Printed Electronics is a set of printing methods used to create electrical circuits on various substrates.
For Quad Industries, the typical printing method for printed electronics is screen printing. For this process, mesh-based screens are used to selectively deposit inks onto substrates, only on areas where the screen is not made impermeable by a stencil. Circuits or sensors are created by depositing multiple layers of conductive inks (eg. Ag, carbon, PEDOT) in combination with non-conductive inks (eg. isolator, coatings,..).
This printing method is a very cost-effective way to directly integrate electronics functionality on a wide range of substrates. Plastic films (PET, PC), glass, silicon and TPU are just a small grasp of the substrates that are suitable for screen printing.
![Screenprinting Quad_cropped](https://www.quad-ind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Screenprinting-Quad_cropped-scaled.jpg)
Membrane switches were one of the first printed electronics on the market, out there already for over 30 years. Simply said, they are produced by laminating adhesives and a graphic overlay on a flexible printed circuit layer.
Nowadays high-precision, screen printing techniques are used to integrate many other functionalities, including sensors, antennas, touch controls and heaters; that find their way in sports & healthcare wearables, automotive interiors, smart objects and many more.
Conclusion:
Printed electronics are clearly a key enabler to making daily objects smart. Allowing for the direct integration of electronics into transparent, lightweight, flexible and stretchable materials, they find their way in a wide range of industries including Automotive, Medical, Industrial and Home Appliance industry.