Update from ORF4AUTO – Applications of conductive ink

This project focuses on investigating the application of conductive ink (inorganic and organic) printing technology to current automotive antenna and telematic products, creating the first telematic unit with an operative antenna printed directly on it’s plastic enclosure. It is a so-called Organic Large Area Electronics (OLAE) project, which market is expected to grow in the next two decades; by 2025, OLAE products will create a global market of more than 100 Billion EUR in the mid-to-longterm future.

To reach this point, this project has generated advances in both the synthesis and printing techniques of organic and nano-particle based inks, investigated in the context of seeking the optimal ink configuration for printing an antenna and passive components directly on plastic. Combining these technologies has proven the industrial opportunity to increase added value and competitiveness to current designs by allowing smaller PCBs (hence device overall size) in telematic units, yet potentially yielding a high gain from printed antennas, by taking advantage of the larger enclosure area. The prototype was created by modifying an existing telematic product, however this technology can be applied to numerous automotive communications applications, as well as other industries.

More information about the project here.

With the support of ACCIÓ and the European Union.