion. Wind turbine run time is maximized in icy conditions, reducing the need to generate backup power.
Public Choice Award
All visitors are invited to vote for the Public Choice Award at the OE-A booth at LOPEC (this time in the Foyer of ICM, FO.33) on March 6. The winner of the Open Innovation Challenge and the winners of the OE-A Competition will be announced on the evening of Wednesday, March 6, during the LOPEC Get-together & Award Show. In addition, all award winners will present their demonstrators during a web seminar on April 25.
OE-A booth at LOPEC
At the OE-A booth at LOPEC 2024, LOPEC visitors will gain a comprehensive insight into printed electronics applications. A visit to the OE-A booth is also worthwhile to learn about the latest results of the new business climate survey and the activities of the numerous international working groups. "Stop by the OE-A stand in the foyer of the ICM, I promise there will be a lot to discover. We are proud to present all projects of the OE-A Competition and the winning student project of the Open Innovation Challenge. And last but not least, the Public Choice Award needs your voice, so please cast your vote for your favorite demonstrator," concludes Klaus Hecker.
Suggested Items
America Projected to Triple Semiconductor Manufacturing Capacity by 2032, the Largest Rate of Growth in the World
05/08/2024 | SIAThe Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), released a report on the global chip supply chain that projects the United States will triple its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity from 2022—when the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS) was enacted—to 2032.
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: The Driving World of e-Mobility with Indium
05/08/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOIn the competitive EV market, technology plays a crucial role facing the challenges of infrastructure. As Brian O'Leary explains, Indium's e-Mobility product suite includes proven solder and thermal management products for high reliability.
Incap Releases Unaudited Business Review for January–March 2024
05/08/2024 | IncapRevenue for the first quarter 2024 amounted to EUR 51.4 million (1–3/2023: EUR 72.2 million). Year-on-year the revenue decreased 29.3%, as expected.
Schweizer Electronic: Business Development in Q1 2024
05/08/2024 | Schweizer Electronic AGThe sales of the SCHWEIZER Group amounted to EUR 39.2 million in the first quarter of 2024 (Q1 2023: EUR 37.1 million). This corresponds to an increase of +5.5 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
Key Tronic Announces Results for Q3 of Fiscal Year 2024
05/08/2024 | Globe NewswireFor the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, Key Tronic reported total revenue of $140.5 million, compared to $164.6 million in the same period of fiscal year 2023.