<p>Food waste is not just a consumer problem. A significant amount of waste happens before food ever reaches the checkout line, as products move through farms, warehouses, trucks, distribution centres, and grocery store shelves. For perishable goods, every delay, temperature fluctuation, or broken cold chain event can shorten shelf life.&nbsp;</p><p>The challenge is that many supply chain decisions are still made with limited visibility. A product may look fine, but grocers and suppliers may not know exactly how it was handled in transit, how much temperature exposure it experienced, or how many usable days remain. That uncertainty has real consequences. If retailers are too cautious, food may be discarded while it is still safe to sell. If they are too optimistic, quality and safety risks increase. Better traceability can help reduce that guesswork by giving food producers, distributors, and retailers more precise information about freshness, handling conditions, and remaining shelf life.</p><p>Food waste is a costly problem for grocers, suppliers, exporters, and the environment. <a href="https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/pme/2025-12-29/pme-inspiration/la-technologie-a-l-assaut-du-gaspillage-alimentaire.php" target="_blank">A recent La Presse article</a> highlighted how <a href="https://www.pulrtechnologies.com/" target="_blank">PULR Technologies</a>, a Trois-Rivières-based company in Canada, is developing a smart labeling solution that helps food supply chains better understand how products move, how they are stored, and how much shelf life they have left.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="NFC RFID tag sticker roll showing rectangular printed antenna coils and chip connection points for wireless data transfer" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a15b398a46cd06bb1f1be48_nova-prototype-smart-labels-rfid-tag.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>RFID tags for wireless data transfer</figcaption></figure><h2><strong>Prototyping smart labels with NOVA</strong></h2><p>PULR used <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a> as part of its prototyping workflow for developing smart labels. For applications such as smart labels, the ability to test new material combinations, print functional patterns, and iterate designs quickly is critical.&nbsp;</p><p>Compatible with most screen printable materials (1,000 to 1,000,000 cP), NOVA enables teams to dispense functional materials directly onto a wide range of substrates, helping them find the ideal combination of materials, substrates, and layer stackups with precision — all from the lab without having to send sensitive design files away.</p><p>In addition to smart packaging, NOVA has been used to prototype <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/flexible-hybrid-electronics">flexible hybrid electronics</a> (FHE) such as <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/ai-powered-ingestible-sensor-monitoring-gut-health">sensors</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/wearable-flexible-electronics">wearables</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/bioelectronics">medical devices</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/webinar-recap-printing-flexible-electronics-soft-robotics">soft robotics</a>, and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/green-electronics">green electronics</a>, supporting the development of technologies that are not only smarter, but also more practical, accessible, and environmentally conscious.</p><p>Want to see more printed electronics applications like this? Check out the following resources:</p><ul><li>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2COFihlYVos&">Printing an RFID Tag with Copper Ink on Paper</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/printing-a-smart-resonator-to-track-meat-freshness">Printing a Smart Resonator to Track Meat Freshness</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/advancing-printed-sensors-rfid-tag-breath-monitoring">Advancing Printed Sensors: RFID Tag for Breath Monitoring</a></li></ul><p>Ready to talk about how NOVA can help you prototype smart labels, RFID tags, and NFC antennas? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting/nova-demo?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=nova-prototype-smart-labels&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p>

NOVA Used to Prototype Smart Labels That Tackle Food Waste

PULR Technologies develops smart labels to improve food traceability. See how NOVA supports prototyping for printed electronics applications like this.

Voltera NOVA Used to Prototype Smart Labels That Tackle Food Waste

<p>Rapid prototyping in <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/flexible-hybrid-electronics">flexible hybrid electronics</a> (FHE) demands tools that enable fast design iteration, novel material experimentation, and high design flexibility without the overhead of full-scale manufacturing. To maximize return on investment (ROI), it’s essential to choose an option that aligns with your specific prototyping needs.</p><h2><strong>How screen printing works</strong></h2><p>Screen printing in electronics is a contact deposition process that uses either a mesh screen or a metal mask (a stencil with pre-etched apertures) to transfer ink onto a substrate. If you’re using a mesh screen, areas corresponding to the circuit pattern are left open while other areas are masked with an emulsion before printing.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Close-up of a person applying solder paste through a stainless steel SMT stencil in PCB assembly" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a062caffb2f89a70a3ac47b_nova-screen-printing-roi-metal-stencil.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Applying solder paste through a stainless steel stencil</figcaption></figure><p>During printing, a conductive or functional ink is poured onto the screen and a squeegee wipes across it, pushing ink through the open areas onto the substrate beneath it. The substrate is then heated or UV cured to solidify the ink or paste and ensure conductivity.</p><p>Screen printing supports a wide range of materials, such as conductive ink, dielectric ink, and solder paste. It can also print on a variety of flexible substrates, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide, textiles, and even paper or curved surfaces [1].</p><h2><strong>How NOVA works</strong></h2><p>Voltera’s <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a> is a materials dispensing system that uses <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> (DIW) to print flexible circuits layer by layer, without any screens or stencils. It dispenses functional inks and pastes through a nozzle, creating the desired pattern under digital control.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Close up of the Voltera NOVA dispensing the Chimet D260 EI dielectric ink on an ABS substrate for a capacitive touch sensor circuit" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69e92a7b431a2a4c6adae4b2_printing-in-mold-electronics-nova-dielectric-layer.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>The Voltera NOVA dispensing dielectric ink for the second layer of a touch sensor circuit on ABS</figcaption></figure><p>In practice, the user loads a syringe of the chosen material, mounts the substrate on the print bed (a vacuum table that holds flexible films flat), and uploads a digital design — Gerber file or SVG (beta) — for the machine to print. Like screen printing, the pattern must then be cured to become conductive.</p><p>The materials NOVA can dispense largely overlap with screen-printable materials, as do the compatible substrates. However, in a prototyping environment, these two methods differ significantly in terms of ROI and overall agility.</p><h2><strong>NOVA vs. screen printing for prototyping</strong></h2><p>For engineers developing FHE devices, the key ROI question is usually not which method has the lowest theoretical unit cost at scale. It is which method makes it easier and more economical to keep iterating while the design is still changing. In prototyping, every revision can trigger new setup work, new material consumption, and new opportunities for delay. That is where the economics of screen printing and NOVA begin to diverge.</p><p>For the sake of illustration, this comparison assumes a high-iteration prototyping scenario totaling 1,000 prints across development. Under those conditions, screen printing carries recurring costs that grow with each design change: new stencils, material waste, setup effort, and manual labour. NOVA, by contrast, shifts more cost upfront but lowers the recurring cost of each additional prototype cycle by removing the need for stencils and reducing setup friction.</p><h3><strong>Material cost</strong></h3><p>Material efficiency is one of the clearest differences between stencil-based and direct ink writing workflows. In a 2026 study comparing screen printing with Voltera’s direct ink writing printer for biosensor fabrication, the authors reported an 82 wt% reduction in material use and €823.20 in cost savings per 1,000 prints with Voltera printing [2] . While this study used <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/v-one">V-One</a> rather than NOVA, it illustrates a broader prototyping principle: when material is deposited only where needed, waste can fall substantially compared with screen-based transfer methods. For teams working with costly functional inks, that difference compounds quickly over repeated iterations.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Top left: Voltera’s printer dispensing gold ink on silver electrodes to make biosensors. Top right: the printed biosensor. Bottom: a chart comparing screen printing and Voltera’s direct ink writing printer, V-One, in terms of material use and cost savings, showing an 82 wt% reduction and an €823.20 cost savings per 1,000 prints with V-One." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a062cf13f918840bb22a00b_nova-screen-printing-roi-biosensor-gold.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A study comparing screen printing and Voltera’s direct ink writing printer in terms of material use and cost savings. ©<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15040796" target="_blank">Stobo, A. M., et., al</a>. <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><h3><strong>Stencil and consumable costs</strong></h3><p>Stencil-driven workflows also carry a recurring tooling penalty. With each design tweak, whether it is a size change, a layer adjustment, or a material-specific revision, a new stencil may be required. Using the estimate cited here of <a href="https://pcbprime.com/pcb-stencil/">$109 to $362 USD per stencil</a>, 100 iterations would translate to $10,900 to $36,200 USD in stencil costs alone, assuming one new stencil per iteration. NOVA avoids that recurring cost because the pattern is generated digitally rather than through a physical screen or stencil.</p><h3><strong>Labour costs</strong></h3><p>Labour is another meaningful driver. Screen printing requires more manual setup, handling, monitoring, and cleanup, and may also introduce coordination work around stencil sourcing and changeovers. By contrast, NOVA reduces much of that process overhead through a software-driven workflow. Using a median hourly rate of $50/hour for mechanical engineers in the US, even a modest reduction in labour per iteration can add up quickly over a long development cycle.&nbsp;</p><p>For example, if NOVA saves one hour per iteration, then 100 iterations would reduce labour cost by about $5,000. If the savings are closer to 0.5 hours per print, then across 1,000 total prints the savings would be about $25,000. The exact number depends on whether labour is being modeled per print or per iteration, so that unit should be stated explicitly.</p><p>To summarize the ROI implications: NOVA carries a higher upfront equipment cost, but it reduces the recurring cost of prototyping by removing stencil remakes, reducing wasted material, and lowering manual setup effort. Screen printing can remain compelling when a design is stable and volumes are high, but during development, when teams are still learning and revising, the cost of trying again often matters more than the nominal cost of any single print. That is where NOVA tends to deliver stronger ROI.</p><h2><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2><p>It should be noted that NOVA and screen printing are complementary, rather than strictly competing in the overall development pipeline. NOVA fills the prototyping and innovation gap, empowering rapid design cycles and material innovation without worrying about production logistics. Screen printing then takes over for manufacturing scale-up, offering low unit costs for large runs. As NOVA is compatible with most-screen printing materials (1,000-1,000,000 cP in viscosity), teams using NOVA for prototyping can seamlessly scale into production. This way designers get the best of both — agility upfront, efficiency later.</p><p>Interested in learning more about NOVA and screen printing? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-screen-printing">Introduction to Screen Printing</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/screen-printing-direct-ink-writing-printed-electronics">Screen Printing vs. Direct Ink Writing for Printed Electronics</a></li><li>Webinar: <a href="https://youtu.be/_eH_6OMEIpI">Printing Multilayer Flexible And Stretchable Circuits</a></li></ul><p>Need a customized calculation of the ROI of your current workflow? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=nova-screen-printing-roi-fhe-prototyping&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p><h2><strong>References</strong></h2><p>[1] Wiklund, J., Karakoç, A., Palko, T., Yiğitler, H., Ruttik, K., Jäntti, R., &amp; Paltakari, J. (2021). A Review on Printed Electronics: Fabrication Methods, Inks, Substrates, Applications and Environmental Impacts. <em>Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing</em>, 5(3), 89. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp5030089" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp5030089</a>.</p><p>[2] Stobo, A.-M., Izquierdo-Bote, D., Bernard, L., Hampton, K., Wolfe, N., Parker, A., García, M. B. G., Villasuso, I. Z., Stockill, B., Ioannidis, R. O., Bikiaris, N. D., Robinson, P., Richardson, S., Maxfield, J., Gill, L., Peavoy, G., Moliner, E., &amp; Lamming, G. (2026). Closing the Loop: Sustainable and Cost-Effective Glucose Biosensors Through a Circular and Digital Design. <em>Electronics</em>, 15(4), 796. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15040796" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15040796</a>.</p>

NOVA vs. Screen Printing — ROI for FHE Prototyping

Prototyping flexible hybrid electronics (FHE)? We compare NOVA and screen printing to help you decide which offers the better return on investment (ROI).

NOVA vs. Screen Printing — ROI for Flexible Hybrid Electronics Prototyping

<p>In this webinar, we invited <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/afinkle">Dr. Andrew Finkle</a>, Director of <a href="https://nanopaper.io/">NanoPaper™</a> at Tangho Green Canada, to talk about printing flexible, sustainable electronics using cellulose nanofiber film with <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/thomas-p-b9ba01192">Tom Pol</a>, Product Manager at Voltera. The discussion covered how NanoPaper compares to traditional flexible substrates, why substrate choice matters in printed electronics prototyping, and how Voltera’s NOVA materials dispensing system supports process development on novel materials.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:45%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="45%" data-rt-dimensions="640:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sPNBtC2_4o"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6sPNBtC2_4o" title="Webinar: Printing Flexible, Sustainable Electronics using Cellulose Nanofiber Film" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2><strong>Webinar highlights</strong></h2><h3><strong>NOVA for green electronics</strong></h3><p>The webinar began with a <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/green-electronics">market snapshot of green electronics manufacturing</a>. Tom explained that demand for sustainable electronics is being driven by rising concern around e-waste, increasing regulatory pressure, consumer demand for more sustainable products, and growing interest in circular design and recovery systems. At the same time, adoption is not simple. Sustainable materials still need to balance environmental benefits with durability, scalability, cost, process compatibility, and end-of-life requirements.</p><p>Tom then introduced <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a>, Voltera’s materials dispensing system for <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a>. NOVA supports high precision dispensing of pastes and is compatible with a broad range of screen printable materials. He highlighted several features that make NOVA useful for prototyping on flexible and novel substrates, including pressure monitoring, surface probing for consistent print height, camera assisted alignment, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/print-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits-nova">dedicated multilayer workflow</a>, and a vacuum bed for holding down flexible substrates such as PET, TPU, and NanoPaper.</p><h3><strong>About NanoPaper</strong></h3><p>Dr. Finkle then introduced NanoPaper, Tangho Green Canada’s cellulose nanofiber film substrate for printed and flexible electronics. NanoPaper is not intended to replace every flexible substrate. Instead, it gives engineering teams another option when PET or PEN starts to narrow the process window and polyimide feels overengineered for the application.</p><p>The material starts with agricultural fiber, which is processed into nanocellulose and formed into a dense cellulose nanofiber film. Unlike conventional paper, NanoPaper has a smoother printable surface and enough mechanical and thermal robustness to support printed electronics workflows.&nbsp;</p><p>Many silver ink workflows cure around 120 to 150 °C, where substrates like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) can often work. However, higher temperature workflows, especially copper ink workflows, can push those materials beyond their limits. Polyimide can handle higher temperatures, but it brings tradeoffs in cost, opacity, and environmental persistence. NanoPaper is positioned in the middle: not as a replacement for polyimide at extreme temperatures, but as a more sustainable and process compatible option when PET or PEN is too limited.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Printed copper antenna patterns on PET and NanoPaper after annealing at 200 °C for about two minutes, showing PET shrinkage and warping compared to stable NanoPaper" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a07602db563335e7558db8a_printing-flexible-electronics-nanofiber-pet-nanopaper.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Results of printed antennas on different substrates (PET vs NanoPaper) annealed at 200°C for about 2 minutes</figcaption></figure><p>Dr. Finkle also emphasized workflow compatibility. NanoPaper has been explored with screen printing, inkjet, and direct ink writing. For this webinar, the focus was on direct ink writing with NOVA, where silver, copper, and carbon examples have already been printed on NanoPaper. This matters because new materials are more likely to be adopted when they fit into familiar workflows rather than requiring teams to rebuild their process from scratch.</p><h3><strong>Case studies: Printing on NanoPaper with NOVA</strong></h3><p>Dr. Finkle shared several NOVA case studies that showed NanoPaper moving from substrate evaluation to functional printed electronics. In one example, capacitive touch sensors were printed on NanoPaper using ACI flexible silver ink, cured at 150 °C for 12 minutes, and shown to sense touch through a polyurethane laminated insulating layer. He also showed additional silver patterns to demonstrate how NOVA and NanoPaper can support rapid iteration across different geometries, line widths, cure profiles, and device layouts.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A person pressing on the capacitive touch sensor printed on NanoPaper and connected to a test circuit with alligator clips for functional testing." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a07604c874a1b32700b576e_printing-flexible-electronics-nanofiber-capacitive-sensor.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A capacitive touch sensor printed on the NanoPaper</figcaption></figure><p>The copper example made the substrate difference especially clear: when the same nanocopper ink, antenna geometry, and cure profile were tested on PET and NanoPaper, the PET substrate shrank and warped under a cure profile around 200 °C, while NanoPaper remained stable. The NanoPaper RFID pattern was then assembled with a commercial RFID module using low temperature solder paste and reflow, then confirmed functional, showing that the substrate could support printing, thermal curing, component attachment, and functional device testing.</p><p>Toward the end of the presentation, Dr. Finkle shared the central takeaway: sustainable electronics cannot be only a material story. They also have to be a process story. If a substrate does not fit the way engineers actually print, cure, assemble, and test devices, it will not be adopted. NanoPaper is Tangho Green Canada’s attempt to make renewable cellulose-based films practical inside existing printed electronics workflows.</p><h2><strong>Live Q&amp;A</strong></h2><p><strong>Q</strong>: What applications are the best near-term fit for NanoPaper?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Dr. Finkle highlighted antennas, tags, and sensors as early areas of focus, especially when thermal limits matter. Other potential applications include smart labels, touch interfaces, smart packaging, sustainable single-use circuits, traceability systems, and interactive packaging functions such as food temperature monitoring or tracking high value products.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Is NanoPaper washable?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Not likely. Because NanoPaper is cellulose-based, it has an affinity for moisture. The material can be submerged in water and hold its shape, but when it dries again, it becomes much more wrinkled. For that reason, it is better suited to printing-based processes than applications that require repeated washing.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: How do you prevent moisture absorption from affecting dielectric properties?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Moisture is a repeatability variable for NanoPaper. Cellulose is hydrophilic, so water absorption can affect flatness, curl, dimensional stability, and dielectric properties. The material is durable across many useful humidity ranges, but very humid or wet environments may not be the best fit. As with temperature history for PET, understanding the moisture history of NanoPaper is important for consistent results.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Does NanoPaper hold as well as PET on NOVA’s vacuum bed?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Yes. Dr. Finkle said that, in their experience, NanoPaper holds well on NOVA’s vacuum bed. Although the material can absorb moisture at the surface, its dense nanostructure limits moisture and oxygen transmission through the film, helping it form a tight seal. Tom added that in his own experience, the thinner NanoPaper samples held down extremely well on NOVA’s vacuum bed.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: What was the initial breakthrough moment behind optimizing a paper substrate for printed electronics?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: The idea grew from seeing nanocellulose films discussed in literature as potential flexible electronics substrates, but with limited commercial availability. Conventional paper is attractive for environmental and cost reasons, but it has limitations such as high surface roughness and the need for coatings. NanoPaper offered a way to simplify the material stack while improving surface smoothness, thermal performance, and sustainability.</p><h2><strong>Additional resources</strong></h2><p>Want to learn more about printing green electronics on sustainable substrates? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/PD1q4FNRlgU?si=i_cPQFYHJspqcqHw">Printing PCBs on Biodegradable Substrates for End-of-Life Recovery</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-rfid-tag-copper-ink-paper">Printing an RFID Tag with Copper Ink on Paper</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/prototyping-green-electronics-soluboard-pcb-laminate">Prototyping Green Electronics with Soluboard® PCB Laminate</a></li></ul><p>Ready to talk about your project? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting/nova-demo?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-flexible-electronics-nanofiber&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p>

Webinar Recap: Printing Flexible Electronics on Nanofiber

Learn how NanoPaper and Voltera NOVA support sustainable electronics, from capacitive touch sensors to copper RFID tags.

<p>Electronic waste, or e-waste, is generated when electronic equipment is discarded. It is estimated that e-waste accounts for about <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/toxics/green-electronics/">5%</a> of municipal solid waste across the world. In addition, developing markets are expected to <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/toxics/green-electronics/">triple their e-waste output</a> in the next five years. E-waste places increasing pressure on waste management systems, and many electronic components contain toxic substances such as mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium, and arsenic, making them unsuitable for landfill disposal.&nbsp;</p><p>At the same time, as risks associated with the global supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical metals continue to evolve, there is growing interest among product developers worldwide in preserving and recovering valuable materials. As a result, innovators have begun exploring ways to recover precious metals and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the electronics industry.</p><p><a href="https://www.jivamaterials.com/">Jiva Materials</a>, a U.K.-based company developing biodegradable PCB laminates, is one of the innovators spearheading such initiatives. Their Soluboard® is the world’s first fully recyclable PCB substrate, with 68% lower carbon footprint than the typical glass fiber and epoxy-based materials. To further explore their innovation, we spoke with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Jack/Herring">Jack Herring</a>, Chief Product Officer and Founder of Jiva Materials.</p><h2><strong>About Jiva Materials</strong></h2><p><strong>Q: Can you briefly introduce Jiva Materials and its mission in the field of sustainable electronics?</strong></p><p>A: Jiva Materials is an advanced materials company developing <a href="https://store.voltera.io/collections/consumables/products/3-x-4-soluboard-substrates-6-pack">Soluboard®</a>, a new generation of PCB laminate designed to reduce the environmental impact of electronics at scale. Our mission is to deliver greener electronics from the ground up — replacing traditional glass fiber and epoxy substrates with a lower carbon alternative that integrates directly into existing manufacturing. By combining naturally derived fibers with a thermoplastic system, we enable a step-change in sustainability without requiring redesign or retooling.</p><h2><strong>Benefits of Jiva Materials’ Soluboard®</strong></h2><p><strong>Q: What makes the Soluboard® unique?</strong></p><p>A: Soluboard® is engineered specifically for electronics, offering all the performance expected of a rigid PCB — without the glass. It uses a thermoplastic matrix reinforced with natural fibers, enabling a dry lamination process with no epoxy curing stages and significantly lower energy consumption.</p><p>The 68% reduction in carbon footprint is achieved not only through the use of cellulosic fibers, but also through this fundamentally lower-energy manufacturing approach compared to traditional glass fiber and epoxy systems. The material is also 37% lower in density than FR4 and remains fully compatible with standard PCB fabrication processes, including plated through-hole technology (PTH).</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Closeup of electronic components and separated flax fibers recovered from a PCB prototype on Soluboard® after desoldering and material breakdown" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69e630f0f52e087564a14bbd_prototyping-green-electronics-soluboard-decimal-counter.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Components and flax fibers collected from desoldering a decimal counter PCB prototype printed by Voltera’s Applications team on Jiva Materials’s Soluboard®</figcaption></figure><p>In addition, Soluboard® enables a practical end-of-life pathway. Components can be removed and reused for prototyping or recovery at both lab and commercial scales. Through agitation in hot water, the substrate separates into fibers and a wastewater stream containing the biodegradable polymer and non-brominated flame retardant, which has been independently certified as non-hazardous. The recovered fibers can be mechanically separated and either repurposed or composted, breaking down in approximately 75 days in a natural environment.</p><p><strong>Q: What are some benefits of using Soluboard® for green electronics prototyping?</strong></p><p>A: Soluboard® allows sustainability to be embedded from the outset without compromising usability. It is easy to machine and handle in lab environments and supports rapid, iterative processes such as screen printing and additive deposition.</p><p>Its compatibility with low-temperature processing also reduces energy consumption during assembly. Crucially, it provides a direct pathway from concept to scalable design, allowing teams to develop with a production-ready material rather than switching substrates later in the process.</p><h2><strong>Scaling from prototyping to production with Soluboard<sup>®</sup></strong></h2><p><strong>Q: How does Soluboard® address its compatibility with sustainable inks and pastes used in direct ink writing and screen printing?</strong></p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Closeup of the Voltera V-One PCB printer dispensing Conductor 3, a conductive silver ink, on Jiva Materials’ Soluboard® to make a decimal counter circuit" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69d3c082a90daeeab923b50f_printing-recyclable-circuit-boards-counter-printing.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>The V-One PCB printer dispensing conductive ink on Soluboard® to make a decimal counter board</figcaption></figure><p>A: Soluboard® has been developed to work effectively with additive electronics processes. We have evolved the fiber system from larger bundles used in early jute-based materials, through flax, and now to lyocell fibers. These fibers are comparable in scale to those used in conventional glass fiber laminates, resulting in a significantly improved surface finish.</p><p>This enables reliable wetting and adhesion of conductive inks and pastes, supporting fine feature resolution and repeatable printing in both <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-screen-printing">screen printing</a> applications.</p><p><strong>Q: How well does Soluboard® scale from prototyping to mass manufacturing using screen printing?</strong></p><p>A: One of the key advantages of Soluboard® is how effectively it scales. The transition to lyocell fibers has improved material uniformity and continuity, supporting more consistent processing at higher volumes.</p><p>Screen printing, as a scalable production method, has already been successfully demonstrated on the material, enabling a clear route from prototyping to manufacturing. In addition, Soluboard® is available as a copper-clad laminate (CCL), allowing it to be used in conventional subtractive PCB manufacturing where required. This flexibility ensures it can support both additive and traditional production routes depending on the application.</p><p>A strong example is our collaboration with Logitech. After being selected as a winner of the Future Positive Challenge, we initially supplied non-copper-clad Soluboard® for prototyping. This enabled exploration of additive and printed electronics in a lower carbon format. The work has since progressed into a broader evaluation across multiple information and communication technology (ICT) peripheral applications, demonstrating how the material can move from early-stage prototyping into real product development.</p><h2><strong>Additional resources</strong></h2><p>To learn more about Jiva Materials or Soluboard®, you can visit their <a href="https://www.jivamaterials.com/">website</a>, subscribe to their newsletter, or email them at <a href="mailto:contact@jivamaterials.com">contact@jivamaterials.com</a>. For regular updates, you can also follow them on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/jivamaterials">LinkedIn</a>.</p><p>If you’re looking for a prototyping platform compatible with sustainable materials, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/v-one">V-One PCB printer</a> or <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA materials dispensing system</a> may be a fit. Check out the following projects for more information:</p><ul><li>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD1q4FNRlgU&t">Printing PCBs on Biodegradable Substrates for End-of-Life Recovery</a> (V-One)</li><li>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsniZR1if1s&">Printing ECG Electrodes with Biocompatible Gold Ink on TPU</a> (V-One and NOVA)</li></ul><p>Ready to talk? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=prototyping-green-electronics-soluboard-pcb-laminate&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to talk to one of our technical specialists.</p>

Prototyping Green Electronics with Soluboard® PCB Laminate

Explore the benefits of prototyping green electronics with sustainable PCB materials such as Jiva Materials’ Soluboard®.

Explore the benefits of prototyping green electronics with sustainable PCB substrates like Jiva Materials’ Soluboard®.

<p>Printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) testing refers to a set of verification methods applied after assembly to detect defects, validate functionality, and ensure long-term reliability. Issues discovered late, especially without precise fault localization, can lead to costly field failures, product recalls, and damage to brand reputation.</p><h2><strong>Types of PCBA tests in the prototyping stage</strong></h2><p>Prototype builds typically involve small quantities and rapid iterations. The goal of testing at this stage is to verify that the design functions electrically and to catch major assembly defects early without the expense of production-level fixtures.</p><h3><strong>Visual inspection and early automatic optical inspection (AOI)</strong></h3><p>Manual inspection uses magnifiers or microscopes to examine solder fillets, component orientation and polarity while automated optical inspection (AOI) systems use high‑resolution cameras and image processing to compare each board against CAD data. AOI is useful for surface defects such as inadequate solder, open circuits, solder shorts and bridges.</p><p>When prototypes use ball‑grid arrays (BGAs) or other bottom‑terminated components, automated X‑ray inspection (AXI) is also used as it reveals volumetric defects, such as voids, bridging and internal misalignment that optical methods cannot see [1]. AOI and AXI systems in prototyping are often semi‑automatic rather than in‑line, but they provide invaluable feedback on design for manufacturability before high‑volume production.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="automated X‑ray inspection image showing solder bridge detection and prediction in BGA solder joints, with confidence scores of 0.80, 0.88, and 0.94 © Zhou, X., CC BY 4.0" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69ce7eb430108c1da67ec8c9_pcba-testing-axi-detecting-solder-bridge.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Automated X‑ray inspection predicting solder-bridge bounding in BGA assemblies</figcaption></figure><h3><strong>Electrical verification</strong></h3><p>This step is inexpensive and catches gross errors early. Prototype designs benefit from accessible test points or header connections to simplify probing. Engineers typically perform continuity and short checks with multimeters, measuring resistance, capacitance or diode drops at critical nodes to ensure that passive values are within tolerance.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="The Voltera team uses digital multimeter to measure the resistance in a printed potentiometer circuit on a flexible PET substrate" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69ce7eff46c34cb2d17b9b34_pcba-testing-voltera-testing-electrical-connection.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>The Voltera team measuring the resistance of a <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/developing-custom-carbon-ink-printing-variable-resistor-pet">potentiometer circuit</a></figcaption></figure><h3><strong>Functional prototype tests</strong></h3><p>Functional tests at the prototype stage are typically bespoke and evolve with the design. They generate stimulus patterns and measure responses to emulate the normal operation of the circuit. The test system may be a bench setup using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers and programmable power supplies, or it can be a small fixture connecting to edge connectors or header pins. Firmware running on the board is often modified to support test hooks such as loopback modes or telemetry outputs. For analog or RF circuits, engineers measure frequency response, gain, or output power. For digital systems, they verify communication protocols and microcontroller functionality [2].</p><h2><strong>Types of PCBA tests in the manufacturing stage</strong></h2><p>Different from prototyping builds, production builds involve high volumes and strict quality control. The goal of testing at this stage shifts toward maximizing fault coverage, repeatability, and throughput, prioritizing automation and utilizing custom fixtures to prevent costly field failures.</p><h3><strong>AOI and AXI</strong></h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69ce7f41a383ecc27a05c081_pcba-testing-automatic-optical-inspection-aoi.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A vision system inspecting a PCBA</figcaption></figure><p>At this stage, AOI and AXI complement each other to detect soldering defects and component misplacement quickly on every board. In-line AOI systems use cameras and machine‑vision algorithms to detect surface flaws such as insufficient or excess solder, tombstoning and misaligned parts while AXI provides radiographic images for packages like BGAs and quad‑flat no‑lead (QFN) to reveal voids, bridging, open circuits and internal misalignment and even inspect buried vias and multilayer connectivity [1].</p><h3><strong>Electrical connectivity tests</strong></h3><p>In these tests, in‑circuit testing (ICT) and flying probe are used to verify that there are no shorts or opens and that discrete components and networks meet tolerance before powering the assembly. ICT systems inject stimulus and measure voltages and currents to check component values, shorts and opens; they can achieve fault coverage above 90% when properly designed. Flying‑probe testers use a small number of movable probes that sequentially contact test points. They are slower than ICT but eliminate the need for custom fixtures, making them suitable for low‑volume or quick‑turn production.</p><h3><strong>System‑level testing</strong></h3><p>These functional tests help confirm that the assembled board operates according to specifications under real or simulated conditions. Similar to functional tests in the prototyping stage, these tests apply power and run firmware to exercise the board’s intended functions. Test fixtures may include power supplies, communication interfaces, loads and sensors.&nbsp;</p><h3><strong>Reliability and accelerated aging tests</strong></h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69ce7f7846c34cb2d17bbdd5_pcba-testing-burn-in-bathtub-curve.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Bathtub curve of an electronic product, © <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/6/3/29" target="_blank">Zuhir, E</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Reliability testing ensures that boards will remain fucntional over their service life by uncovering latent defects and wear‑out mechanisms. It is usually applied to sample units rather than every board. These tests subject assemblies to environmental stresses and monitor performance over time.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burn-in">Burn‑in testing</a> operates boards at elevated temperatures and voltages for extended periods to precipitate early failures. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highly_accelerated_life_test">Highly accelerated life testing</a> (HALT) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highly_accelerated_stress_audit">highly accelerated stress screening</a> (HASS) cycle boards through extreme temperatures, humidity and vibration to identify weak points. Temperature‑humidity bias testing applies voltage while cycling environmental conditions to reveal corrosion or leakage. Reliability tests may also include vibration and shock testing, especially for automotive or aerospace products.</p><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/69ce7e117c61d7fc12fa2b7d_Blog_PCBA%20testing_Table%201.txt[/script]</p><h2><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2><p>Post‑assembly testing bridges the gap between theoretical design and real‑world performance. A holistic testing procedure provides full coverage from catching assembly errors, finding shorts and opens to predicting long‑term performance. By investing in the right tools for each stage, engineers can balance coverage, cost and speed in both prototyping and production, leading to higher‑quality products and fewer field failures.</p><p>Looking for the right tool to test your PCBAs during prototyping? Don’t miss limited priority access to the <a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=36827299-Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=pcba-testing&utm_content=Voltera%20Alta">Voltera Alta</a>, a pick and place machine with smart AOI capability.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><a><div><img alt="The Vollera Alta pick and place system placing a component on a PCB" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a1de1a8bf3b2d4b359dda93_Alta-pick-and-place-system-priority-access.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div></a><figcaption><a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=36827299-Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=pcba-testing&utm_content=Voltera%20Alta">Get limited priority access to Alta with 30% off</a></figcaption></figure><p>Want to learn more about choosing the right PCBA prototyping machine? Check out the following blogs:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pcba-guide-pick-place-options">What is PCBA? A Guide to Pick and Place Options</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/in-house-pcb-assembly-next-leap-agile-hardware-teams?id=68da9c08af8e2845652230bd#Every_delayed_prototype_is_a_stolen_opportunity">Why In-House PCB Assembly is the Next Leap for Agile Hardware Teams</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pick-and-place-machine-helping-holding-back?id=68f004a8a055af8abad0088b#Status_quo:_Why_many_pick_and_place_solutions_fail_to_deliver">Is Your Pick and Place Machine Helping or Holding You Back</a></li></ul><h2><strong>References</strong></h2><p>[1] Roy, A., Hasan, A., Ghosh, S., Varshney, N., Julia, J., Reza Forghani, &amp; Navid Asadizanjani. (2024). Applications and Challenges of AI in PCB X-ray Inspection: A Comprehensive Study. <em>ACM Journal on Emerging Technologies in Computing Systems</em>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3703457" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1145/3703457</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[2] Coombs, C., &amp; Holden H. (2016). <a href="https://www.mheducation.com/highered/mhp/product/printed-circuits-handbook-seventh-edition.html?viewOption=student" target="_blank"><em>Printed Circuits Handbook, Seventh Edition</em></a>. McGraw-Hill Education.</p>

PCBA Testing Methods: From Prototype to Production

Learn key PCBA testing methods used after assembly, from AOI and ICT to functional and reliability tests across prototyping and production.

A guide to PCBA testing after assembly, covering inspection, electrical, functional, and reliability tests across prototyping and manufacturing.

<p>In this webinar, <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/667x8g/doctor-marie-omahony" target="_blank">Dr. Marie O’Mahony</a>, lecturer in textiles and e-textiles at the University of Southampton, and <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/thomas-p-b9ba01192" target="_blank">Thomas Pol</a>, Product Manager at Voltera, talked about how sustainability needs to be built into e-textiles from the very beginning, from purpose and material selection to testing, user adoption, repair, and end-of-life strategy. The webinar also explored how additive printing can support faster prototyping on textiles, and how NOVA can be used to develop functional wearable concepts such as printed heated garments.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6u5G0J_lgI"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H6u5G0J_lgI" title="Webinar: Printing Sustainable E-Textiles" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2><strong>Webinar highlights</strong></h2><h3>Wearable technology is rapidly growing</h3><p>Tom opened the webinar with a brief overview of the <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/wearable-flexible-electronics">wearable technology market</a>, noting that wearables are no longer a niche category. The space is growing quickly, driven by smaller and lighter electronics, increasing interest in health and fitness tracking, and broader use of wearables in healthcare systems for at-home monitoring. E-textiles are becoming more relevant, but growth also brings more pressure to think seriously about sustainability and long-term impact.</p><h3>Sustainability has to be built in from the start</h3><p>Dr. Marie O’Mahony then focused on sustainability as a design challenge. She began by introducing her work at the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/about/faculties-schools-departments/winchester-school-of-art" target="_blank">Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton</a>. She described the SUSTAIN project as a multi-year effort focused on how to move e-textiles from promising ideas into scalable, commercially relevant products while keeping sustainability central from the beginning. That includes thinking about circular manufacturing, reliability across the garment lifetime, repair, reuse, and controlled degradation rather than treating those issues as something to address at the end.</p><p>She also emphasized the scale of the waste challenge. With wearable technology growing quickly and e-waste already measured in tens of millions of tons globally, the field cannot afford to treat sustainability as optional. She outlined a broad set of issues that need to be considered, including value-chain accountability, regional and sector-specific legislation, manufacturing energy use, water impact, transport, packaging, longevity, end-of-life handling, and the need for new repair and reuse models.</p><p>Dr. O’Mahony then talked about the role of design. She argued that products with a clear purpose are more likely to be used, valued, maintained, and kept in circulation longer. Meaningful function and user benefit are closely tied to sustainability because they help prevent products from becoming short-lived novelties. As an example, she highlighted haptic garments created for hearing-impaired users, allowing them to experience concerts or football matches in a more embodied way.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Examples of printed conductive patterns on multiple e-textile substrates with varying fabric types and surface finishes" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69e2920cf8e4f5fc605ff7da_printing-sustainable-e-textiles-material-specification.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Different types of e-textiles substrates</figcaption></figure><p>Dr. O’Mahony also discussed material testing and process development. She described trial work across different fabrics and printing methods, noting that results often depended on details that were easy to overlook. In some cases, even changing print direction relative to the weave affected conductivity. Her advice was to test throughout the process, document results carefully, and build a sample library that includes both successful and unsuccessful material combinations.</p><h3>Prototyping e-textiles with NOVA</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69e29230311b23ef9389b61b_printing-sustainable-e-textiles-nova-cotton.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>NOVA dispensing ACI Materials’ SH5025 printed fixed resistance heater ink on cotton</figcaption></figure><p>Next, Tom introduced Voltera’s NOVA materials dispensing system and its role in e-textile prototyping. NOVA supports screen printable materials, camera-assisted alignment, and multilayer printing, all of which are useful for high-quality <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/flexible-hybrid-electronics">flexible hybrid electronics</a> applications. He then walked through a heated mitten project where conductive ink was dispensed onto cotton fabric to create a wearable heating element. To learn more about this project, check out <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-silver-conductive-ink-cotton-fabric">this white paper</a>.</p><h2><strong>Live Q&amp;A</strong></h2><p><strong>Q</strong>: What area of e-textiles has the most room for growth?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Health and well-being are the most exciting growth areas because they combine clear user needs with advances in miniaturized, conformable electronics. Notably, remote patient monitoring, elderly care, and digital health initiatives that allow people to leave hospitals sooner while still being monitored at home is a promising category.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Are e-textiles fully recyclable today, and if so, how can textile and conductive materials be separated?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Not yet in a simple, universal way. Recyclability still depends heavily on the specific textile and ink system. While some promising directions are emerging, the field is not yet at a point where one can say there is a simple, fully recyclable solution ready for broad use.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: How do you improve washability and durability?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Dr. O’Mahony’s advice was to introduce wash testing early rather than waiting until a design appears finished, because products that look robust visually may fail quickly in even gentle wash conditions. Matching the ink to the textile, testing iteratively, and paying attention to subtle process details, such as print orientation relative to the fabric, all affect performance.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: What kinds of textile materials can be printed with NOVA, and what fabrics are recommended?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Tighter, flatter weaves are generally easier to work with, especially because they are easier to probe and map accurately. For the heated mitten project, a tight-weave cotton was used. Tightly woven materials such as ripstop nylon can also perform very well, and some synthetics, recycled polyesters, regenerated fibers, and TPU-based materials may offer smoother surfaces than cotton in printed electronics. Teams need to know exactly what fabrics they are testing, maintain records, and build a library of substrates and suppliers so successful results can be repeated.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Have you designed printed sensors for vital sign monitoring, and what print resolution can NOVA achieve?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Yes, Voltera has designed a printed dry electrode for EKG monitoring. Details can be found in <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu">this white paper</a>. NOVA can achieve print sizes down to about 100 microns depending on the material.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Can textile-based printed electronics provide sufficient signal quality, stability, and biocompatibility for applications like EEG or ECG in clinical settings?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Yes. Dr. O’Mahony’s lab has been working with textile-based systems for exactly those kinds of applications. At the same time, achieving a good signal in a flat sample is only the first step. Real success also depends on garment design, sensor positioning, comfort, usability, and whether users can actually put the system on correctly and are willing to wear it consistently.</p><h2><strong>Additional resources</strong></h2><p>Interested in prototyping wearable devices using sustainable materials? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZNg21U0loE&">Printing a Heated Glove on Cotton with Voltera NOVA</a></li><li>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD1q4FNRlgU&">Printing PCBs on Biodegradable Substrates for End-of-Life Recovery</a></li><li>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsniZR1if1s&">Printing ECG Electrodes with Gold Ink on Voltera NOVA</a></li></ul><p>Ready to talk about how NOVA can help you prototype e-textiles? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-sustainable-e-textiles&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p>

Webinar Recap: Printing Sustainable E-Textiles

Learn how sustainability, material selection, and NOVA support prototyping e-textiles for wearable electronics and digital health applications. 

<p>Picture this: you're a hardware engineer in R&amp;D at an electronics development company. You’re in rapid-iteration mode: a new board revision came back, the schematic “looks right,” and the team needs proof by noon that the power path is stable and the main control unit boots reliably.</p><h2>A day in the life of a hardware engineer&nbsp;</h2><p>In the morning, your plan is simple: assemble a small set of boards, run bring-up scripts, and walk into a 4 p.m. demo with clean data.</p><p>Instead, the first hours disappear into setup work: sourcing replacement components, reconciling reels with BOM entries, and configuring a pick and place machine designed more for production runs than quick iteration.</p><p>By noon, one board partially powers on, but several questions remain. Is the short caused by a solder paste bridge, a rotated component, or a footprint mismatch?</p><p>At 4 p.m., the team reviews results from a board that passes only part of the test sequence. Another revision is scheduled, because isolating the root cause through manual debugging takes longer than rebuilding the board.</p><p>The next day looks familiar: instead of iterating on the design, much of the effort goes into managing assembly steps, troubleshooting setups, and repeating work that should be consistent from build to build.</p><h3>The pain of prototyping PCBAs, in real practitioners’ words</h3><p>That stagnation is the signature failure mode of PCBA prototyping without tools and workflows built for iteration. As a hardware engineer recently told us,</p><blockquote><em>“By the time we kit up parts for ten boards, ship them to China, have them assembled, and then shipped back to us, it’s six to eight weeks. Because of that, we typically try to do hand assembly on prototype boards as we do new designs. But it’s mind-numbing, repetitive under a microscope, picking up 0402s with tweezers.”</em>—Hardware team lead, Canadian technology company</blockquote><h2>Why PCBA prototyping is uniquely difficult</h2><p>PCBA prototyping amplifies small, ordinary sources of variation because there’s little statistical cushioning and almost no slack time.</p><h3>Smaller batches are less forgiving</h3><p>If you build 5 to 20 boards, a single recurring defect mode, for example insufficient solder on one pad geometry, can wipe out most of the batch. In contrast to production, you can’t always average out process drift with large numbers. Every board represents a larger fraction of your learning budget.</p><h3>High revision frequency</h3><p>Compared to breadboards, PCBA prototypes are harder to modify, are often one-off, and routinely trigger rebuilds rather than clean disassembly and reuse. This is partly because soldering and desoldering are tedious and failure-prone at small geometries.</p><h3>Low margin of error for small passives</h3><p>In general, smaller components can exhibit more severe misalignment under identical printing and placement conditions. For small passives, misalignment and reflow dynamics can produce defects like <a href="https://www.victorypcb.com/news/pcb-tombstone.html">tombstoning</a>, where one end lifts due to unequal wetting forces during reflow.&nbsp;</p><h3>Tools not built for high-mix environments</h3><p>Production SMT tools can be extremely capable in terms of throughput, but they’re optimized for the wrong objective function when the goal is rapid iteration and learning. High-mix environments are known to be changeover-driven, and without proper pick and place solutions that are prototyping-friendly, the process can become riddled with downtime.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Color-coded heatmap of changeover time matrix showing increased changeover time between products as BOM commonality decreases" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b32303d1be636ba67710e6_overcoming-challenges-pcba-prototyping-changeover-time.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Changeover time matrix heatmap showing increased changeover time between products as BOM commonality decreases ©<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5729/10/2/16" target="_blank">Quijano, J.,., et al.,</a><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><h2>Common points of failure in PCBA prototyping</h2><p>The failure modes of prototyping are not mysterious; they cluster at predictable interfaces between design elements, material handling, operator training, and equipment [1].</p><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/69b324c5fa504e4114a96645_Blog_Overcoming%20challenges%20pcba%20prototyping_table%201.txt[/script]</p><h2>Overcoming the challenges in PCBA prototyping</h2><p>A useful mental model is to treat prototyping as a closed-loop control problem: reduce variance, tighten feedback, and make the loop affordable enough to run often.</p><h3>Design right</h3><p>A practical baseline of DFM is to align land patterns and clearances with IPC guidance (<a href="https://datasheet.datasheetarchive.com/originals/crawler/fancort.com/428761382a93d283e0ca120b5c72d850.pdf">IPC-7351</a>), which explicitly covers land pattern geometries and recommendations for adjacent component clearances and related design elements. For hardware engineers, the actionable shift is to treat libraries as controlled assets: version them, approve them, and capture deviations from standards as explicit, reviewable engineering decisions.</p><h3>Assemble right</h3><p>Solder paste issues account for a large portion of defects (about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278612524002115">52%-71%</a>), and rework and repeated reflow cycles can change solder joint microstructure and compromise strength by up to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16124360">20%-35%</a>. It’s therefore important to have an assembly workflow that minimizes variability in the solder paste dispensing, component placement, and reflow process — a prototyping-friendly PCB assembly solution such as <a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=36827299-Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=website&utm_medium=overcoming-challenges-pcba-prototyping&utm_content=Alta">Alta</a>.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Technician wearing gloves manually placing a surface mount component onto a printed circuit board during PCBA prototyping" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b32341fe753ef7e9c74e46_overcoming-challenges-pcba-prototyping-manual-assembly.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Manual assembly of printed circuit boards can introduce uncontrolled errors even if the engineer is skilled</figcaption></figure><p>This means adopting pick and place machines built for agile prototyping, with smart feeders and part handling where possible, automated alignment and solder paste dispensing, and built-in settings that “just work” for repeat builds. This reduces manual handling and associated uncontrolled error, as well as changeovers, downtime, missed deadlines, and escalating costs in prototyping environments [2].</p><h3>Validate right</h3><p>Even with the right tools, defects and design issues are inevitable. What matters is how quickly they are detected and diagnosed. Without a structured inspection and validation strategy, teams often discover problems late in the process, such as during firmware bring-up or system integration, when the root cause becomes harder to isolate.</p><p>A practical validation workflow introduces graduated inspection and testing steps before full functional evaluation. Initial inspection should verify assembly integrity through visual inspection or automated optical inspection (AOI). Once assembly quality is confirmed, boards should move through controlled electrical validation. Establishing this progression reduces the risk of damaging components during first power-up and helps isolate failures more efficiently. Finally, validation results should be documented alongside assembly parameters and design revisions for reference, accelerating subsequent prototype iterations.</p><h2>Accelerating PCBA prototyping</h2><p>With the right processes and tools, prototyping PCBAs should no longer be an ordeal, and hardware engineers certainly don’t have to be disgruntled. If you’d like to measure how your pick and place process is slowing you down, take a look at our blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pick-and-place-machine-helping-holding-back?id=68f004a8a055af8abad0088b#Status_quo:_Why_many_pick_and_place_solutions_fail_to_deliver">Is Your Pick and Place Machine Helping or Holding You Back</a>. If you’re looking to get an idea of what an agile process looks like, check out <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/in-house-pcb-assembly-next-leap-agile-hardware-teams?id=68da9c08af8e2845652230bd#Every_delayed_prototype_is_a_stolen_opportunity">Why In-House PCB Assembly is the Next Leap for Agile Hardware Teams</a>.</p><p>Looking for a pick and place machine built for prototyping? Don’t miss limited priority access to the <a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=36827299-Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=website&utm_medium=overcoming-challenges-pcba-prototyping&utm_content=Alta">Voltera Alta</a>, a pick and place machine integrated with solder paste dispensing to make PCB assembly fast, easy, and enjoyable.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><a><div><img alt="The Vollera Alta pick and place system placing a component on a PCB" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a1de1a8bf3b2d4b359dda93_Alta-pick-and-place-system-priority-access.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div></a><figcaption><a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=36827299-Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=website&utm_medium=overcoming-challenges-pcba-prototyping&utm_content=Alta">Get limited priority access to Alta with 30% off</a></figcaption></figure><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Coombs, C., &amp; Holden H. (2016). <a href="https://www.mheducation.com/highered/mhp/product/printed-circuits-handbook-seventh-edition.html?viewOption=student" target="_blank"><em>Printed Circuits Handbook</em>, <em>Seventh Edition</em></a>. McGraw-Hill Education.</p><p>[2] Quijano, J., Torres Cruz, N., Quijano-Quian, L., Poblano-Ojinaga, E. R., &amp; Noriega Morales, S. A. (2025). Data-Driven Scheduling Optimization for SMT Lines Using SMD Reel Commonality. <em>Data</em>, 10(2), 16. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/data10020016" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/data10020016</a>.</p>

Overcoming Challenges of PCBA Prototyping

Learn the biggest challenges in PCBA prototyping and how engineers can reduce assembly errors, improve validation workflows, and accelerate iteration.

<p>In this webinar, <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nathanshinkar">Nathan Shinkar</a>, our Support Lead, talked about how to speed up electronics development by bringing PCB prototyping in-house with the <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/v-one">V-One PCB printer</a>. He walked through the full workflow, from setting up design rules in KiCad to printing conductive traces, dispensing solder paste, reflowing components, and validating a working prototype in the same session.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlesIaZYaWk"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UlesIaZYaWk" title="Webinar: From Weeks to Hours - How to Speed Up Your Electronics Development" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2><strong>Webinar highlights</strong></h2><h3>V-One as a complete PCB prototyping tool</h3><p>Nathan opened with an overview of V-One and how it supports a complete PCB prototyping workflow on a desktop. He explained that V-One combines conductive ink printing, stencil-free solder paste dispensing, built-in reflow, and drilling for through holes and vias, making it possible to move from design to a functional prototype much faster while minimizing material waste and simplifying rework.</p><h3>Preparing a design in KiCad</h3><p>To show the workflow in practice, Nathan used a rear-facing bike light project. He began in KiCad, where he reviewed how to configure design rules so the board layout matches V-One’s capabilities. He highlighted the importance of setting minimum trace widths, clearances, via dimensions, and predefined track widths before running a design rule check and exporting Gerber and drill files.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="KiCad design file for a rear-facing bike light circuit with labeled traces, LEDs, resistor footprints, and a 555 timer layout for V-One PCB prototyping" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69d53d33dd73418ae2cf83f9_speed-up-electronics-development-design-file.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>The KiCad design file</figcaption></figure><h3>Setting up the print in V-One software</h3><p>He then imported those files into V-One’s software and walked through the print setup. That included selecting the ink, loading the circuit and drill files, positioning the design on the substrate, and generating a height map so the dispenser could accurately follow the board surface. He also demonstrated how the software helps users catch errors, fine-tune print alignment, and adjust print settings before starting a run.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Voltera V-One printing conductive ink traces for a bike light PCB design on a clamped substrate during the webinar" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69d53d569e004a2e44aac40c_speed-up-electronics-development-dispensing-ink.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>V-One printing the design</figcaption></figure><h3>From live printing to prototype validation</h3><p>The live demo continued with assembling and priming the dispenser, calibrating ink flow, and printing the bike light circuit. Nathan pointed out that users can inspect results as they go, pause if needed, and even rework only a specific section instead of reprinting the entire board. This means users can make multiple iterations within a day with V-One. After curing and assembly, he showed the fully working prototype with blinking LEDs, then shared several next-step ideas for improving the design, including changing the LED color, adjusting the resistor value to alter the flash speed, and converting the layout into a two-sided board for a slimmer form factor.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>Live Q&amp;A</strong></h2><p><strong>Q</strong>: Have you ever experienced oxidation of your conductive traces since they are silver-based? Is there any conductive ink alternative?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Slight oxidation can appear over time at the trace edges, but in our experience, it has not caused major issues. The resin in the ink helps protect the printed traces. For V-One, we currently support one compatible conductive ink, though many other conductive inks exist for broader materials dispensing applications.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: How thick are the traces once printed and cured? Is it possible to double up traces for increased thickness and better current handling?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Cured traces are typically around 20-30 µm thick. The simplest way to improve current handling is to design wider traces. Stacking layers may be possible, but it would require some experimentation and careful probing.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Does V-One apply solder for surface mount components?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Yes. V-One can dispense solder paste for surface mount devices, and the finished bike light shown in the webinar used SMD components placed by hand and reflowed on V-One itself.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: How does reflow work on V-One?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: The reflow workflow is very similar to the print workflow shown in the demo. The main difference is the alignment step, where users align to specific points on the printed board rather than simply positioning the design on a blank substrate.</p><h2><strong>Additional resources</strong></h2><p>Interested in more electronics projects completed with the V-One PCB printer? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/dispensing-solder-paste-factory-fabricated-pcbs">Dispensing Solder Paste on Factory-Fabricated PCBs</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-control-board-line-following-robot-silver-ink-fr1">Printing a Control Board for a Line Following Robot with Silver Ink on FR1</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-decimal-counter-circuit-silver-conductive-ink-fr1">Printing a Decimal Counter Circuit with Silver Conductive Ink on FR1</a></li></ul><p>Looking for tools for prototyping PCB boards? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=webinar-recap-speed-up-electronics-development-v-one&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p>

Webinar Recap: Speed Up Your Electronics Development with V-One

In this webinar, we used the V-One PCB printer to print and validate a PCB design in one workflow, from a KiCad design file to a functional PCB prototype.

Webinar Recap: Speed Up Your Electronics Development From Weeks to Hours

<p>Printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) manufacturing is a core pillar of hardware development as it converts circuit designs into working products and connects every stage from pilot builds to mass production. For new product introduction (NPI), whether producing small pilot runs or scaling to volume, PCBA manufacturing directly affects product quality, reliability, cost, and ultimately the success of a product launch.</p><h2>What is PCBA manufacturing</h2><p>PCBA manufacturing is the controlled conversion of a <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/design-printed-circuit-board-pcb">PCB design</a> into a repeatable, testable, shippable electronic subassembly by integrating materials (board and components), soldering processes (primarily surface mount technology/SMT). Inspection and testing gates then determine yield, reliability, compliance, and ramp speed [1].</p><h3>Stages of PCBA manufacturing</h3><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/699ca325ff046fa5ca610de4_Blog_PCBA%20manufacturing%20explained_table%201.txt[/script]</p><p>Adapted from “SMT production process” © <a href="https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1009-0134.2025.07.016" target="_blank">Lu, S., et., al</a></p><h2>Industry trends in PCBA manufacturing</h2><p>According to <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5851191/surface-mount-technology-market-report">research and market’s 2026 report</a>, the SMT market is projected to expand significantly, reaching approximately $9.56 billion USD by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5%. Key shifts shaping PCBA manufacturing include component miniaturization, increased reliance on automated inspection, and supply-chain volatility.</p><h3>Component miniaturization</h3><p>As wearables, consumer electronics, and medical devices become more lightweight and compact, they require smaller components and more integrated designs, which directly drives smaller SMD packages and higher density layouts. From fine-pitch quad-flat no-leads (QFN) to solderless micro ball grid arrays (BGA), these components create reliability risks such as electromigration and thermomigration [2].&nbsp;</p><p>This doesn’t mean, however, that the companies that shrink fastest will be the ones that succeed. Instead, companies that succeed are the ones that manage risk holistically through design for manufacturability, materials reliability strategies, and robust inspection and testing programs [3].</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="AI-assisted inspection workflow in SMT production. From left to right: surface-mounted technology soldering, automated optical inspection, AI, manual inspection, further process steps" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/699ca3677a955b78965f2b83_pcba-manufacturing-ai-integrated-inspection.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>SMT production scenario with an AI-assisted inspection decision gate © <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2024.110110" target="_blank">Pfab, K., et al.</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><h3>Machine and deep learning for automated optical inspection</h3><p>Automated optical inspection (AOI) is now standard across SMT production, yet its effectiveness is constrained by false calls that require manual review. One study [4] found that among AOI-flagged samples routed to manual inspection, false calls vastly outnumbered real defects (435,652 false calls vs. 4,622 true defects over 132 days). This demonstrates how AOI thresholding and decision logic can become a throughput constraint in practice.&nbsp;</p><p>Deep learning-based inspection systems are emerging to address this imbalance. Recent work demonstrates that AI-driven solder-joint detection can significantly reduce false positives and improve consistency in identifying subtle defects, enabling inspection to shift from rule-based filtering toward data-driven decision support [5].</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Automated optical inspection of a printed circuit board (PCB) in high-tech electronics manufacturing process, with the PCB under red light" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69c57bb88a1f99382603f336_pcba-manufacturing-automatic-optical-inspection-pcb.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Automatic optical inspection of a printed circuit board (PCB)</figcaption></figure><h3>Supply chain risks</h3><p>The SMD components supply chain is vulnerable to disruptions from geopolitics, natural disasters, IP risks, and demand spikes. For example, the median inventory for key semiconductors in the US fell from <a href="https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2022/01/results-semiconductor-supply-chain-request-information" target="_blank">40 days (2019) to 5 days (2021)</a> while median demand was 17% higher. Chip shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic was estimated to have cost the global economy <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360835225006643" target="_blank">$240 billion</a>.The supply chain vulnerability continued in the post-pandemic era, with components like memory chips still facing <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/26/memory-chip-shortage-synopsys-lenovo-ai-data-centers.html" target="_blank">significant shortage</a>, stretching into 2027.&nbsp;</p><p>In response, governments and industry have accelerated reshoring efforts. In the U.S., for example, the CHIPS and Science Act represents a major policy push to expand domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity and reduce reliance on overseas fabrication. While there have been lots of talks of reshoring, full localization is constrained by major barriers, such as high capital requirements, limited technical capacity, and long timelines to build fabrication infrastructure [6]. In practice, “regionalization” can be more realistic than full reshoring in high-specialization ecosystems, even after disruption events [7]. This means designing manufacturing packages (BOM alternates, process windows, inspection recipes) to be portable across regions and contract manufacturers, rather than deeply coupling to a single site’s tacit knowledge.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>PCBA manufacturing sits at the intersection of design, materials, process engineering, and supply-chain strategy. As electronics become more compact and complex, success depends on process control, inspection maturity, and resilient sourcing strategies. Teams that embed manufacturability and inspection early in NPI with reliable pick and place and solder paste dispensing solutions are better positioned to scale from pilot builds to volume production while maintaining yield, reliability, and schedule certainty.</p><p>Looking for a pick and place machine built for prototyping? Don’t miss limited priority access to the <a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=pcba-manufacturing-explained&utm_content=voltera-alta">Voltera Alta</a>, a pick and place machine integrated with solder paste dispensing to make PCB assembly fast, easy, and enjoyable.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><a><div><img alt="The Vollera Alta pick and place system placing a component on a PCB" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a1de1a8bf3b2d4b359dda93_Alta-pick-and-place-system-priority-access.webp" loading="lazy"></div></a><figcaption><a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=pcba-manufacturing-explained&utm_content=voltera-alta">Get limited priority access to Alta with 30% off</a></figcaption></figure><p>Want to learn more about PCBA manufacturing? Check out the following blogs:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pcba-guide-pick-place-options">What is PCBA? A Guide to Pick and Place Options</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/surface-mount-devices-smd-components">What Are Surface Mount Devices (SMD) Components?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/design-printed-circuit-board-pcb">How to Design a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)</a></li></ul><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Petkov, N., &amp; Ivanova, M. (2024). Printed circuit board and printed circuit board assembly methods for testing and visual inspection: a review. <em>Bulletin of Electrical Engineering and Informatics</em>, 13(4), 2566–2585. <a href="https://doi.org/10.11591/eei.v13i4.7601" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.11591/eei.v13i4.7601</a>.</p><p>[2] Zhang, P., Xue, S., &amp; Wang, J. (2020). New challenges of miniaturization of electronic devices: Electromigration and thermomigration in lead-free solder joints. <em>Materials &amp; Design</em>, 192, 108726. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2020.108726" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2020.108726</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[3] Bender, E., Bernstein, J. B., &amp; Boning, D. S. (2024). Modern Trends in Microelectronics Packaging Reliability Testing. <em>Micromachines</em>, 15(3), 398–398. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15030398" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15030398</a>.</p><p>[4] Pfab, K., Eichler, R., Mallandur, A., &amp; Rothering, M. (2024). Data of automated optical inspection of surface-mounted technology electronic production. <em>Data in Brief</em>, 53, 110110. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2024.110110" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2024.110110</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[5] Iñigo Mendizabal-Arrieta, Álvarez, H., Aguinaga, D., Pellicer, A., Sánchez, J. R., &amp; Torres, F. (2025). Deep learning-based solder joint defect detector. <em>The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology</em>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-025-15460-8" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-025-15460-8</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[6] Sergiu Metgher. (2025). Strategic Resilience and Reshoring: Reconfiguring Semiconductor Supply Chains in an Era of Global Disruptions. <em>Emerging Frontiers Library for the American Journal of Engineering and Technology</em>, 7(11), 232–238. <a href="https://emergingsociety.org/index.php/efltajet/article/view/577" target="_blank">https://emergingsociety.org/index.php/efltajet/article/view/577</a>.</p><p>[7] Kamakura, N. (2022). From globalising to regionalising to reshoring value chains? The case of Japan’s semiconductor industry. <em>Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society</em>, 15(2). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsac010" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsac010</a>.</p>

PCBA Manufacturing Explained: Challenges and Opportunities

Learn about PCBA manufacturing for NPI teams and hardware developers, covering PCBA manufacturing stages, challenges, and the importance of inspection.

PCBA Manufacturing: Stages, Challenges, and Opportunities

A practical guide to PCBA manufacturing, covering stages, key risks, AOI advances, and supply-chain considerations for NPI teams and hardware developers.

<p>Most teams evaluating a pick and place (PnP) machine default to two familiar comparisons: the sticker price of similar PnP machines and the per-board cost of outsourcing.&nbsp;</p><p>These benchmarks feel logical because they are easy to quantify, easy to justify, and easy to present in a budget conversation. But they are also the main reasons hardware teams dramatically underestimate both the <em>hidden cost</em> of their current workflows and the <em>actual return</em> of bringing assembly in-house.</p><h2>Dispel the iceberg illusion</h2><p>To understand the real economics of a pick and place machine, teams need a different mentality that captures both the <em>direct </em>and <em>indirect </em>impact a machine has on product development, engineering velocity, and the predictability of your pipeline.&nbsp;</p><p>This is where the concept of <strong>total cost of ownership (TCO)</strong> becomes essential. TCO is a financial estimate that accounts for all costs associated with the purchase, operation, and maintenance of a product or service across its lifecycle.&nbsp;</p><p>Visually, TCO is often represented by the iceberg analogy: the initial purchase price is the visible tip above the water, which most decision-makers focus on. However, this is only a small fraction of the true cost. The far more significant and frequently undermeasured hidden costs are the unseen underwater mass that determines the real financial impact over the long run.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt=" Iceberg illustration showing total cost of ownership, with the small visible purchase price above water and the larger hidden costs below." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6931ab749b2c1a5448fd6d26_illustration-iceberg-total-cost-ownership.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>TCO iceberg. Source: <a href="https://medium.com/procurement-and-supply-chain/tco-is-not-a-buzzword-how-to-actually-calculate-total-cost-of-ownership-bc032500ceae">The “Priceberg” Illusion</a></figcaption></figure><p>Recognizing TCO in the purchase evaluation ensures a complete view of costs, forming the basis for the real ROI framework for a pick and place machine:&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Real ROI = (time-to-market advantage × uptime × reliability) ÷ total cost of ownership</strong></p><p>This is not<strong> </strong>a literal equation, but a conceptual map. It reflects a simple truth:<br><strong>These forces multiply one another. A weakness in any one of them drags the entire system down.</strong></p><ul><li>A “fast” machine with poor reliability, producing faulty assemblies, delays.</li><li>A “cheap” machine with low usability stays idle and becomes expensive over time.</li><li>A machine with high “uptime” but no impact on iteration speed cannot accelerate development.</li></ul><p>Once teams internalize this model, the flaws in the common sticker-price and outsourcing comparisons become clear.</p><blockquote>Discover how Voltera is transforming PCB assembly with <a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-place-eeu-1?utm_campaign=36827299-Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=roi-pick-place-machine&utm_content=Alta%20EEU">Alta</a>, our new desktop pick and place machine designed to streamline in-house prototyping.</blockquote><h2>Why traditional comparisons fail</h2><h3>1. Sticker price vs. similar machines</h3><p>A several-thousand-dollar difference between comparable pick and place machines feels meaningful, but sticker price reveals nothing about the machine’s true usable output.</p><p>Lower-cost machines often bring higher setup friction, steeper learning curves, ambiguous workflows, and more downtime. Over the machine’s life, these frictions compound into lower utilization, unpredictable throughput, and a much higher amortized cost per board.</p><p>Sticker price is not cost. Sticker price is an invoice. Total cost of ownership (TCO) is the real cost.</p><h3>2. Cost-per-board vs. outsourcing</h3><p>Teams frequently reduce the ROI question to: <em>“If outsourcing costs $10 a board, how many do we need to build internally to justify a PnP machine?”</em></p><p>On paper, this looks tidy. In practice, it ignores the dominant cost driver in hardware development: time.</p><p>Outsourcing introduces delays in communication, sourcing part supplies, shipping, and rework. Every delayed prototype stalls debugging, learning, and validation. Eventually, the ripple effect delays time to market. In agile hardware development, the cost of waiting is always higher than the cost of the invoice.</p><p>This brings us to the first multiplier in the ROI framework.</p><h2>Time-to-market: The primary ROI multiplier</h2><p>Time is the hidden currency in hardware development. Every delay in prototype turns, validation cycles, pilot builds, or field deployment directly shrinks a product’s revenue window. <a href="https://hbr.org/1991/01/the-return-map-tracking-product-teams">McKinsey’s research </a>suggests that missing your launch window by just six months can wipe out a third of a product’s total potential profit.</p><p>This is the real cost of outsourcing builds or waiting for a complex machine to be set up properly.</p><p>In-house PCBA compresses iteration cycles from weeks to hours. Engineers can place, reflow, inspect, and optimize boards multiple times in a single day. Therefore, issues are discovered earlier, schedules stabilize, and risk decreases.&nbsp;</p><p>Our blog<a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/in-house-pcb-assembly-next-leap-agile-hardware-teams?id=68da9c08af8e2845652230bd"> <em>Why In-House PCB Assembly is the Next Leap for Agile Hardware Teams </em></a>explores how board assembly decisions affect your time-to-market, which is the foundation of ROI thinking for modern hardware teams.</p><h2>Usability drives uptime, uptime drives ROI</h2><p>A pick and place machine does not generate value when it sits idle. And most idle machines aren’t idle because “there was no work to do”. In fact, they’re idle because the friction to use them is too high. In other words, they are not designed for <strong>usability</strong>.&nbsp;</p><p>Machines with unclear workflows, ambiguous job setup, and long changeover times push teams back toward manual placement or outsourcing. Even if a machine is theoretically fast, low usability means low utilization, and therefore low ROI.</p><p>This is why usability is not a “feature,” but an uptime engine. Conversely, machines with:</p><ul><li>Self-contained software and built-in workflow instructions&nbsp;</li><li>Automatic board alignment that identifies location and orientation</li><li>Component loading that requires minimal user intervention</li><li>No manual setup for pick and place height, offset or rotation</li><li>Fast job setup and minimal maintenance required&nbsp;</li></ul><p>generate more <em>usable hours</em> per month.</p><p>From our market research, a prototyping engineer at a product design firm told us:</p><blockquote><em>"Every board we build is different. 80% of the components are unique to that specific build, so the machine preparation and switch-overs easily drain a day." </em>—Andre Van Rensburg, Engineer, M3SH Technology </blockquote><p>Industry commentary, including 2025 perspectives from <a href="https://iconnect007.com/article/146457/smart-automation-pickandplace-machines-what-matters-in-2025/146454">I-Connect007</a>, emphasizes exactly that in high-mix environments, changeover time, feeder setup, machine uptime, and software usability often impact overall output more than raw placement speed CPH.<em>&nbsp;</em></p><p>A machine’s ROI is driven by how often it’s used, not how fast it appears on paper.&nbsp;</p><h2>Reliability: The hidden ROI multiplier</h2><p>The final multiplier is reliability, a machine being accurate and repeatable. Every failed board is more than a wasted PCB but a lost opportunity for iteration and optimization: it delays testing, derails debugging, wastes engineering time, undermines schedule predictability, and creates excessive reworks that inflate true cost.</p><p>Vendors focus on repeatability and placement accuracy in spec sheets, but machine reliability is a complex metric determined by many factors:</p><ul><li>Is the vision system advanced enough for the minimum component size claimed?</li><li>Can it detect assembly defects and provide instructions to fix them?</li><li>Does it automatically detect Z-height and adjust placement depth?</li><li>Is the equipment from an established manufacturer with proven hardware quality?</li></ul><p>A long list of technical questions remains. To gain insight beyond the specifications, reviewing user demos from public sources, such as YouTube, is critical. True reliability is only determined in real-use scenarios.</p><p>Reliable performance reduces your TCO, amplifies ROI by enabling stable, predictable iteration cycles. This principle connects directly to<em> </em><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pcba-guide-pick-place-options?id=68cb1fe64e49257855c7e259"><em>What is PCBA</em>,</a> where we emphasize that repeatability is a core economic driver for in-house assembly.</p><h2>Bringing it all together</h2><p>Sticker price and cost-per-board calculations are convenient, but incomplete. The real economic impact of a PnP machine emerges only when teams view it through the full ROI framework:</p><p><strong>Real ROI = (time-to-market advantage × uptime × reliability) ÷ TCO</strong></p><p>This framework helps teams answer better questions:</p><ul><li>Does the machine meaningfully accelerate iteration cycles?</li><li>Will our team actually use it every week?</li><li>Can it deliver consistent results that reduce rework?</li><li>How much downtime, retraining, or friction does the machine introduce?</li><li>What is its real cost over years, not just on day one?</li></ul><p>When selecting a pick and place machine, look beyond sticker prices and outsourcing quotes. Evaluate how time-to-market, uptime, and reliability interact to shape long-term economic performance. These three forces dictate whether a machine becomes a boost or a bottleneck.</p><p>Interested in learning more about PCB assembly? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Blogs:&nbsp; <br><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/surface-mount-devices-smd-components?id=69441f123e7f37afaf3f656c">What Are Surface Mount Devices (SMD) Components?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pick-and-place-machine-revolutionizes-pcb-assembly?id=692e0e9e067428cb7efeb7ea">How a Pick and Place Machine Revolutionizes PCB Assembly</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pcba-guide-pick-place-options?id=68cb1fe64e49257855c7e259">What is PCBA? A Guide to Pick and Place Options</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/in-house-pcb-assembly-next-leap-agile-hardware-teams?id=68da9c08af8e2845652230bd">Why In-House PCB Assembly is the Next Leap for Agile Hardware Teams</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pick-and-place-machine-helping-holding-back?id=68f004a8a055af8abad0088b">Is Your Pick and Place Machine Helping or Holding You Back?</a></li></ul></li></ul><p>Discover how Voltera is transforming PCB assembly with <a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-lla?utm_campaign=36827299-Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=roi-pick-place-machine&utm_content=Alta%20LLA">Voltera Alta</a>, our new desktop pick and place machine designed to streamline in-house prototyping.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="The Vollera Alta pick and place system placing a component on a PCB" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a1de1a8bf3b2d4b359dda93_Alta-pick-and-place-system-priority-access.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-lla?utm_campaign=36827299-Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=roi-pick-place-machine&utm_content=Alta%20LLA">Get limited priority access to Alta with 30% off</a></figcaption></figure>

The Real ROI of a Pick and Place Machine

Learn the true economics of a pick and place machine. See how time-to-market, uptime, and reliability drive ROI for fast in-house PCB assembly.

Discover the real ROI of pick and place machines by looking beyond sticker price. Learn how uptime, reliability, and iteration speed reshape PCBA economics.

<p>Electronics manufacturing has undergone a dramatic shift: from slow, manual through-hole assembly to the speed and precision of surface mount technology (SMT). Instead of inserting leads through drilled holes, SMT places components directly onto surfaces of printed circuit boards (PCBs) using solder paste, automated pick and place equipment, and reflow soldering [1].</p><p>This shift aligns with the rise of Industry 4.0, where flexibility, automation, and data-driven optimization define the next generation of PCB assembly lines [2]. In this environment, surface-mount devices (SMDs) have become the standard. These components, which fall into passive and active categories, form the basis of nearly every modern circuit.</p><h2>Passive SMD components</h2><p>Passive SMD components form the foundational building blocks of electronic circuits, providing essential behaviors such as resistance, capacitance, and inductance for printed circuit boards. They are generally two-terminal devices in standardized rectangular or cylindrical packages.</p><h3>SMD resistors</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69c57fc6198a6be62351606d_surface-mount-devices-smd-components-resistors.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>SMD resistors of various package sizes</figcaption></figure><p>SMD resistors provide precise resistance to control currents, divide voltages, or pull signals to logic levels. They are used in virtually every circuit for biasing transistors, setting gains of amplifiers, limiting LED current, termination of transmission lines, etc. SMD resistors come in standardized rectangular chip sizes, typically designated by a code for their dimensions.</p><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/69440fdb7560947177313a6f_Blog_SMD%20Components_table%201%20-%20Copy.txt[/script]</p><h3>SMD capacitors</h3><p>SMD capacitors store and release energy, filter noise, and stabilize voltages in circuits. They are used for power supply decoupling (smoothing out voltage rails), signal coupling/decoupling in analog circuits, timing elements, and frequency-dependent filters. Like resistors, SMD capacitors come in standardized chip sizes (0402, 0603, etc.) for ceramics, and slightly <a href="https://www.jauch.com/downloadfile/58afeb6ae19c3_995ad5b803297b0c094c/ntps.pdf" target="_blank">different case codes for tantalum/polymer</a>.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Group of SMD ceramic capacitors in various small rectangular packages scattered across a blue surface" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69c57fe78bea5b9f275ef4a5_surface-mount-devices-smd-components-capacitors.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>SMD ceramic capacitors</figcaption></figure><h3>SMD inductors</h3><p>Inductors in SMD form are used in power conversion, signal filtering, and in RF circuits. They store energy in a magnetic field and resist changes in current. SMD inductors use the same standardized physical size codes as resistors and capacitors. However, <a href="https://www.doeeet.com/content/eee-components/passive-components/smd-inductors-in-modern-electronics/" target="_blank">different construction types (e.g., wire-wound vs. multilayer) within the same size are not always interchangeable</a> for all applications.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Power SMD air coil inductor for high power electronics isolated on the white background" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/695e8bea13b933f5017b2542_surface-mount-devices-smd-components-inductors.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>SMD inductors</figcaption></figure><h2>Active SMD components</h2><p>While passive SMD components don’t provide gain or require a separate power rail to perform their basic function, active components require an external power source to operate and can control or amplify electrical signals. They are also widely available in SMD packages, but unlike passives, many active devices have leads or balls and require careful attention to the assembly processes.</p><h3>SMD diodes</h3><p>SMD diodes include signal diodes, power rectifier diodes, Zener diodes, Schottky diodes, and transient voltage suppressors. Their usage ranges from steering currents and protecting circuits to rectifying AC to DC. Many diodes are two-terminal devices and thus come in very compact SMD packages. Common SMD diode package families include small outline diodes <a href="https://www.hnhcart.com/blogs/active-components/different-packages-of-diodes" target="_blank">(SOD)-123, SOD-323, and SOD-523</a>.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/698a2595205c534c34ee1bc2_surface-mount-devices-smd-components-diodes.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>SMD diodes</figcaption></figure><h3>SMD transistors</h3><p>Transistors are active devices used for switching and amplification. In SMD form, they range from tiny general-purpose transistors for logic-level switching or analog amplification, up to power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET) that handle tens of amperes in DC-DC converters or motor drivers. The function of the transistor doesn’t change with packaging, but the package influences how much power it can handle and the switching speed. Common SMD transistor packages include small outline transistors <a href="https://www.anypcba.com/blogs/electronic-component-knowledge/smd-transistors-a-comprehensive-guide-to-identification-selection-and-application.html" target="_blank">(SOT)-23, SOT-223, SOT-323</a> etc.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Small SMD transistor in a three-pin package isolated on a white background" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/695e8c25402729974f112726_surface-mount-devices-smd-components-transistors.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>SMT transistor</figcaption></figure><h3>Integrated circuits (ICs)&nbsp;</h3><p>While discrete devices like diodes and transistors perform individual functions, modern electronics increasingly depend on highly integrated devices that combine many of these functions into a single package. These are known as integrated circuits (ICs). Integrated circuits are miniaturized electronic circuits fabricated onto a single piece of semiconductor material (usually silicon) that contain multiple interconnected components such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, and diodes. They come in a wide variety of SMD packages, including:</p><ul><li>Small outline IC (SOIC)&nbsp;</li><li>Thin shrink small outline package (TSSOP)</li><li>Quad flat pack (QFP)</li><li>Quad flat no-lead (QFN)</li><li>Ball grid array (BGA)</li></ul><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Small surface-mount integrated circuits scattered on a white background, with tweezers holding a tiny chip" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/695e8c44cf159e399670c4e9_surface-mount-devices-smd-components-ics.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>SMD ICs</figcaption></figure><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>As SMT assembly continues to advance alongside Industry 4.0 initiatives, component packages are becoming finer-pitch, higher-density, and more integrated. These trends enable even more compact, customizable, and sophisticated electronic systems.</p><p>If you’re interested in learning more about SMT assembly, check out the following resources:</p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/in-house-pcb-assembly-next-leap-agile-hardware-teams">Why In-House PCB Assembly is the Next Leap for Agile Hardware Teams</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pick-and-place-machine-revolutionizes-pcb-assembly">How pick and place machines revolutionize automated PCB assembly</a></li><li>Application overview: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/solder-paste-printing">High-precision solder paste dispensing for PCB prototyping and electronics development</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul><p>Looking for a pick and place machine built for prototyping? Don’t miss limited priority access to the <a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=smd-components&utm_content=voltera-alta">Voltera Alta</a>, a pick and place machine integrated with solder paste dispensing to make PCB assembly fast, easy, and enjoyable.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="The Vollera Alta pick and place system placing a component on a PCB" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a1de1a8bf3b2d4b359dda93_Alta-pick-and-place-system-priority-access.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=smd-components&utm_content=voltera-alta">Get limited priority access to Alta with 30% off</a></figcaption></figure><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Liu, S., Yan, Y., Zhou, Y., Han, B., Wang, B., Zhang, D., Xue, S., Wang, Z., Yu, K., Shi, Y., &amp; Wang, C. (2022). Thermal Induced Interface Mechanical Response Analysis of SMT Lead-Free Solder Joint and Its Adaptive Optimization. <em>Micromachines</em>, 13(6), 908. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13060908" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13060908</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[2] Tian, W., Ding, Y., Du, X., Li, K., Wang, Z., Wang, C., Deng, C., &amp; Liao, W. (2023). A Review of Intelligent Assembly Technology of Small Electronic Equipment. Micromachines, 14(6), 1126. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14061126" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14061126</a>.&nbsp;</p>

What Are Surface Mount Devices (SMD) Components?

Learn the basics of SMD components in SMT assembly, from passive and active SMD components to modern packaging trends shaping electronics manufacturing.

<p>If you or your team have ever had to hand-assemble a batch of printed circuit boards (PCBs), you’ve probably felt the pain of attaching quad-flat no-leads (QFN) components with hidden underside contacts or wrestling with a tiny 0402 capacitor that slides around in solder paste like it has a mind of its own. It’s a battle. By the time you reach your third or fourth board, the sun has set, your hands are shaky, and your eyes are starting to blur.</p><p>The frustration only grows when you’re in a pinch and need to rework a few components after the solder paste has dried — a task that feels like performing microsurgery with a pair of tweezers. At that point, you’re probably dreaming about having a pick and place machine right on your desk.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Close-up of a technician's hands soldering an IC in a plastic leaded chip carrier (PLCC) package to the circuit board of an electronic device" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6980f7bbaa933f2eb38d1186_pick-and-place-machines-mannual-soldering.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Manual soldering of an integrated circuit (IC)</figcaption></figure><h2>What is automated PCB assembly</h2><p>Automated PCB assembly (PCBA) is the coordinated use of multiple mechanized systems to build electronic boards. Solder paste is first applied using a dedicated solder paste printer or dispenser, components are then placed with a pick and place machine, also known as P&amp;P machines or surface mount technology (SMT) machines, and finally the assemblies are reflowed in a dedicated oven.</p><h2>How do pick and place machines work</h2><p>A pick and place machine is a specialized robotic system used in PCB assembly to automatically pick up electronic components and accurately place them onto the board’s surface. In SMT assembly, the pick and place machine is the workhorse that populates the PCB with SMD components (chips, resistors, capacitors, etc.) following the PCB design file.&nbsp;</p><p>These machines load components of various types of packaging (e.g., tape, sticks, and trays) from a feeder system, and then manipulate them into the correct orientation before placing them onto the PCB’s solder paste-coated pads [1]. This automated pick and place process is far more precise and repeatable in placing surface mount devices (SMDs) and through-hole components on circuit boards, compared to manual PCB assembly, which is far slower and prone to errors.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Detailed view of tape feeders of an SMT pick and place machine during assembly in a manufacturing facility" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6980f7eb83e475bb0afe92a2_pick-and-place-machines-tape-feeders.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Tape feeders of a pick and place machine</figcaption></figure><h2>Types of pick and place machines</h2><p>Depending on their intended use cases (i.e., PCBA prototyping vs mass production), pick and place machines can be broadly categorized into two types: desktop and industrial pick and place systems.</p><h3>Desktop pick and place systems&nbsp;</h3><p>Pick and place machines designed for low-volume assembly and prototyping fit easily on a workbench and require minimal facility infrastructure compared to factory-grade equipment.&nbsp;</p><p>They prioritize flexibility and ease of use over raw speed or advanced automation.&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Throughput: The placement speeds of desktop pick and place machines are usually modest, typically on the order of <a href="https://apolloautomation.com/blogs/news/procuring-a-small-pick-and-place-machine" target="_blank">250-2,500</a> components per hour (CPH). This throughput is sufficient for prototype runs and small batches but is slower than the rates of mass-production equipment.&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Component types: Many desktop pick and place machines can reliably place common SMD components down to sizes like 0603 (1005 metric) or 0402 (1608 metric) using basic vision alignment cameras. However, extremely fine-pitch integrated circuits (ICs), very tiny parts, and large and heavy components remain challenging.</li><li>Feeder type: Desktop pick and place machines support a limited number of component feeders (often on the order of only a few dozen tape reels maximum), so assembling a board with many unique parts may require frequent feeder swaps or manual component placement.</li></ul><p>In summary, the key advantage of desktop pick and place machines is quick turnaround and iterative development capability at low cost. Assembling boards in-house with these tools can save engineers weeks of time compared to hand placement or waiting on an external assembly service.</p><h3>Industrial pick and place systems</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt=" An automatic SMD pick and place machine in operation for assembly of computer circuit boards in a factory" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/692e0d01723a555062d49f5e_pick-and-place-machines-industrial-system.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>An industrial pick and place machine</figcaption></figure><p>Pick and place machines designed for large-scale manufacturing are usually integrated into automated production lines via conveyor belts that transport PCB panels in and out, synchronizing with solder paste printers and reflow ovens [1]. Their high output justifies the investment, which starts in the <a href="https://www.itechsmt.com/blogs/news/whats-the-pick-and-place-machine-cost">tens of thousands of dollars and ranges up to several hundred thousand dollars</a> for a single machine.&nbsp;</p><p>Their capabilities are geared toward efficiency and reliability in mass production.</p><ul><li>Throughput: Industrial pick and place machines can mount components at rates of tens of thousands of components per hour. Some can reach even higher speeds, sometimes on the order of <a href="https://tapesplice.com/speed-precision-perfection-the-5-best-smt-pick-and-place-machines/">50,000-80,000 CPH</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>Component types: They can handle an extremely wide range of component sizes, from <a href="https://www.manncorp.com/products/mc889-smt-pick-place-machine">01005 chips, µBGAs, and fine-pitch QFPs</a> to large connectors, with high precision.</li><li>Feeder type: Feeder systems on high-end industrial pick and place machines are intelligent and designed for quick changeover, allowing operators to load/unload reels or trays rapidly and minimizing downtime.</li></ul><p>The industrial pick and place systems excel at running long production runs with minimal errors, drastically reducing the assembly cost per board at scale. The trade-off, however, is the high upfront cost and setup complexity.</p><h2>Automating PCB assembly with pick and place machines</h2><p>Pick and place machines have fundamentally transformed PCB assembly in several dimensions.</p><h3>More complex and high-density designs</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="a tiny 0402 surface mount technology (SMT) resistor on finger" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6980f83a014c548953960f5b_pick-and-place-machines-0402-resistor.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>0402 (1005 metric) SMT resistor on finger</figcaption></figure><p>Since placement robots can handle tiny SMD packages and densely packed layouts, PCB designers are less constrained by what a human can assemble. We now routinely see boards packed with hundreds of components, including microprocessors in fine-pitch ball grid arrays (BGAs), 0402-size passives, and ICs mounted on both sides of a board.</p><h3>Higher throughput</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6980f86098338d0fb8273d85_pick-and-place-machines-SMT-capacitors.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>SMT capacitors</figcaption></figure><p>Whether desktop or industrial, P&amp;P machines allowed the industry to scale output both during prototyping and manufacturing stage to levels that human labor could not match. The consistent speed of pick and place automation has driven down costs of developing electronics, turning once expensive smartphones, computers, and appliances into affordable commodities.</p><h3>Higher quality and reliability</h3><p>The precision of pick and place robotics has raised the quality bar for PCB assemblies. Machines place components with micrometer accuracy and repeatability, reducing the occurrence of misaligned parts and soldering mistakes common in manual assembly. This has led to better yields and more reliable electronics.&nbsp;</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Regardless of the stage you’re in, automated PCB assembly offers critical advantages that saves tremendous time and trouble. If you’re interested in learning more about SMT P&amp;P machines, check out the following resources:</p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pick-and-place-machine-helping-holding-back">Is Your Pick and Place Machine Helping or Holding You Back?</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pcba-guide-pick-place-options">What is PCBA? A Guide to Pick-and-Place Options</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/in-house-pcb-assembly-next-leap-agile-hardware-teams">Why In-House PCB Assembly is the Next Leap for Agile Hardware Teams</a></li></ul><p>Looking for a pick and place machine built for prototyping? Don’t miss limited priority access to the <a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=pick-and-place-revolutionize-pcb-assembly&utm_content=voltera-alta">Voltera Alta</a>, a pick and place machine integrated with solder paste dispensing to make PCB assembly fast, easy, and enjoyable.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a1de1a8bf3b2d4b359dda93_Alta-pick-and-place-system-priority-access.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=pick-and-place-revolutionize-pcb-assembly&utm_content=voltera-alta">Get limited priority access to Alta with 30% off</a></figcaption></figure><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Ayob, M., &amp; Kendall, G. (2008). A survey of surface mount device placement machine optimisation: Machine classification. <em>European Journal of Operational Research</em>, 186(3), 893–914. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2007.03.042" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2007.03.042</a>.</p>

How a Pick and Place Machine Revolutionizes PCB Assembly

Explore how using pick and place (P&P/PnP) machines improves PCBA throughput, quality, and design complexity, whether in prototyping or mass production stage.

<p>In this webinar, our Technical Sales Lead, <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/giovanni-obando-78512a7b">Gio Obando</a>, explored how conductive inks and direct ink writing are expanding what is possible in printed electronics, from flexible circuits to multilayer printed batteries.&nbsp;</p><p>We were joined by <a href="https://de.linkedin.com/in/stevepaschky">Steve Paschky</a>, Managing Director at <a href="https://www.saralon.com/en/">Saralon</a>, who shared insights into the company’s portfolio of functional inks and ink sets for printed batteries, copper circuits, stretchable electronics, heaters, and sensors. He also highlighted a key industry challenge driving material innovation today: rising silver prices and the growing need for conductive alternatives such as copper inks.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6WnCpXRYX0"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J6WnCpXRYX0" title="Webinar: Printing Electronics with Next-Generation Conductive Inks" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Webinar highlights</h2><h3>Steve Paschky on next-generation conductive materials</h3><p>Printed electronics continues to open up new possibilities for applications that are flexible, lightweight, and lower waste than conventional PCB-based manufacturing. During the session, Steve introduced Saralon’s approach to functional materials, including battery inks, copper inks, stretchable conductive inks, heating layers, and printed sensor materials. He emphasized that printed electronics is an additive process, meaning material is deposited only where needed, which can reduce waste and enable greater design freedom on substrates such as PET, paper, TPU, and glass.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt=" Key application areas for Saralon’s functional inks for flexible heating elements, including EV armrest heating, heated mattresses, and wearable heating patches" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b2f75acda566d5adbe0943_printing-electronics-functional-inks-heating-applications.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Key applications for Saralon’s stretchable heater inks</figcaption></figure><p>A major theme in Steve’s walk-through was material innovation. He explained that rising silver prices are increasing interest in alternatives such as copper inks, while also emphasizing the importance of following processing instructions closely to achieve good performance. For teams exploring printed electronics, his message was clear: material performance depends not just on the ink itself, but also on the drying, curing, and handling conditions used during development.</p><h3>Direct ink writing for printed electronics</h3><p>Gio focused on <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> as a practical method for printed electronics prototyping. He described it as a digital, nozzle-based dispensing process for viscous materials that does not require screens, masks, or additional tooling. That makes it especially useful in early R&amp;D, where teams need to move quickly between concept, testing, and design revision. He also noted that the method supports a wide viscosity range and can achieve fine feature sizes depending on nozzle diameter and material properties.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="NOVA printing a strain gauge pattern on a TPU substrate using stretchable carbon ink" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69c57cc867a698bc23d720b4_printing-electronics-nova-printing-strain-gauge.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>NOVA printing a strain gauge on a TPU substrate</figcaption></figure><p>He then walked through why direct ink writing is particularly valuable for flexible electronics development: it enables rapid iteration, works across a broad range of materials and substrates, and reduces waste by dispensing only the material needed. Rather than committing immediately to high-volume processes, teams can use digital dispensing to validate materials, geometries, and process settings earlier in development.</p><h3>Printed battery case study with NOVA</h3><p>To show this in practice, Gio shared a <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-magnesium-zinc-battery-saral-inks-pet">printed battery project </a>built by our Applications team on <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a> using Saralon’s battery ink suite. The project used seven materials in a multi-layer structure to create a flexible printed battery. This example illustrates how digital dispensing can support complex, multi-material prototyping without the setup burden associated with screen printing.&nbsp;</p><h2>Live Q&amp;A</h2><p><strong>Q</strong>: Does copper oxidize over time, increasing resistance?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Steve explained that when Saralon’s copper ink is processed according to the drying and curing instructions, resistance increases by only about 2% after two months under typical room conditions. He added that lamination or coating can further protect the printed copper from oxidation.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Can stretchable inks be printed on TPU?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Yes. Previous projects confirmed strong results on flat TPU substrates. Steve noted that Saralon’s stretchable silver ink has been tested successfully on TPU-coated textiles, while Gio added that NOVA has also been used to dispense on TPU substrates. One key design consideration is line geometry, since thicker printed lines are more likely to crack under strain.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Are printed inks reliable on rigid boards too?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Yes. Although much of the webinar focused on flexible and stretchable applications, Steve noted that Saralon’s inks can also be used on rigid substrates including FR4, paper, wood, and glass, depending on surface conditions and application needs.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: What is the biggest takeaway for teams getting started?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Follow the data sheets and process instructions closely. Both speakers stressed that successful results depend heavily on using the correct print settings, curing conditions, and layer alignment, especially in multi-material systems like printed batteries.</p><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>Want to learn more about conductive inks and their applications? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Application overview: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/printed-batteries">Printed Batteries — Powering electronics with flexible printed batteries</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-silver-conductive-ink-cotton-fabric">Printing Silver Conductive Ink on Cotton Fabric</a></li><li>Customer story: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/customer-stories/polytechnique-montreal">Printing Stretchable Bioelectronics for Research with NOVA</a></li></ul><p>Working with conductive inks? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-next-generation-conductive-inks&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p>

Webinar Recap: Printing Electronics with Next-Generation Conductive Inks

In this webinar, we were joined by Steve Paschky from Saralon to talk about the next generation of conductive ink used for printed electronics applications.

<h2>Introduction: What agile development looks like and why pick and place tool choice matters</h2><p>Traditional hardware development follows a linear “waterfall” path — from concept to design, build, test, and launch. This rigid model can frustrate engineers and drive up cost significantly, because by the time products reach market, customer needs may have shifted.&nbsp;</p><p>Alternatively, more hardware teams are adopting an agile approach, which breaks work into shorter cycles of “design → build → test → learn → iterate” rather than waiting for a monolithic prototype at the end. According to a <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/its-coming-home-the-return-of-agile-hardware-product-development#/">McKinsey study</a>, this gives teams on average 30% faster time-to-market, and 20% increase in product quality.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Comparison of linear waterfall process and iterative agile process" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68f00285160b746ba9aa6229_illustration-waterfall-agile-development-processes.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Waterfall vs. agile process for product development. Source: <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/its-coming-home-the-return-of-agile-hardware-product-development#/">McKinsey &amp; Company</a></figcaption></figure><p>In the context of electronics prototyping, this means building multiple small batches of PCB assembly (PCBA), validating them, learning, and then refining. The faster you can iterate, the more experiments you can run, and the stronger your final product will be.&nbsp;</p><p>But agility in hardware is fragile. One misstep, like choosing the wrong assembly solution, can derail the entire rhythm. This is where tool choice becomes strategic. If your in-house pick and place (PnP) solution is slow to set up, imprecise, or requires constant rework, your agile loop will break.&nbsp;</p><h2>Status quo: Why many pick and place solutions fail to deliver</h2><p>Many teams are bringing <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/in-house-pcb-assembly-next-leap-agile-hardware-teams?id=68da9c08af8e2845652230bd">PCB assembly in-house</a> to avoid the unpredictable delays of outsourcing. Yet in practice, many pick and place systems still end up limiting agility. Here are some of the most common failure modes.&nbsp;</p><h3>Long setup and calibration overheads</h3><p>Currently in the market, pick and place robots are often made to achieve high-volume throughput, among which the <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pcba-guide-pick-place-options?id=68cb1fe64e49257855c7e259#Industrial-grade_pick_and_place_machines">industrial-grade pick and place</a> systems can place tens of thousands components in an hour.&nbsp;</p><p>The trade-off lies in simply getting the machine running. Teams often spend hours on programming, calibrating tool heads, loading components into feeders, and fine-tuning vision systems before a single run. While such extensive setup can be justified in mass production, it rarely makes sense for small prototype volumes.&nbsp;In fact, this was a recurring theme among engineers during our market research. As one respondent noted:<em>‍</em></p><blockquote><em>“If it takes 5 hours to set up a pick and place machine only for a 10-minute run, it’s not worth it.”&nbsp;</em></blockquote><p>This mismatch is a key reason many agile teams turn from pick and place automation to outsourcing or manual assembly, both of which introduce longer lead times, higher error rates, and increased labor costs.</p><h3>Disjointed workflow: Separate placement, soldering, and inspection</h3><p>Many prototype workflows weave between separate tools: one machine for placement, another for soldering, and yet another for inspection. Each handoff introduces waiting times, increases the risk of human error, and often leads to costly rework.&nbsp;</p><p>These fragmented tools don’t just disrupt workflows, they also drive up upfront equipment costs and ongoing maintenance overhead. More importantly, they dictate how engineers are forced to operate. They conflict with agile’s core principle of valuing “<a href="https://agilemanifesto.org/">individuals and interactions over processes and tools</a>,” where people and collaboration should guide the workflow, not rigid, disconnected systems.</p><h3>Accuracy and repeatability defects</h3><p>Older or lower-cost pick and place machines often struggle to maintain consistent placement accuracy, leading to misalignments, tombstoning, or bridging, particularly in fine-pitch designs. Defects may stem from calibration drift, feeder inconsistencies, weak vision systems, or simply the machine being poorly built, all of which compound placement errors over multiple runs. Each unexpected assembly error forces engineers to either wait for repairs or rework boards manually, both outcomes that erase the benefits of rapid iteration.</p><p>These common reasons combine to turn a seemingly “fast” machine into a bottleneck. They force engineers to spend hours on operational battles rather than validating design ideas.</p><h2>Agile imperative: Engineers should only focus on high-value tasks</h2><p>One of the unfair burdens in hardware development is watching your team’s productivity slip because they’re forced into low-value tasks.&nbsp;</p><p>Agile philosophy teaches: Do only what creates value.&nbsp;</p><p>In PCB prototyping, that means minimizing recurring rework and cleaning up tool-induced errors. According to the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm">U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>, the median hourly salary for electrical and electronics engineers was $57 USD in 2024. If a design engineer spends hours babysitting a pick and place machine or debugging a misplacement caused by poor soldering, it is a waste of resources.&nbsp;</p><p>The right pick and place machine is one that <em>fades into the background</em> — making the iteration workflow frictionless, so engineers can focus on solving meaningful problems, instead of playing whack-a-mole with machine settings.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><h2>Core criteria for a truly helpful pick and place machine</h2><p>When evaluating pick and place machines for high-reliability PCBA prototyping, teams should look beyond datasheet specs and focus on <em>easy setup, workflow integration, and reliability.</em></p><h3>Easy setup&nbsp;</h3><p>While CPH (components per hour) dominates spec sheets, low-friction setup matter far more in prototyping.&nbsp;</p><p>An ideal pick and place system should be easy to start, so that engineers can run multiple spins in a day. An intuitive interface and minimal manual steps ensure valuable time goes toward debugging real design issues, not configuring equipment.</p><h3>Workflow integration</h3><p>Prototyping should not be split across separate machines for placement, inspection, and solder paste dispensing. Each handoff adds delays, increases the risk of human error, and leads to unnecessary rework.&nbsp;</p><p>An integrated solution keeps placement, inspection (such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_optical_inspection">AOI</a>), and solder paste dispensing under one roof, which shortens operation cycles, reduces friction, and keeps engineers in control of their process.&nbsp;</p><h3>Reliability</h3><p>Don’t get caught in a feature race. What truly matters is consistent, predictable quality. Failures often occur in mechanical and precision-critical subsystems, such as feeders, vacuum pumps, motion controls, or vision systems, leading to downtime and wasted cycles.&nbsp;</p><p>Evaluating user reviews and vendor reputation helps avoid common pitfalls, while responsive support ensures problems are resolved quickly and iteration continues without interruption.</p><h2>Conclusion: Equip your team with tools that enable agile development</h2><p>Agile hardware development demands that iteration is the engine of progress. You can’t win by getting a design perfect on the first try — you win by learning fast, iterating, and adapting. But that only happens if your tools support the loop.</p><p>A truly prototyping-ready pick and place solution is one that is fast to set up, integrates core workflow steps, delivers high reliability, and gives engineers back their time for design.&nbsp;</p><p>So as you evaluate pick and place machines, ask: <em>Does this tool accelerate iteration, or does it slow us down?</em> Because in hardware, agility is fragile and tool choice will either empower your engineers or stunt your progress.</p><p>Interested in learning more about PCB assembly? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Blogs:&nbsp; <br><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pcba-guide-pick-place-options?id=68cb1fe64e49257855c7e259">What is PCBA? A Guide to Pick and Place Options</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/in-house-pcb-assembly-next-leap-agile-hardware-teams?id=68da9c08af8e2845652230bd">Why In-House PCB Assembly is the Next Leap for Agile Hardware Teams</a><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/overcoming-challenges-pcba-prototyping?id=69b324a841846437ec30a0e9">‍</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/overcoming-challenges-pcba-prototyping?id=69b324a841846437ec30a0e9">Overcoming Challenges of PCBA Prototyping</a></li></ul></li></ul><p>Looking for a pick and place machine built for prototyping? Don’t miss limited priority access to the <a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=pick-and-place-machine-helping-holding-back&utm_content=voltera-alta">Voltera Alta</a>, a pick and place machine integrated with solder paste dispensing to make PCB assembly fast, easy, and enjoyable.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><a><div><img alt="The Vollera Alta pick and place system placing a component on a PCB" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a1de1a8bf3b2d4b359dda93_Alta-pick-and-place-system-priority-access.webp" loading="lazy"></div></a><figcaption><a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place-eeu?utm_campaign=Alta%20Early%20Access&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=pick-and-place-machine-helping-holding-back&utm_content=voltera-alta">Get limited priority access to Alta with 30% off</a></figcaption></figure>

Is Your Pick and Place Machine Helping or Holding You Back?

Agile product development thrives on iteration. Discover how your pick and place (PnP) machine choice makes or breaks prototyping.


Is Your Pick and Place System Helping or Holding You Back?

Agile product development thrives on iteration. Discover how your pick and place (PnP) machine choice makes or breaks prototyping.

<h2>Introduction to in-house PCBA</h2><p>When turning electronics designs into prototypes, outsourcing PCB assembly may seem convenient. But for hardware teams adhering to agile methodologies, it is often a hidden liability. Between iteration slowdowns, lost opportunities, and IP risks, the costs of sending prototypes out of house quickly add up.</p><p>The smarter path? Bringing PCB assembly (PCBA) in-house with tools like a <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pcba-guide-pick-place-options?id=68cb1fe64e49257855c7e259#In-house_automated_pick_and_place">pick and place (PnP) machine</a>. It compresses time to market (TTM), safeguards strategic design assets, and ensures you're ready to act fast when it matters most.</p><p>Let’s explore why in-house PCBA makes sense for agile development teams.</p><h2>Faster iteration means faster product delivery</h2><h3>It is non-negotiable.</h3><p>Hardware teams face more friction than their software counterparts when it comes to prototype iteration, even when applying agile project management principles. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/sustainabilitytransformation/article?id=10.1371/journal.pstr.0000101">Research </a>shows prototyping to be the longest phase in hardware product development process, averaging nearly 19 weeks per iteration. </p><p>Modern PCB design software lets teams move quickly through the design phase, using simulation tools to pressure-test layout choices. The bottleneck is getting a real board in hand. When assembly is outsourced, findings that should be identified early often land late, slowing design iteration and stretching the development cycle even further.</p><p>That friction often includes:</p><ul><li>Long lead times</li><li>Minimum order requirements</li><li>Coordination overhead</li></ul><p>Through expert interviews across the electronics space, Voltera’s market research team found that overseas assembly often takes far longer than anticipated. One hardware team based in North America reported that preparing components, shipping them overseas, and waiting for completed boards to return routinely stretched into a six- to eight-week cycle — a lead time they described as both “<em>inefficient and unacceptable</em>” for rapid prototyping.</p><p>Delays in PCB prototyping often cause downstream ripple effects to project schedules and eventually hinder product delivery. A widely cited <a href="https://hbr.org/1991/01/the-return-map-tracking-product-teams">McKinsey study</a> found that a product arriving six months late can slash after-tax profit by roughly 33%, whereas a 50% budget overrun only cuts profit by 4%.&nbsp;</p><blockquote><em> A product arriving 6 months late cuts profit by 33%.</em></blockquote><p>In other words, speed is the advantage, especially when bringing a novel product to market first matters most.&nbsp;</p><p>With in-house pick and place systems designed for prototyping, engineers can cycle through build-test-fix loops in hours, not days or weeks. This is essential for rapidly building and validating minimal viable products (MVPs) and compressing time to market.</p><h2>Every delayed prototype is a stolen opportunity</h2><h3>Outsourcing delays do more than frustrate engineers — they cripple business momentum.</h3><p>When PCB prototypes arrive behind schedule, or are flawed, teams may miss internal deadlines, investor presentations, customer demos, or pilot deployments. It also makes it harder to involve stakeholders at the right moments, because reviews and decisions slip while teams wait on boards. That pause can mean cancelled contracts, diminished credibility, and financial loss. <a href="https://www.spkaa.com/blog/navigating-the-high-costs-of-product-launch-delays">Research</a> shows that for a $50M product with a 30% margin, even a single month’s delay equates to $1.4M in lost opportunity.&nbsp;</p><p>When speaking to business leaders, we learned about the uncertainties of outsourcing PCB assembly and how it directly impacts real-world business opportunities.</p><blockquote><em>"The problem is not the cost, but the risk. When you receive your prototype but it needs rework, you add another two weeks. Since you’re on a delivery deadline, that is really not good."</em>—A CEO of an electronics manufacturing company in Canada </blockquote><p>The true cost of waiting on outsourced boards isn’t just your engineers’ hourly wages, it is the opportunity cost to your entire business. By keeping assembly in-house, you maintain control of your workflow and safeguard critical business opportunities instead of leaving them to chance.&nbsp;</p><h2>Protecting your intellectual property</h2><h3>Secrets stay secret when they are in your own hands.</h3><p>When you outsource prototype assembly, you expose your sensitive designs: files, design documents, bills of material, layout data, and more leave the safety of your firewall, often traveling farther than intended, if vendors subcontract the work. Many development teams, particularly in advanced manufacturing and regulated sectors, fear design leakage, counterfeits, or unintended reverse engineering.&nbsp;</p><blockquote><em>Manufacturers face 2× higher IP theft risk.</em></blockquote><p>According to the <a href="https://www.kroll.com/en/reports/global-fraud-and-risk-report-2019/industry-overview/manufacturing"><em>Global Fraud and Risk Report</em></a>, manufacturing is significantly more likely than other industries to have experienced IP theft (43% vs. 24% for all industries). This is amplified by the fact that more than 75% of businesses now treat third-party risk management as a strategic imperative, according to <a href="https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmgsites/uk/pdf/2021/04/outsourcing-and-third-party-risk.pdf">KPMG</a>.</p><p>Retaining in-house PCB assembly capabilities keeps your IP under close guard, avoids third-party vulnerabilities, and ensures you stay in control of your most valuable asset: your innovations.</p><h2>Supply chain challenges</h2><h3>Both predictable and unforeseen challenges squeeze small teams.&nbsp;</h3><p>Time to batten down the hatches.</p><p>Electronics manufacturing services capacity is tightening, especially in North America. Shipments rose <a href="https://www.electronics.org/news-release/north-american-ems-industry-17-percent-february">1.7%</a> year-over-year in February 2025, and <a href="https://emails.ipc.org/links/IPC-0425Current-Sentiment-Global-EMSChain.pdf">57%</a> of manufacturers expect continued demand growth over the next 6-12 months. This upward movement in EMS demand may result in longer queues, slower turnaround for low-volume orders, and higher costs — exactly the opposite of what agile teams need.&nbsp;</p><p>Foreign imports to the U.S. stumble. As of August 29, 2025, the United States removed the duty exemption for imports valued under $800 USD (known as <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/companies-making-money-tariffs-de-minimis-ends-rcna230320">de minimis</a> items) subjecting them to significant tariffs. This change directly affects PCBs fabricated offshore entering the U.S., further driving up the cost of electronics development.</p><p>To weather the storm and ensure continuous improvement, agile hardware development teams are investing in in-house PCB fabrication and assembly setups — not to replace EMS entirely, but to keep rapid iteration channels internal, retaining speed and autonomy.</p><h2>Conclusion: The three pillars of in-house PCB assembly</h2><p>In-house PCB assembly delivers value across three interconnected strategic fronts:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Development speed: In-house assembly cuts outsourcing delays, shortens time-to-market, and enables quick pivots when requirements change. In hardware, speed isn’t just efficiency; it’s survival.</li><li>Business opportunity: Faster prototyping safeguards critical milestones like demos, pilots, and compliance tests. What once took weeks can now happen overnight, turning agility into business wins.</li><li>IP security: Keeping assembly internal protects designs, limits third-party risks, and ensures sensitive innovations stay secure, essential for competitive and regulated hardware teams.</li></ul><p>Together, these three pillars — speed, opportunity, and security — make in-house PCB assembly not just a technical upgrade but a strategic leap forward. By complementing traditional EMS partners with in-house capabilities such as a pick and place machine, hardware teams future-proof their workflows and give themselves the freedom to move fast, stay secure, and seize every opportunity the market presents.</p><p>Interested in learning more about PCB prototyping and assembly? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Blogs:&nbsp; <br><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pcba-guide-pick-place-options">What is PCBA? A Guide to Pick and Place Options</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/pcba-guide-pick-place-options">‍</a><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/roi-pick-place-machine?id=6931aaa182cade08c6f2a7b7">The Real ROI of a Pick and Place Machine</a><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/prototype-pcbs-in-house">‍</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/prototype-pcbs-in-house">How to prototype PCBs in-house?</a><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/3d-printing-pcb-printing-difference">‍</a></li></ul></li></ul><p>Discover how Voltera is transforming PCB assembly with <a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place?utm_campaign=31752028-Alta%20Launch&utm_source=Website&utm_medium=blog&utm_term=in-house-pcb-assembly-next-leap-agile-hardware-teams&utm_content=Alta">Voltera Alta</a>, our new desktop pick and place machine designed to streamline in-house prototyping.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><a><div><img alt="The Vollera Alta pick and place system placing a component on a PCB" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6a1de1a8bf3b2d4b359dda93_Alta-pick-and-place-system-priority-access.webp" loading="lazy"></div></a><figcaption><a href="https://info.voltera.io/alta-pick-and-place?utm_campaign=31752028-Alta%20Launch&utm_source=Website&utm_medium=blog&utm_term=in-house-pcb-assembly-next-leap-agile-hardware-teams&utm_content=Alta">Get limited priority access to Alta with 30% off</a></figcaption></figure>

Why In-House PCB Assembly is the Next Leap for Agile Hardware Teams

Outsourcing PCB assembly costs more than it appears. Discover its hidden liabilities and why hardware teams are bringing builds back in-house.

Agile PCB Design and Development - Why In-House Assembly Accelerates Hardware Development

<p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/flexible-hybrid-electronics">Flexible hybrid electronics</a> (FHE) continue to reshape how engineers design and manufacture next-generation devices, from flexible sensors and smart labels to wearable electronics and hybrid systems. As the FHE industry continues to evolve, the role of reliable, scalable <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-are-functional-inks">functional materials</a> becomes more critical than ever.</p><p>We recently had a conversation with <a href="https://fr.linkedin.com/in/bianca-verneuil-a7928741" target="_blank">Bianca Verneuil</a>, Head of Communications &amp; Marketing at VFP Ink Technologies, to discuss VFP’s mission in additive electronics, the capabilities of VFP’s <a href="https://www.vfp-ink-technologies.com/product/silver-electron-low-energy-curing" target="_blank">Silver Electron ink</a>, and how developers can move seamlessly from prototyping to mass manufacturing.</p><h2>VFP Ink Technologies and its mission</h2><p><strong>Q: Can you briefly introduce VFP and its mission in the field of additive electronics?</strong></p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="An LED display of VFP’s logo with red LED strips on top of conductive traces printed on three pieces of PET sheets" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6967bfcdd86aebe01b651785_vfp-functional-inks-prototyping-led-display.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>VFP Silver Electron used for display</figcaption></figure><p>A: VFP Ink Technologies is a French manufacturer specializing in high-performance functional inks for printed and additive electronics. For more than 10 years, our mission has been to provide the industry with reliable, scalable, and application-driven materials that enable new generations of flexible and hybrid electronic devices.</p><p>Our expertise covers conductive silver and carbon inks, dielectric varnishes, functional varnishes, and more recently, advanced specialty materials such as piezoelectric inks. We work closely with OEMs, research institutions, and production partners to bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial-grade manufacturing.</p><p>At the core of our philosophy is a commitment to process simplification, environmental responsibility, and strong application support, allowing designers and engineers to move from concept to prototype and from prototype to mass manufacturing with confidence.</p><h2>Benefits of VFP’s Silver Electron ink</h2><p><strong>Q: What makes VFP’s Silver Electron ink stand out and what are some benefits of using it for flexible electronics prototyping?</strong></p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="a single 2 mL cartridge of VFP’s Silver Electron ink (SE) for prototyping flexible electronics" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b736d055c714ea0e8ee634_vfp-functional-inks-prototyping-silver-electron.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>VFP Silver Electron ink</figcaption></figure><p>A: <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/vfp-silver-electron-ink-2ml-cartridge-copy">VFP’s Silver Electron (SE) ink</a> stands out thanks to its combination of high electrical stability, mechanical flexibility, and broad substrate compatibility. After curing, SE maintains very stable conductive properties over time, offering a resistivity of ≤ 15 mΩ/sq/mil, even after mechanical stress such as a net fold. It also provides excellent adhesion (ISO 2409 Class 0), ensuring reliable performance across demanding applications.</p><p>SE ink is designed for versatility. It can be printed on a wide range of substrates for diverse printed electronics use cases. Compatible substrates include:</p><ul><li>Paper and cardboard</li><li>PVC, PET, and polycarbonate</li><li>Treated polyester</li><li>Glass and polyimide</li></ul><p>This <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/conductive-inks">conductive ink</a> is optimized for automatic, semi-automatic, and manual screen-printing processes, with consistent deposition thickness (8-9 µm at 90 threads/cm) and no dilution required before use. Thanks to its flexibility, stability, and ease of processing, SE offers a dependable and efficient silver conductor suitable for both industrial and specialized applications, while maintaining strong mechanical and chemical durability.</p><p>Key prototyping advantages of SE include:</p><ul><li>Low-temperature curing, allowing quick proof-of-concept production without damaging flexible substrates</li><li>Excellent flexibility and mechanical stability, enabling the rapid creation of foldable, bendable, or wearable circuits</li><li>Stable adhesion and chemical resistance, essential for multi-step experiments or complex assemblies</li><li>Clean printability, ensuring consistent geometries even with small prototypes.</li><li>Non-CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic), aligning with sustainability goals for development programs</li></ul><p>These characteristics make the ink suitable for prototyping <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/flex-sensors">sensors</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/connecting-flexible-stretchable-substrates-printed-circuit-boards">interconnects</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/flexible-pcbs">flexible circuits</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/electroluminescent-displays">smart labels</a>, and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/printed-batteries">low-power embedded modules</a>.</p><h2>Scaling from prototyping to production with VFP’s Silver Electron ink</h2><p><strong>Q:</strong> <strong>How does VFP address compatibility between the Silver Electron ink and direct ink writing and screen printing?</strong></p><p>A: The ink was designed with cross-process compatibility in mind from the start. Its rheology supports:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">Direct ink writing (DIW)</a> for rapid prototyping, small-batch production, and custom geometries</li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-screen-printing">Screen printing</a> for thicker layers, uniform deposition, and scalable industrial production</li></ul><p>Our R&amp;D teams carefully optimized solids content, viscosity, and drying behavior to ensure clean line definition and stable conductivity across both processes.&nbsp;</p><ul><li>For DIW, the ink maintains consistent flow and good extrudability.&nbsp;</li><li>For screen printing, it performs reliably with polyester or stainless-steel meshes between 79 and 120 threads/cm.</li></ul><p>This dual compatibility enables designers to prototype quickly with DIW, then transition the exact same ink to industrial screen printing without reformulation.</p><p><strong>Q: How well does the ink scale from prototyping to mass manufacturing (screen printing)?</strong></p><p>A: The ink scales extremely well because it was originally formulated for industrial screen printing, then optimized for DIW. Its stable drying, low-temperature cure, reproducible viscosity, and adhesion profile all make it compatible with automated screen-printing lines. Manufacturers can move from bench-top DIW prototypes, such as those made using <a href="http://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a>, to high-throughput production, using the same ink and achieving consistent electrical and mechanical performance. This fluid transition reduces development time and eliminates reformulation risk.</p><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>If you’d like to learn more about VFP Ink Technologies’ printed electronics portfolio, request samples, or get technical support, you can reach out directly:</p><ul><li>📩 Email: <a href="mailto:lgiacomini@vfp-ink.com">lgiacomini@vfp-ink.com</a>, Product Manager for Printed Electronics Inks, VFP Ink Technologies</li><li>🌐 Website: <a href="http://www.vfp-ink-technologies.com">www.vfp-ink-technologies.com</a>&nbsp;</li><li>💬 Technical support: Available through VFP’s product managers and sales teams across Europe, the Americas, and Asia</li></ul><p>If you’d like to discuss how to prototype with functional materials like the Silver Electron ink using our <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a> materials dispensing system, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting/nova-demo?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=prototype-production-vfp-functional-inks&utm_content=book-a-meeting">book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.&nbsp;</p>

From Prototype to Production: VFP on Functional Inks

Explore how VFP Ink Technologies designs functional inks that bridge flexible printed electronics prototyping and industrial manufacturing.

<p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/printed-batteries">Printed batteries</a> are one of the key applications of additive electronics. With <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a>, a materials dispensing system for additive electronics, we printed <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-magnesium-zinc-battery-saral-inks-pet">a seven-layer flexible battery</a> using Saralon’s SaralBattery Inks. In a recent conversation with <a href="https://de.linkedin.com/in/stevepaschky">Steve Paschky</a>, Managing Director at Saralon, we discussed Saralon’s mission, its ink technologies, and how developers can prototype flexible batteries using SaralBattery Inks.</p><h2>About Saralon and its ink offerings</h2><p><strong>Q: Tell us about Saralon and its mission in the field of additive electronics?</strong></p><p>A: Saralon is dedicated to transforming printing companies into electronic manufacturers. Although printed electronics have been known in the scientific community for the last two decades, only a handful of products have reached the market. In other words, we are still scratching the surface of this emerging technology.</p><p>The market potential is enormous, with the ability to impact virtually every aspect of daily life. But to unlock that potential, traditional color-printing companies must be involved. These companies already operate millions of sophisticated, high-speed printing machines around the world — machines that, with the right inks and process know-how, are capable of producing printed electronics.</p><p>Sarlon has accepted this challenge: to localize electronics production by enabling printing companies to manufacture sustainable electronic devices for local demand. The company develops compatible, easy-to-process Saral Inks<sup>©</sup> for screen printing, and has expanded into flexo printing as well as dispensing and inkjet technologies to broaden what’s possible in printed electronics.&nbsp;</p><h2>Benefits of Saralon’s SaralBattery Inks</h2><p><strong>Q: What makes Saralon’s battery ink suite unique and what are the benefits of using it to prototype flexible batteries? </strong></p><p>A: Saralon has developed a new generation of battery ink technology to print Zinc-ZnCl<sub>2</sub>-MnO<sub>2</sub> batteries. This solution addresses not only the concerns of sustainability and cost but also the desire to customize printed battery size, shape, and power specifications in-house.&nbsp;</p><p>SaralBattery Inks are a fully-printable set of compatible functional inks (seven Saral Inks<sup>©</sup>) for prototyping and manufacturing Zinc-ZnCl<sub>2</sub>-MnO<sub>2</sub> batteries on lightweight flexible substrates.&nbsp; They allow printed electronics application developers to customize their printed battery size, shape, and power specifications based on the end-user requirements by changing the size and thickness of the layers or printing them in series. </p><p>Other features include:</p><ul><li>Open circuit voltage of 1.5 V (unit cell)</li><li>Energy density of 0.5-1 mAh/cm<sup>2 </sup>(active area)</li></ul><p>The inks are also compatible with environmentally friendly substrates such as biodegradable paper and recyclable blister foil — an advantage for applications where sustainable, customizable power sources have historically been difficult to achieve, such as wearables, traceable parcels, smart packaging, and other IoT devices.</p><p><strong>Q: How well does Saralon’s battery ink suite scale from prototyping to mass manufacturing?</strong></p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="http://youtube.com/watch?v=yGCIPTS8Fmc&feature=youtu.be"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yGCIPTS8Fmc" title="How to mass-produce sustainable batteries by printing!" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><p>A: The SaralBattery Inks are fully printable not only on lab scale but also on fully automatic screen printing lines. As the ink suite is compatible with both screen printers and materials dispensing systems, it is suitable for:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>University and research institutions</li><li>R&amp;D departments for IoT device development</li><li>Large-scale production of flexible printed batteries</li><li>Integration of power source into market-ready IoT devices</li></ul><h2>Printed battery applications using SaralBattery Inks</h2><p><strong>Q: Can you share any interesting prototyping projects that have used the Saralon battery ink suite?</strong></p><p>A: SaralBattery Inks have been used across multiple high-value smart markets to produce sustainable power sources for IoT applications.</p><h3>Temperature logger</h3><p>The cold-chain ecosystem involves many stakeholders, making accurate, continuous temperature records essential for accountability and consumer trust. Thin, flexible, and sustainable temperature loggers remove human error and improve data accuracy by recording temperature at set intervals throughout the shipping process.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Gloved hands holding a flexible printed PET sheet containing a temperature-logger circuit. The sheet includes a printed NFC antenna, conductive traces, and multiple rectangular battery layers produced with SaralBattery Inks" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69416b12e4364013390a709e_flexible-printed-battery-applications-temperature-logger.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A temperature logger circuit with built-in battery printed using SaralBattery Inks</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://emag.ope-journal.com/march-2024/scalable-production-of-self-powered-printed-temperature-loggers-using-functional-inks">This project</a> used SaralBattery Inks for printing the entire circuit in-house, integrating:</p><ul><li>A built-in power source</li><li>A display</li><li>A near field communication (NFC) antenna</li></ul><h3>Wearable sensor (Biomarker)</h3><p><a href="https://www.elsah.researchproject.at/home.php">ELSAH</a> is a five-year smart-patch project that aims to develop an integrated wearable sensor system,&nbsp; the ELSAH-patch, designed for continuous monitoring of molecular biomarker concentrations.</p><p>SaralBattery Inks were used to print a battery that enables the patch’s self-sustained operation, including independent measurements and secure wireless transmission of data to a user’s mobile phone.</p><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>If you’d like to learn more about Saralon’s products or request samples or technical support, you can reach them at <a href="mailto:inks@saralon.com">inks@saralon.com</a> or visit <a href="https://www.saralon.com">their website</a>, where you’ll find detailed information about their functional Saral Inks© and additional innovations, including:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.saralon.com/en/saral-stretchsilver-ink/">Stretchable printed electronics</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.saralon.com/en/saralink-copper/">Low-cost mass manufacturing through copper ink</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.saralon.com/en/saralink-printedbattery/">Fully printable non-flammable batteries</a></li><li><a href="https://www.saralon.com/en/saralink-oledlabel/">Flexible (ultra-thin) light emitting OLED Labels</a></li></ul><p>Interested in using NOVA for similar printed battery applications? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting/nova-demo?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=flexible-printed-battery-applications-insights-saralon&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p>

Flexible Printed Battery Materials: Saralon Insights

Learn about prototyping flexible printed batteries using Saralon’s SaralBattery Inks and real-world applications of printed batteries in IoT and wearables.

<p>In this webinar, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpchin">Matthew Chin</a>, our Technical Support Specialist, explored how soft robotics benefits from direct ink writing (DIW) technologies like Voltera’s <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA materials dispensing system</a> and offered a deep dive into flexible and stretchable materials and substrates used in soft robotics applications.&nbsp;</p><p>We were joined by <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nicholaslevinski">Nick Levinski</a>, Wearable Mechanical Engineer at Proception AI, who introduced the fundamentals of soft robotics and shared hands-on insights from his projects at the University of Waterloo.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd6LAg0ae9M"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bd6LAg0ae9M" title="Webinar: Printing Flexible Electronics for Soft Robotics" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Webinar highlights</h2><h3>Fundamentals and key applications of soft robotics</h3><p>Nick opened the session by explaining the core principles of soft robotics — robotic systems made from compliant materials like silicone, fabric, and thermoplastics that move and deform more like muscles than machines.</p><p>He covered common actuation strategies, including:</p><ul><li>Pneumatic actuators&nbsp;</li><li>Thermally responsive materials</li><li>Magnetically driven components</li></ul><p>Nick then shared a few standout projects from his lab. The first one is a multilayer capacitive gripper built using NOVA with a stretchable TPU substrate. This 3D-printed soft gripper includes printed sensors heat-pressed into fabric for glove integration. The sensor data enables contact detection, paving the way for autonomous grasping.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A multilayer capacitive sensor printed by NOVA on Intexar™ TE-11C TPU substrate" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/692f5e5998faae91bb25dc0f_flexible-electronics-soft-robotics-capacitive-sensor.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A stretchable multilayer capacitive sensor printed by NOVA</figcaption></figure><p>Another interesting project is a lymphedema sleeve with microfluidics. Developed at the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-microfluidics-laboratory/" target="_blank">Waterloo Microfluids Lab</a>, this wearable sleeve features soft actuators that simulate lymphatic massage therapy. By eliminating bulky valves and solenoids in favor of a passive microfluidic network, the team created a lightweight, portable device aimed at improving patient quality of life.</p><h3>Overview of NOVA and materials for soft robotics</h3><p>Next, Matthew introduced NOVA and its empowering role in rapid prototyping of soft robotics. He highlighted several materials used for wearables and soft robotics, all supported by NOVA, including:</p><ul><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/aci-ss1109-stretchable-insulator">ACI SI3104 stretchable insulator</a></li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/aci-sc1502-2ml-cartridge">ACI SC1502 stretchable carbon ink</a></li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/aci-fs0142-2ml-cartridge">ACI FS0142 flexible silver ink</a></li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/aci-fc3203-flexible-carbon-ink">ACI FC3203 flexible carbon ink</a></li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/vfp-silver-electron-ink-2ml-cartridge-copy">VFP Silver Electron flexible silver ink</a></li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/vfp-ecv003-2ml-cartridge-copy">VFP ECV003 green-tinted dielectric varnish</a></li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/intexar-tpu-5-sheets">Intexar™ TE-11C TPU substrate</a></li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/pet-5-sheets">Normandy Coating Arcophane AA STS PET substrates</a></li></ul><p>These materials are available on our store, with <a href="https://store.voltera.io/collections/materials?filter.p.m.custom.product_type=Bundles">bundle</a> discounts for those looking for affordable and hassle-free options.&nbsp;</p><h2>Live Q&amp;A</h2><h3>Soft robotics projects</h3><p><strong>Q</strong>: What is the maximum bending angle of the printed substrates on the robotic gripper?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Instead of a maximum bending angle, it’s more useful to think about minimum bend radius. For a 100-150 µm substrate, the minimum bend radius is typically around one millimeter (five to ten times the thickness). For the soft robotic gripper, the bending angle can reach around 100° in ideal cases. Nick tested fold lines, but achieving a clean crease was difficult. The bend radius became smaller than one millimeter unless we used a metal dowel to maintain it. However, that created a less desirable form factor, so we didn’t proceed with that approach.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Can you elaborate on the computation used in the soft robotic system with flexible electronics? How complex is it, and what are the hardware constraints?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: A practical approach is to build a simplified model of the soft robot that can run on-device (edge computing). This typically involves a linear approximation of how the robot deforms under a given pressure or current, combined with a feedback loop from embedded sensors and a basic control method (e.g., a proportional controller). Full physics-based finite element method (FEM) simulation of soft robots in real time is not yet feasible, though companies like NVIDIA are exploring it. For hardware complexity, the constraints depend on the application:</p><ul><li>Wearables prioritize minimizing footprint, weight, and wired connections, often requiring wireless modules with strict power limits.</li><li>Robotic arms can rely on wired connections and external compute modules, making power and footprint less restrictive.</li></ul><p><strong>Q</strong>: What was the substrate of the printed silver used on the soft robotic gripper? Was it attached thermally?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Nick used <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/intexar-tpu-5-sheets">Intexar TE-11C</a>, attached using a heat‑press process (similar to a standard apparel heat press). When pressed onto a compatible fabric, it forms a strong thermal bond that resists delamination.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Do sensors behave linearly? Can we rely on them for repeatable results, and how does fatigue affect performance?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Most soft sensors do not behave linearly. Their response is often inverse-square, logarithmic, or exponential, so they require calibration to achieve a linear approximation. Repeatability depends on:</p><ul><li>Strain and stress levels</li><li>Material hysteresis</li><li>Ink formulation</li><li>Substrate deformation (e.g., plastic deformation at high strain)</li><li>Actuation speed vs. material relaxation time</li></ul><p>Pushing the materials too far reduces repeatability.</p><h3>Printing with NOVA</h3><p><strong>Q</strong>: What is the curing process of the inks on your online store?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Most of these inks are cured in a box oven at temperatures above 100°C for 5-15 minutes, depending on the formulation (refer to each ink’s <a href="https://docs.voltera.io/docs/v-one/downloads/safety-data-sheets">data sheet</a>). For multilayer printing, each layer must be cured before printing the next one, especially when changing materials, to prevent mixing.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Can inks be printed on glass, and has adhesion been proven?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Yes, some inks are formulated specifically for glass and ceramic substrates. Adhesion performance is provided in the manufacturer’s technical data sheet, along with any supporting test data. Consult the data sheet for the specific ink you're using.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Are there inks suitable for flexible materials requiring curing below 100°C? Are there alternative curing options?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Yes. Some inks are designed for lower‑temperature curing, and many inks can be cured at lower temperatures over longer times while still achieving functional performance. This is often how we handle temperature‑sensitive substrates.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Are there conductive inks and substrates that are biocompatible? For example, for implanted devices?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Some inks are biocompatible, such as silver-silver chloride inks designed for skin-contact applications (e.g., wearable heart-rate monitors). However, most are intended for surface or on-skin applications, not long-term implanted devices. Always check the ink’s data sheet for biocompatibility information.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Are the inks on your online store only suitable for NOVA? Can they be used for spin coating or spray coating on TPU?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: These inks are not exclusive to NOVA. They are primarily designed for screen printing, and NOVA provides a way to prototype with them without screens.&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Spin coating: not suitable because the viscosity is too high.</li><li>Spray coating: generally unsuitable for the same reason.</li><li>Screen printing: fully supported and ideal for production.</li></ul><p><strong>Q</strong>: Are there restrictions on surface roughness when printing on substrates?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Generally, surface roughness is not an issue. The nozzle prints about 60 µm above the surface, so printing quality is maintained. For very rough surfaces, you may need to deposit extra material to fill surface valleys. In normal use cases, roughness does not cause problems.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Is there a way for research institutions to test their inks on NOVA as part of collaborations?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Yes. We offer printing as a service, and we have tested external inks to assess NOVA compatibility.If you have a custom ink you'd like evaluated, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting/printing-service?">contact our sales team</a> and they will guide you through the submission process.</p><h2>Bonus for attendees</h2><p>As a thank-you, we have a discount code in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd6LAg0ae9M">webinar video</a> for people interested in soft robotics.</p><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>Want to learn more about soft robotics and wearable electronics? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-strain-gauges-tpu-laminated-glove-remote-hand-control">Printing Strain Gauges on TPU laminated on a Glove for Remote Hand Control</a></li><li>Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/EZNg21U0loE">Printing Silver Conductive Ink on Cotton Fabric</a></li><li>Keynote: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKK7YWAN46U&t">ECG Sensors Printed with Gold | Voltera Keynote at TechBlick Printed Electronics Innovation Day 2024</a></li></ul><p>Ready to talk about how NOVA can be used for your wearable or soft electronics application? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting/nova-demo?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-flexible-electronics-soft-robotics&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting </a>to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p>

Webinar Recap: Printing Flexible Electronics for Soft Robotics

In this webinar, we explored soft robotics and how NOVA enables rapid prototyping of wearable soft electronics built with flexible and stretchable materials.

<p>In this webinar, Nathan Shinkar, our Support Lead, demonstrated how the V-One PCB printer and a series of hands-on project kits help educators bridge the gap between electronics theory and real-world circuit design.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBu8xEaSmG4"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pBu8xEaSmG4" title="Webinar: Hands-On PCB Education - Bridging Theory and Practice in the Classroom" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Webinar highlights</h2><h3>Bringing circuits to life in the classroom</h3><p>These projects are designed for teaching electronics.The new educational kits include:</p><ul><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/voltage-regulator-kit">Voltage regulator kit</a> – converts 7V-12V to 5V using both linear and switching regulator ICs.</li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/pulse-generator-kit">Pulse generator kit</a> – uses a 555 timer in astable mode with a variable resistor to produce adjustable timing signals.</li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/99-decimal-counter-kit">99 decimal counter kit</a> – uses binary-coded decimal counters and decoders to drive a pair of 7-segment displays from pulse inputs.</li></ul><p>The session featured a live board print on the V-One using Voltera’s silver ink, <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/conductor-3-ink-cartridge-2ml">Conductor 3</a>, covering probing, alignment, calibration, and printing. Attendees got a close look at the software workflow and hardware setup, along with a final demonstration of all three kits operating in sequence.</p><h3>Teaching electronics with V-One</h3><p>Nathan shared how each kit builds foundational knowledge while introducing core circuit design principles, including:</p><ul><li>Voltage drop, efficiency, and thermal management in regulator circuits</li><li>Capacitor charging and pulse width control in 555-based timers</li><li>Binary and decimal logic through hardware-based counting</li></ul><p>The kits offer scalable learning paths: from simple assembly and observation, to schematic analysis, to full custom board design in ECAD software. All kits come with step-by-step documentation available on <a href="https://docs.voltera.io/docs/v-one/learn-v-one/v-one-projects">our Support site</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Beyond the kits, V-One enables students to explore additive manufacturing concepts like conductive ink printing, solder paste dispensing, curing, reflow, and even via drilling — all within a safe and clean desktop workflow.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Close-up of the V-One PCB printer dispensing silver ink onto a black FR1 substrate during a live print of the voltage regulator circuit, with the nozzle mid-trace and clamps in view" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69287006f0b8033532974052_webinar-recap-pcb-education-live-printing.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>V-One printing the voltage regulator circuit live</figcaption></figure><h2>Live Q&amp;A</h2><p><strong>Q</strong>: How many layers can V-One print?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: V-One supports double-sided PCBs by drilling through holes to make vias.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: What’s the smallest trace and gap V-One supports?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: 200 µm trace width and spacing, using metal nozzles for higher precision.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: How do you mount components such as SMD or through holes?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: SMD components are reflowed on-board, and through-holes can be drilled and soldered manually.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Is this printer designed solely for educational purposes or can it also be used as a prototyping and production tool?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: V-One was designed for speeding up prototyping and turned out to be a great tool for education as well. For production, it depends on the volume. It’s possible to use V-One for low-volume production, but V-One is not designed for mass production.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Does the printer have a resume option if any power cut happens?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: No. V-One does not currently support automatic resume after a power failure. It’s recommended to ensure a stable power source during printing.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: What is the difference between a plastic and metal nozzle and which should I use?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Metal nozzles offer better precision and are ideal for fine features like 0.2 mm traces, but they’re more expensive. Plastic nozzles are more affordable and suitable for general use, though they often need to be replaced after each print. If high accuracy isn’t critical, plastic nozzles are usually sufficient.</p><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>Want to learn more about PCB education? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Webinar: <a href="https://youtu.be/h5EiL5QOOO0?si=JVNzzlooVNjy901O">Printing PCBs for Hands-On Learning</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-decimal-counter-circuit-silver-conductive-ink-fr1">Printing a Decimal Counter Circuit with Silver Conductive Ink on FR1</a></li><li>Project guide: <a href="https://docs.voltera.io/docs/v-one/learn-v-one/v-one-projects/voltage-regulator-project">Voltage Regulator Project</a></li><li>Customer story:<a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/customer-stories/itiz-revolutionizing-engineering-education-v-one"> Revolutionizing PCB Design Education with V-One</a></li></ul><p>Ready to talk about how V-One can be used for your application? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting/v-one-call?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-hands-on-pcb-education&utm_content=book-a-call">Book a call</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p>

Webinar Recap: Hands-On PCB Education

In this webinar, we explored hands-on PCB education using V-One and new Voltera circuit kits to teach voltage regulation, timing, and digital counting.

<p>Have you ever had food poisoning from eating spoiled food? It may seem harmless to test food quality by taking a small bite, or perhaps you were unaware of the dangers of the food you ate. Regardless, the results are never pleasant. Symptoms can range from stomach pain and vomiting to fevers and dehydration. Food poisoning is often an acute and serious condition.</p><p>The good news is researchers at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, one of our customers based in Barcelona, Spain, recently published a study [1] featuring a flexible resonator that monitors dielectric changes in meat — a promising step toward smarter, safer food quality testing.</p><h2>Developing a meat freshness sensor</h2><p>Scientists set out to develop a resonator that is capable of monitoring meat freshness in real time by detecting dielectric property changes as the meat degrades. To achieve that, they needed to design a low-cost, printable, and non-invasive radio frequency (RF) sensor that operates within the 2.4 GHz ISM band, providing accurate, repeatable measurements for food quality monitoring and potential IoT integration.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Diagram showing comprehensive experimental setup for analyzing dielectric property variations in meat samples from Day 0 to Day 5. The left panel shows visual changes in meat color and texture over time with progressive spoilage. The right panel depicts a measurement system using a vector network analyzer (VNA), loop antenna, tripod, and foam platform, with data processing displayed on a monitor." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6903752cbad3066ca0523728_printing-smart-resonator-meat-monitor-antenna.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Monitoring system set up for tracking meat freshness © <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/s25051338" target="_blank">Abounasr, J. et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><h3>How it works</h3><p>The resonator is a loop antenna-based sensor that generates a localized electromagnetic field. When a meat sample is placed near it, the changing permittivity (dielectric constant) of the meat affects the antenna’s impedance and resonant frequency.&nbsp;</p><p>As spoilage progresses, the dielectric properties shift, causing the resonance to drop from 2.14 GHz (Day 0) to 1.29 GHz (Day 5). This frequency shift directly correlates with meat freshness and can be measured using a vector network analyzer (VNA).</p><h3>Fabrication process&nbsp;</h3><p>The sensor was printed on a flexible polyimide (Kapton) substrate using Voltera’s <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA materials dispensing system</a>, an additive platform designed to prototype flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) like flexible sensors. NOVA’s vacuum table helps researchers secure their flexible substrate onto the platform for automatic heat mapping and during the printing process. Its ink pressure sensing and temperature-controlled dispensing enabled rapid and consistent printing of conductive silver traces.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Close-up of a circular loop antenna sensor with a marked sensing area at the center, printed on a flexible polyimide substrate" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/690375316f7de7b8a2441d9e_printing-smart-resonator-flexible-antenna-nova.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>The flexible antenna printed on polyimide with NOVA © <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/s25051338" target="_blank">Abounasr, J. et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>After printing, the antenna was oven-cured at 50°C for 15 minutes to ensure strong adhesion and stable conductivity. This process produced a compact (50 × 70 mm) resonator with reliable electrical conductivity (50 Ω impedance).</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Over six days of testing, the resonator consistently tracked dielectric changes in beef samples, showing a linear correlation between frequency shifts and meat degradation. The system demonstrated average sensitivity of 0.173 GHz/day, low standard deviation, and excellent reproducibility across multiple samples. Simulations confirmed that as meat permittivity increased from about 37 to 91, the resonant frequency decreased proportionally, matching experimental trends.&nbsp;</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>The study demonstrated that this flexible loop antenna offers a low-cost, reliable method for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of food quality, with strong potential for IoT-based food safety systems and other perishable goods.&nbsp;</p><p>Interested in seeing other Voltera customer innovations? Check out the following resources:</p><ul><li>Customer story: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/customer-stories/polytechnique-montreal">Researching Printed Stretchable Bioelectronics with Voltera NOVA and V-One</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/advancing-printed-sensors-rfid-tag-breath-monitoring">Advancing Printed Sensors: RFID Tag for Breath Monitoring</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/ai-powered-ingestible-sensor-monitoring-gut-health">AI-Powered Ingestible Sensor for Monitoring Gut Health</a></li></ul><p>Ready to talk about prototyping flexible printed sensors with NOVA? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=printing-smart-resonator-track-meat-freshness&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Abounasr, J., Gharbi, M. E., Raúl Fernández García, &amp; Gil, I. (2025). A High-Sensitivity Inkjet-Printed Flexible Resonator for Monitoring Dielectric Changes in Meat. <em>Sensors</em>, 25(5), 1338–1338. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/s25051338">https://doi.org/10.3390/s25051338</a>.</p>

Printing a Smart Resonator to Track Meat Freshness

Learn how researchers at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya printed a flexible sensor that detects meat spoilage through dielectric property changes.

<p>Just like any type of project, the first step of printed circuit board (PCB) prototyping is ideation, where you define the core functionality and components of your circuit. If PCBs serve as the “brains” behind nearly all electronic systems, then designing the board is like meticulously mapping the brain's neural pathways. You are drawing the intricate arteries and veins that will carry power and signals, enabling the entire system to think and function.</p><h2>Workflow of designing a PCB</h2><p>The exact workflow can vary with project needs, but generally it involves defining the project requirements, choosing components, and drawing the schematic. This is followed by setting up component placement and routing the conductive traces in a PCB layout tool.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Workflow diagram illustrating the four main steps of printed circuit board design: step 1 — define requirements, step 2 — schematic capture, step 3 — circuit simulation, and step 4 — layout design." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68dd3cbf9a460307c3ddaada_design-printed-circuit-board-pcb-workflow.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>The workflow of designing a printed circuit board</figcaption></figure><p>Once the layout is complete, the final steps include running design rule checks (DRC), generating manufacturing files (like Gerbers), and importing the files into a PCB printer’s software, like the <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/v-one">V-One</a> software, to <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/prototype-pcbs-in-house">prototype the physical board</a>. Alternatively, if you’re outsourcing to a PCB manufacturer, you’ll need to upload the files to their website, communicate your requirements, and wait for the finished boards to be shipped.</p><h2>Defining project requirements</h2><p>Every PCB design begins with a clear definition of the project requirements and constraints. At this stage, the goals and specifications of the circuit are determined based on the intended application and environment.&nbsp;</p><p>Important considerations include:</p><ul><li>Functionality of the circuit, such as <br><ul><li>Signal processing</li><li>Power delivery</li><li>Microcontroller logic</li></ul></li><li>Performance metrics that influence component choices and layout (e.g., low-level amplifier circuits have special needs for well-placed microstrip interconnections [1].)</li><li>Environmental constraints, such as&nbsp; <br><ul><li>Size and form factor of the board</li><li>Ambient temperature range</li><li>Expected mechanical stresses</li><li>Any enclosure that the PCB must fit into</li></ul></li><li>Regulatory standards or certifications like electromagnetic interference (EMI) regulations and safety standards that the design must comply with</li><li>Budget, which can affect component selection and board complexity.</li></ul><p>With these requirements, you’ll be able to select specific components for each function. <a href="https://www.ni.com/en/solutions/design-prototype/pcb-design-fundamentals--prototyping-and-the-pcb-design-flow.html#section--1876515770">It’s recommended</a> to consult datasheets and supplier catalogs, and you may want to use manufacturer simulation tools to evaluate components.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Circuit schematic of a pulse generator using an NE555 timer IC, with connected resistors, capacitors, power supply, test point, and LED output." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68dd3ce9db745dc0afd9c9f1_design-printed-circuit-board-pcb-schematic.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A schematic design for a pulse generator circuit</figcaption></figure><p>With clear requirements and a concept in mind, the next step is to design the circuit schematic. Schematic capture means creating a diagram that shows all electronic components and how they are electrically connected with nets according to the circuit logic.</p><p>You might have drawn a circuit schematic with a paper and pencil before, but to streamline PCB development, you’ll need to design it digitally with electrical computer-aided design (ECAD) software, or electronic design automation (EDA) software.</p><p>Using ECAD software offers numerous advantages:</p><ul><li>Digital files are inherently cleaner and easier to modify than hand-drawn, erased papers.</li><li>All professional ECAD tools include DRC to flag errors like unconnected wires (opens) or incorrectly spaced traces.</li><li>It’s easy to transition from a schematic to a PCB layout within the software.</li><li>Component libraries store component footprints and symbols.</li></ul><h3>Choosing your ECAD software</h3><p>There are many EDA software options available. While commercial packages excel in large-team environments and complex design rule management, free or open-source tools like KiCad provide robust capabilities at no cost, which is ideal for individuals or schools on a budget.&nbsp;</p><h4>Commonly used ECAD software</h4><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/68dd3d402b28c722094d61bd_1c6c71e3ee750fdfc6fbb39c8530628f_Blog_Design%20PCB_table%201.txt[/script]</p><h3>Best practices for drawing schematics</h3><p>When drawing a PCB schematic, it is important to indicate all connections clearly, including power rails and ground references. It’s also recommended to organize the schematic logically (grouping related components into sections, using labels for nets) so that it’s easy to review and understand.&nbsp;</p><p>At this stage, designers also assign reference designators to components (U1 for the first IC, R1 for the first resistor, etc.) and ensure each component’s symbol is linked to the correct physical footprint.</p><p>It also helps to plan ahead for trace widths — especially for power and ground lines, which should be wider to reduce resistance and handle current more safely. Wider traces are also more durable for hand soldering. If unsure, you can estimate appropriate widths with tools like this <a href="https://circuitcalculator.com/wordpress/2006/01/31/pcb-trace-width-calculator/" target="_blank">PCB trace width calculator</a>.</p><h2>Circuit simulation</h2><p>Before committing the design to a PCB layout, it’s often beneficial to simulate the circuit or otherwise verify its behavior [1]. Many ECAD tools like KiCad have built-in simulation support, which enables designers to check things like amplifier gains, filter responses, signal integrity, or power supply stability.</p><h2>PCB layout design</h2><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="PCB layout of an NE555-based pulse generator circuit, showing traces, resistors, capacitors, diode, and connection points for +5V, ground, and output pulse" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68dd3d942ac1fffc37596014_design-printed-circuit-board-pcb-layout.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>PCB layout for a pulse generator circuit</figcaption></figure><p>Once the schematic is finalized and verified, the design moves into the PCB layout stage. In general, a completed schematic is transferred to the PCB layout tool, carrying over all components and the netlist. Many ECAD tools like KiCad allow synchronizing or updating the PCB from the schematic, ensuring consistency between them. This is where the abstract schematic is turned into a concrete board design. This involves a few steps:</p><ol><li>Board setup: Based on the earlier requirements and any mechanical constraints, the designer defines the PCB dimensions and layer stackup.</li><li>Component placement: Components are imported into the layout, each represented by a footprint that specifies the pads or holes where the part will be soldered.</li><li>Routing traces: According to the schematic netlist, conductive traces that connect the component pins are drawn, adding through-holes that allow a trace to jump from one layer to another as needed.</li></ol><h2>Refinement</h2><p>After completing the layout, designers perform a comprehensive design rule check using the ECAD software. This includes checking that no traces are too close, no copper features violate spacing or size constraints, and there are no unintended overlaps or copper islands. If the DRC finds errors, they should be addressed before exporting the finalized board design for production.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>The complete workflow of PCB design incorporates a lot of quality check steps, which are essential for the success of the board. By organizing the process into clear steps and addressing important considerations at each stage, PCB designers can transform an idea on paper into a working PCB without surprises.</p><p>Interested in learning more about PCB design? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Customer story: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/customer-stories/itiz-revolutionizing-engineering-education-v-one">Revolutionizing PCB Design Education with V-One</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-decimal-counter-circuit-silver-conductive-ink-fr1">Printing a Decimal Counter Circuit with Silver Conductive Ink on FR1</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/autodesk-voltera">Autodesk ❤ Voltera</a></li></ul><p>Want to explore PCB prototyping with V-One? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=design-printed-circuit-board-pcb&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Scherz, P., &amp; Monk, S. (2016). <em>Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition</em>. O’Reilly Online Learning. <a href="https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/practical-electronics-for/9781259587559/">https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/practical-electronics-for/9781259587559/</a>.</p>

How to Design a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

Wondering where to start with designing a circuit? Explore the workflow of designing a printed circuit board, choosing ECAD software, layout design, and more.

<p>In this webinar, Voltera’s Applications Technician, <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/devon-pianosi">Devon Pianosi</a>, and Panasonic’s Project Engineer, <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/simonwsm">Simon Wong</a>, explored connector technologies and design strategies for integrating reliable connections into flexible hybrid electronics (FHE). The session covered failure modes, substrate compatibility, material selection, connector classifications, and real-world integration examples using the <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/v-one">V-One PCB printer</a> and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA materials dispensing system</a>.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaZRC9BQ1R0"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qaZRC9BQ1R0" title="Webinar: How to Connect Circuits - Connector Technologies and Integration Strategies for Electronics" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Webinar highlights</h2><h3>Why connector strategy matters in FHE</h3><p>Connector integration is often overlooked in early-stage hardware development, but for flexible and stretchable circuits, it’s one of the most common failure points. The session began with an overview of the mechanical and electrical challenges faced when connecting rigid and flexible circuit elements, especially on substrates like <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/intexar-tpu-5-sheets">thermoplastic polyurethane</a> (TPU) or <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/polyimide-5-sheets">polyimide</a> (Kapton).</p><p>To reduce risks like tearing, delamination, or cracking near interconnects, it’s important to consider:</p><ul><li>Material compatibility between substrate, ink, and adhesives</li><li>Placement of connectors to minimize mechanical stress</li><li>Use of stiffeners, encapsulation, or cushioning backers to prevent fatigue</li></ul><p>Devon shared multiple examples of connector integration, demonstrating how printed flex cables, carbon sensors, and soft stretchable traces can be reliably bonded using zero insertion force (ZIF), crimp, insulation displacement contact (IDC), or anisotropic conductive adhesives.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A flexible hybrid electronics prototype on a green cutting mat, featuring an Arduino Nano connected to various flexible sensors and ribbon cables on a custom-printed circuit board." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b734cf94dd150c73039048_connecting-flexible-circuits-pcb-flex-rigid.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Different types of connectors for connecting circuits</figcaption></figure><h3>Types of connectors and use cases</h3><p>Simon provided a deep dive into industry-standard connector types, including:</p><ul><li>Card edge connectors for power boards and swappable modules</li><li>Flat cable and flexible flat cable (FFC) connectors for compact board-to-board links</li><li>Two-piece stacking connectors with narrow pitch for vertical orientation</li><li>ZIF connectors for flexible PCBs and low-cycle mating applications</li></ul><p>For each category, design considerations such as insertion force, retention mechanism, soldering method, and pitch size were addressed. Panasonic’s <a href="https://industry.panasonic.com/global/en/products/control/connector/toughcontact" target="_blank">“Tough Contact” series</a> was highlighted for applications requiring high reliability, corrosion resistance, or miniature footprints.</p><h2>Live Q&amp;A&nbsp;</h2><p><strong>Q</strong>: Do crimp connectors work on stretchable circuits?</p><p><strong>A</strong>: Yes, with added stiffeners or adhesives to prevent fatigue at the contact point.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: What's the minimum supported pitch for ink traces and connector integration?<br><strong>A</strong>: NOVA supports trace widths down to 100 µm, with 0.35-0.5 mm pitch connectors being feasible using fine particle inks.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Can I glue connectors onto flex boards using Voltera printers?<br><strong>A</strong>: You can with NOVA. NOVA dispenses adhesives precisely for automation and connector bonding.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Are there high-voltage connector options?<br><strong>A</strong>: <a href="https://na.industrial.panasonic.com/products/connectors/automotive/lineup/automotive-connectors/series/148005" target="_blank">Panasonic’s CF series</a> offers surface-mountable high-voltage connectors (about 1100-1400 V dielectric strength).</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: What are some common beginner mistakes in connector design?<br><strong>A</strong>: Common mistakes include not reinforcing connectors, assuming rigid PCB rules apply to flex/stretchable designs, or using low-quality components that skew results.</p><p><strong>Q</strong>: Do you have any experience with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or soft substrates?<br><strong>A</strong>: We have tested stretchable polymers like TPU and Panasonic's BEYOLEX™ on NOVA, but PDMS integration is still experimental.</p><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>Want to learn more about interfacing flexible and rigid circuits? Check out these white papers:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/connecting-flexible-stretchable-substrates-printed-circuit-boards">Connecting Flexible and Stretchable Substrates to Printed Circuit Boards</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-multilayer-flexible-membrane-keyboard-conductive-silver-ink-dielectric-ink-pet">Printing a Flexible Membrane Keyboard with Conductive Silver Ink and Dielectric Ink on PET</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-strain-gauges-tpu-laminated-glove-remote-hand-control">Printing Strain Gauges on TPU laminated on a Glove for Remote Hand Control</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-flexible-pcb-silver-ink-pet">Printing a Flexible PCB with Silver Ink on PET</a></li></ul><p>Ready to talk about how Voltera can help you with your electronics projects? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-connnect-circuits&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p>

Webinar Recap: How to Connect Circuits

In this webinar, we partnered with Panasonic to dive into connector technologies and FHE design strategies — from breakout boards to ZIF and crimp connectors.

<p>Printed circuit boards (PCBs) serve as the “brains” behind nearly all electronic systems, from lighthearted <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoxhDk-hwuo" target="_blank">pranks on package thieves</a> to <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/fully-3d-printed-carbon-nanotube-field-emission-electron-sources-with-in">high-stakes carbon nanotube field-emission electron source</a>. Fortunately, designing a PCB is more accessible than you might expect and does not require an engineering degree. The key is knowing how to begin with your circuit’s requirements and translate them into a prototype.</p><h2>Requirement analysis and circuit design</h2><p>Every PCB project begins with careful requirement gathering and circuit design. This involves determining the electrical needs (power levels, signal speeds, component types) and translating them into a schematic. Modern electronic design automation (EDA) software (e.g. KiCad, Eagle), also known as electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) software, makes it straightforward to draw schematics and lay out PCBs.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Digital PCB layout for the &quot;Voltera Punk Console&quot; showing green conductive traces, vias, and component pads on a black grid background" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68c038bd13720e1a00d9a606_prototype-pcbs-in-house-circuit-layout.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A PCB layout designed by Voltera</figcaption></figure><p>At this stage, you’ll need to capture the circuit logic in a schematic, design the PCB layout, and plan the placement of your conductive traces and components (e.g., adequate trace widths, component footprints, and clearances). Once the design is ready, it can be exported to standard Gerber files for PCB fabrication.</p><h2>Constructing the circuit</h2><p>For small-volume prototypes, you can either build the circuit on a breadboard or fabricate a PCB. The choice depends on factors like needed circuit complexity, frequency, durability, available tools, time, and budget. For more information on their differences, check out this article on <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/breadboards-pcbs-definitions-materials-costs-benefits-applications">breadboards vs. PCBs</a>.</p><h3>Breadboard prototyping</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Breadboard-based electronics prototype featuring a development board, an accelerometer sensor, OLED display and an SD card module" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b7322d9eff88b66eea9962_prototype-pcbs-in-house-breadboard-ic.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A breadboard with components</figcaption></figure><p>A reusable plastic board with spring-loaded contacts, a breadboard facilitates quick circuit assembly without solder. This temporary platform is invaluable for early testing and learning.</p><p>However, prototyping with breadboards comes with certain limitations:</p><ul><li>Parasitic capacitance and inductance in the wiring make it unsuitable for high-speed or RF circuits [1][2].</li><li>Breadboards are designed for through-hole components, but as the industry moves towards surface-mount (SMT) packages, through-hole equivalents become harder to find and more expensive [1].</li><li>Reliability issues can arise as contacts loosen or oxidize over time [1].</li></ul><h3>Additive methods for PCB prototyping</h3><p>When looking for a more permanent and higher performance solution, custom PCB prototyping, particularly additive methods, becomes attractive.&nbsp;</p><p>Additive fabrication builds conductive patterns directly onto a substrate rather than etching or removing copper. This typically involves two steps:</p><ol><li>Printing conductive traces</li><li>Curing conductive traces</li></ol><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Close-up of Voltera’s V-One PCB printer dispensing conductive traces onto an FR1 substrate, aligned with pre-drilled through-holes." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b732594d1f388901c37a8f_prototype-pcbs-in-house-diw-printer.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>V-One PCB printer printing conductive material on an FR1 substrate</figcaption></figure><p>In practice, creating additive PCB prototypes often means using specialized tools to directly print <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/conductive-inks">conductive material</a> onto a substrate. A great example is a desktop <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> (DIW) machine, like the<a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/v-one"> Voltera V-One PCB printer</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>It can dispense silver ink and solder paste on materials like FR1 and FR4, enabling both the creation of conductive traces and the assembly of components, all on one machine. Depending on design complexity, you can go from digital design to an assembled PCB in under an hour.</p><h4>Benefits of additive PCB prototyping</h4><ul><li>They achieve high accuracy for prototyping needs, resulting in comparable performance to a traditional etched board for practical purposes [3].</li><li>You save precious materials since you only deposit material where needed.</li><li>It is more eco-friendly and suitable for lab environments since you don’t need multiple baths of chemicals and don’t produce copper waste.</li><li>If you are prototyping PCBs using novel materials on unconventional substrates, additive prototyping tools, like <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">Voltera’s NOVA materials dispensing system</a>, will better cater to your needs.</li></ul><p>Investing in an additive tool makes the most sense if you’re prototyping PCBs in-house and need rapid iterations. However, if you’re a hobbyist who only builds circuit boards occasionally, additive methods may not be the most cost-effective option.</p><h3>Subtractive methods for PCB prototypes</h3><p>In small-volume contexts, many people create PCBs in-house using subtractive techniques, where copper is selectively removed or masked.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Close-up view of a CNC router milling a circuit pattern onto a copper-clad circuit board" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b732882077fd8258864ac2_prototype-pcbs-in-house-cnc-milling.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A CNC router milling a copper-clad board to make PCBs</figcaption></figure><p>CNC milling uses a small desktop CNC router to physically mill away the unwanted copper from a copper-clad board. The ECAD design is first loaded into the CNC, which uses a very fine cutting bit to trace out the gaps between circuit traces, essentially carving out the circuit pattern from the copper layer. The result is similar to an etched board, but achieved by machining.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Pros</strong></p><ul><li>CNC milling is quick for single boards. Once set up, you can get a finished board in under an hour, with no drying or chemical cleanup.&nbsp;</li><li>Modern PCB mills can achieve decent resolution (e.g., a trace width of <a href="https://ece.illinois.edu/about/eshop/prototyping-guidelines" target="_blank">0.3 mm</a>).</li></ul><p><strong>Cons</strong></p><ul><li>Very fine-pitch circuits or high-density boards may be challenging.</li><li>The finish of traces is not as smooth as chemical etching.</li><li>When setting up in an office or lab environment, you’ll need proper ventilation for hazardous dust.</li></ul><p>Check out our comparison blog on <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/cnc-milling-vs-direct-ink-writing-pcbs-stack">CNC milling vs direct-ink-writing for PCBs</a> for more information.</p><h4>Laser printer toner transfer</h4><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Heart-shaped PCB pattern transferred onto a copper-clad board using the laser printer toner transfer method, prior to etching" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b732cd4131ecd1a6e909f3_prototype-pcbs-in-house-toner-transfer.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A laser-printed heart-shaped circuit on toner transfer paper</figcaption></figure><p>This method uses a laser printer to create the circuit pattern. The PCB layout is printed in mirror image with toner onto a special paper substrate. This print is then placed toner-side down on the copper board and heated (using a clothes iron or laminator) to re-melt the toner, which then adheres to the copper.&nbsp;</p><p>After cooling, the paper is soaked and peeled off, leaving the black toner pattern stuck on the copper as an etch resist. The board is then etched in acid, which removes copper except under the toner traces.</p><p><strong>Pros</strong></p><ul><li>It is one of the fastest ways to construct a circuit in-house.&nbsp;</li><li>With practice, trace widths around <a href="https://hackaday.com/2016/09/12/take-your-pcbs-from-good-to-great-toner-transfer/" target="_blank">0.15 mm</a> are feasible.</li><li>It’s a low-cost technique and doesn’t require special chemicals beyond common etchant.</li></ul><p><strong>Cons</strong></p><ul><li>The process can be unreliable. Success depends on many variables such as paper type, toner brand, iron temperature, pressure, and timing.</li><li>For double-sided boards, aligning the two layers is tricky.</li></ul><h3>Photolithography</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Copper-clad PCB board with photosensitive resist pattern applied, shown next to printed transparency film, in preparation for UV photo-etching" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b733016f33bc9f18cefebb_prototype-pcbs-in-house-photo-etching.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A copper-clad board with photosensitive resist pattern for UV photo-etching</figcaption></figure><p>Also known as ultraviolet (UV) photo-etching, this method uses photosensitive PCB boards, a type of copper boards pre-coated with a light-sensitive resist layer. The PCB pattern is printed in black onto clear transparency film using a laser printer or photoplotter. The transparency is placed over the photosensitive board and exposed to UV light. Where the black ink blocks the UV, the underlying resist stays unexposed and will later protect copper; where transparent, the resist hardens.&nbsp;</p><p>After exposure, the circuit board is developed in a chemical developer, washing away the unexposed resist and revealing a precise copper pattern ready for etching. Etching then removes the bare copper, as usual, and finally the remaining hardened resist is stripped to leave the finished copper traces.</p><p><strong>Pros</strong></p><ul><li>Photo-etching can achieve finer traces and spacings.</li><li>It’s suitable for more complex circuits and yields repeatable results if the process is well-calibrated.</li></ul><p><strong>Cons</strong></p><ul><li>The process involves more steps and chemicals. Beginners must handle timings and development carefully — under- or over-exposure can ruin the pattern.</li><li>It has a more stringent requirement of the setup environment — a completely dark workspace for handling the unexposed boards.</li></ul><h2>Post-processing&nbsp;</h2><p>No matter how the PCB is made, whether by etching, milling, or a DIW machine, after fabrication you have a bare board that needs to be populated with components to become a working circuit. The assembly steps typically involve:</p><ul><li>Drilling (if double-sided or multilayer)</li><li>Soldering and reflowing</li><li>Testing for connections, continuity, and shorts</li><li>Final touches like mounting enclosures or coloring</li></ul><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Making PCBs for in-house prototyping involves a mix of planning and choosing the right construction method. Breadboards offer a quick reality check for simple ideas, but for a robust and final-feel prototype, learning how to make custom PCBs, especially using additive manufacturing technologies, will be invaluable.</p><p>Interested in learning more about PCB prototyping? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Application: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications">PCB Prototyping</a></li><li>Customer story: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/customer-stories/itiz-revolutionizing-engineering-education-v-one">Revolutionizing PCB Design Education with V-One</a></li><li>Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/xaPmLgafT38">Printing a Decimal Counter Circuit with Silver Conductive Ink on FR1</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/3d-printing-pcb-printing-difference">3D Printing vs. PCB Printing — What’s the Difference?</a></li></ul><p>Want to make PCB prototypes with V-One? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=prototype-pcbs-in-house&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Verbelen, Y., Belle, D. V., &amp; Tiete, J. (2013). Experimental Analysis of Small Scale PCB Manufacturing Techniques for Fablabs. <em>International Journal of Engineering Innovation &amp; Research</em>. 2(2), 136–143. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268078465_Experimental_Analysis_of_Small_Scale_PCB_Manufacturing_Techniques_for_Fablabs" target="_blank">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268078465_Experimental_Analysis_of_Small_Scale_PCB_Manufacturing_Techniques_for_Fablabs</a>.</p><p>[2] Scherz, P., &amp; Monk, S. (2016). <em>Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition</em>. O’Reilly Online Learning. <a href="https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/practical-electronics-for/9781259587559/" target="_blank">https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/practical-electronics-for/9781259587559/</a>.</p><p>[3] Rao H. C, Varaprasad, B. K. S. V. L., &amp; Goel, S. (2021). Direct Ink Writing as an Eco-Friendly PCB Manufacturing Technique for Rapid Prototyping. 2021 Fourth International Conference on Electrical, <em>Computer and Communication Technologies (ICECCT)</em>, 1–7. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/icecct52121.2021.9616903" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1109/icecct52121.2021.9616903</a>.</p>

How to Prototype PCBs In-House

Want to make PCBs in-house? We walk you through solderless breadboards, additive, and subtractive PCB prototyping to help you make the right choice. 

How to Prototype PCBs In-House?

<p>Electronics encapsulation refers to the process of enclosing and protecting electronic components, circuits, or chips in a durable material or “package.” The encapsulating material (sometimes called a molding compound or potting compound) serves as a barrier against environmental factors like moisture, dust, and harsh chemicals, and shields the device from mechanical stress and vibration.</p><p>Over the decades, encapsulation approaches have evolved significantly. Historically, hermetic encapsulation (a method of sealing sensitive electronic components inside airtight metal or ceramic enclosures) was common, as it completely blocked moisture and gases. This was especially important in aerospace or military-grade devices [1].&nbsp;</p><p>Since the 1970s, the industry has shifted toward polymer-based plastic encapsulation due to its low cost, ease of processing, and high throughput. Today, encapsulating components usually involves applying polymer resins (epoxies, silicones, polyurethanes, etc.) using automated dispensing, molding, or conformal coating systems.&nbsp;</p><h2>Common types of encapsulation</h2><h3>Potting electronics</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68a39adb58aa0ea58e6775e8_electronics-encapsulation-potting-pcb-fr4-silicone.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Schematic of an encapsulated PCB assembly, adapted from ©<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/4/2028" target="_blank">Hu C., et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>In the context of electronics and semiconductors, potting and encapsulation are often used interchangeably. Potting is an encapsulation process where an entire electronic assembly or a larger section of a circuit is placed into a mold (often referred to as a “pot”) and then filled with a potting material (typically a resin) to cure into place.</p><p>Potting applications include:</p><ul><li>Submersible or outdoor electronics <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/potting-compounds-market-report">in harsh environments</a></li><li>High-voltage circuits (to prevent arcing) [2]</li><li><a href="https://www.masterbond.com/techtips/tamper-resistant-potting-and-encapsulation-compounds">Tamper-resistant</a> designs</li></ul><h3>Dam and fill</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Die micrograph and close-up view of a chip in a CPGA85 ceramic package, partially encapsulated using the dam-and-fill technique, showing the rectangular chamber with exposed left and right electrodes for liquid sample contact." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68a39b64c9666a9850ee2f2f_electronics-encapsulation-dam-and-fill-chip.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A chip partially encapsulated using dam and fill ©<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/9/5/218" target="_blank">Tabrizi, H. O., et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>A less common variant of potting, dam-and-fill involves first dispensing a high-viscosity “dam” around the component, then flooding the enclosed area with a lower-viscosity encapsulant. Unlike potting, which submerges the entire assembly, dam-and-fill targets only specific areas, allowing precise control over material placement while minimizing resin use. This makes it useful for precision applications or components that require partial exposure, such as optical sensors or fluid-contact electrodes, though it is less widely used than potting or glob-top methods.</p><h3>Direct encapsulation</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A glob of silicone encapsulant covering interdigitated comb electrodes and electrical traces; the clear, dome-shaped material protects the components while leaving three connected wires extending from the encapsulated area." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68a39b9f874411c7610c6d20_electronics-encapsulation-direct-glob-top-silicone.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A glob of silicone encapsulant dispensed on interdigitated combs, adapted from ©<a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1741-2552/abf0d6" target="_blank">Lamont, C., et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Direct encapsulation refers to dispensing an encapsulation material directly over a semiconductor die or electronic component mounted on a substrate (e.g., a PCB) and then curing it in place. It is a direct method because the encapsulant is applied only to the needed area on the board, without needing a dam or a pot.</p><p>Once cured, the dispensed material forms a hardened “glob” that covers the device and its wire bonds. As such, direct encapsulation is also called glob-top encapsulation. It is widely used in:</p><ul><li>High-density PCBs</li><li>Miniaturized packages where space and weight are constraints</li></ul><h2>Common encapsulation materials</h2><p>Modern electronic devices use a range of encapsulation materials, from rigid thermoset resins to flexible elastomers, chosen based on the application requirements.</p><h3>Epoxy</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Small PCB assemblies encapsulated with various materials, including black PDMS, clear and epoxy, and epoxy with hermetic feedthroughs; some samples also show a surface coating of P3HT for enhanced biocompatibility." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68a39be6bd992131277e8101_electronics-encapsulation-materials-pdms-epoxy-pcb.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>PCBs encapsulated with different materials (PDMS, epoxy and epoxy with hermetic feedthroughs and optional P3HT coating) ©<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-28699-6" target="_blank">Novak, M, et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Epoxy resins are rigid thermosetting polymers often filled with silica to improve thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. They are the most widely used encapsulants in both semiconductor packaging and industrial electronics due to their strong adhesion, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance.</p><h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Epoxy encapsulants form a hard, rigid shell with excellent adhesion, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance.</li><li>They are electrically insulating and can be formulated for flame retardance and high temperature resistance.</li><li>Cured epoxies are moisture resistant and have low water permeability, which allows them to protect electronics in humid conditions [3].</li></ul><h4>Cons</h4><ul><li>The rigidity of epoxy can be a drawback in critical applications with extreme temperature swings or mismatched thermal expansion. Repeated heating and cooling may lead to delamination or cracks in the encapsulation or at the interface [3].</li></ul><h3>Silicone</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A diagram showing the design and performance of a battery-free, wireless pressure and temperature sensing platform. Panel (a) shows an exploded-view of the multilayer temperature and pressure sensors, with an encapsulation layer made of PDMS on top. Panel (b) presents a photograph of the unencapsulated device. Panel (c) displays the encapsulated device undergoing mechanical stretching. Panel (d) shows finite element analysis results indicating a strain distribution of up to 8.5% in the serpentine interconnects during deformation." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68a39c41748c05944dc17912_electronics-encapsulation-materials-silicone-pdms-sensor.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A pressure and temperature sensor encapsulated with PDMS ©<a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.202202980" target="_blank">Sang M., et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Silicones, particularly polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), are flexible elastomers used when mechanical flexibility or biocompatibility is needed. Common in medical electronics and wearable devices, they can be applied as soft coatings, gels, or flexible encapsulants.</p><h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Silicone encapsulants are soft and elastic after curing and reduce stress on sensitive components. In one study [3], a silicone encapsulant successfully protected chronically implanted PCBs, maintaining encapsulant integrity and adhesion during 30-day accelerated aging in saline.</li><li>Silicones have excellent thermal stability and remain functional from roughly <a href="https://www.emobility-engineering.com/potting-encapsulation-ev-electronics/">-40 °C up to 175 °C</a> or more, a range over which they maintain consistent properties.</li></ul><h4>Cons</h4><ul><li>Silicone encapsulation is not hermetic – moisture can slowly diffuse through, which can be problematic in very moisture-sensitive devices [4]</li><li>Silicone doesn’t adhere as strongly to many substrates compared to epoxy, and its low surface energy makes it easy for it to “<a href="https://www.emobility-engineering.com/potting-encapsulation-ev-electronics/">wet out</a>” and flow into crevices, which can lead to poor adhesion if not primed.</li></ul><h3>Polyurethane</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A diagram illustrating a bioresorbable, stretchable wireless nerve sensor. Panel (a) shows an exploded-view of the multilayer sensor with an encapsulation layer made of bioresorbable dynamic covalent polyurethane (b-DCPU). Panel (b) shows an optical image of the fully assembled device highlighting the coiled receiver antenna and stimulation cuff. Panel (c) and (d) shows photographs of the mechanical robustness of the device under 30% stretching and 360° twisting, enabled by the soft encapsulation and serpentine electrode design" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68a39c67a32aae41bef059ae_electronics-encapsulation-materials-polyurethane-encapsulated-sensor.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Neural-stimulating electrodes with a bioresorbable dynamic covalent polyurethane (b-DCPU) encapsulation layer ©<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19660-6" target="_blank">Choi, Y.S., et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Polyurethanes (PU) are polymers formed by reacting diisocyanates with polyols, resulting in urethane linkages [5]. They strike a balance between the hardness of epoxies and the softness of silicones, offering moderate flexibility and toughness, and are useful in soft robotics, wearables, and implantables.</p><h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Polyurethanes are semi-flexible (softer than epoxies but stiffer than silicone) and offer good electrical insulation and vibration damping. They tend to cure to a less rigid state, putting less stress on delicate parts [5].&nbsp;</li><li>PU potting compounds also exhibit good adhesion [5].</li></ul><h4>Cons</h4><ul><li>PU generally cannot withstand high <a href="https://gallaghercorp.com/polyurethane-temperature-range/">temperatures</a> as well as epoxies and silicones.&nbsp;</li><li>PU is generally <a href="https://www.emobility-engineering.com/potting-encapsulation-ev-electronics/">not as impermeable</a> to water as epoxies. In a humid environment, a PU encapsulate is more likely to allow moisture ingress.</li></ul><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Encapsulation is a fundamental part of the electronics manufacturing process, providing protection against harsh environmental conditions like moisture, chemicals, and mechanical stress. The choice of encapsulant directly affects device reliability, making it a key design consideration for both conventional and advanced electronic systems.</p><p>Interested in learning more about electronics encapsulation? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-flexible-pcb-silver-ink-pet">Printing a Flexible PCB with Silver Ink on PET</a></li><li>Application: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/adhesive-dispensing">Adhesive Dispensing Systems</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/thermal-interface-material-tim">What Is Thermal Interface Material (TIM)?</a></li></ul><p>Want to explore dispensing encapsulants with <a href="http://voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a>? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=electronics-encapsulation&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Inamdar, A., Driel, V., &amp; Zhang, G. (2025). Electronics packaging materials and component-level degradation monitoring. <em>Frontiers in Electronics</em>, 6. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/felec.2025.1506112">https://doi.org/10.3389/felec.2025.1506112</a>.</p><p>[2] Du, S. Baek. Y., Wang, G., &amp; Bhattacharya, S. (2010, November 1). Design considerations of high voltage and high frequency transformer for solid state transformer application. <em>IEEE Xplore</em>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/IECON.2010.5674991">https://doi.org/10.1109/IECON.2010.5674991</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[3] Adam, C., M Münch, P Kleinschnittger, Barth, T., &amp; Krautschneider, W. H. (2024). Rapid prototyping of molds for the encapsulation of electronic implants using additive manufacturing. <em>Additive Manufacturing Meets Medicine (AMMM)</em>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.18416/AMMM.2024.24091858">https://doi.org/10.18416/AMMM.2024.24091858</a>.</p><p>[4] Lamont, C., Grego, T., K. Nanbakhsh, A. Shah Idil, Giagka, V., A. Vanhoestenberghe, Cogan, S., &amp; Donaldson, N. (2021). Silicone encapsulation of thin-film SiO x , SiO x N y and SiC for modern electronic medical implants: a comparative long-term ageing study. <em>Journal of Neural Engineering</em>, 18(5), 055003–055003. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-2552/abf0d6">https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-2552/abf0d6</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[5] Bonomo, M., Taheri, B., Bonandini, L., Castro-Hermosa, S., Brown, T. M., Zanetti, M., Menozzi, A., Barolo, C., &amp; Brunetti, F. (2020). Thermosetting Polyurethane Resins as Low-Cost, Easily Scalable, and Effective Oxygen and Moisture Barriers for Perovskite Solar Cells.<em> ACS Applied Materials &amp; Interfaces</em>, 12(49), 54862–54875. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c17652">https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c17652</a>.</p>

What Is Electronics Encapsulation?

Discover encapsulation methods like potting and glob top, and materials such as epoxy, silicone, and polyurethane, including their pros and cons.

<p>Mention droplet dispensing and you may immediately think of lab-on-a-chip (LoC) devices. Indeed, LoC devices rely on droplet dispensing systems or pipettes to distribute liquids for disease diagnostics. However, the application of droplet dispensing extends beyond life sciences. It finds various applications in consumer electronics (home inkjet printers), optics (lens arrays for fiber optics), life sciences (LoC systems, medical inhalers) as well as electronics manufacturing (dispensing solder droplets for flip chip bonding — attaching semiconductor chips to a substrate by flipping them onto tiny solder bumps) [1].&nbsp;</p><h2>How does droplet dispensing work?</h2><p>Dispensing droplets manually involves using a syringe or micropipette to release individual droplets, and is common in laboratories for liquid handling. Micropipettes are engineered to deliver highly reproducible volumes and can reduce human variability, but achieving this precision requires proper technique and therefore subject to inter‑individual imprecision [2].</p><p>Automated droplet dispensing systems, in contrast, offer superior reliability by accurately jetting (drop-on-demand <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-is-printed-electronics-inkjet">jetting systems</a>) or extruding (<a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> systems) single discrete volumes of materials from a nozzle to a precise location. The target volume of each drop can range widely, from picoliters in microelectronics to microliters in lab applications. Achieving consistent volume is crucial in droplet dispensing for accuracy and reproducibility [3].</p><h2>Droplet dispensing applications</h2><h3>Electronics manufacturing</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68a4917c15908405944de197_droplet-dispensing-molten-metal-solder-deposition.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Molten lead-free solder droplets dispensed with 100 µm spacing ©<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/1/1" target="_blank">Wang, C.-H. et al.</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Droplet dispensing plays a critical role in electronic packaging. For example, advanced micro droplet dispensers use piezoelectric or magnetostrictive actuation to jet precise adhesive or encapsulant droplets [4]. This has significantly improved the consistency and placement of the smaller droplets, increasing assembly speed and supporting higher-density, miniaturized devices [5].</p><p>Another key application in electronics manufacturing is solder droplet printing for circuit assembly. One demonstrated system [6] uses a heated pneumatic printhead to directly jet molten solder droplets onto PCB pads, where they solidify to form electrical interconnects. Such droplet-based metallization methods (including solder jetting and nanoparticle ink printing) avoid the steps of reflow ovens or wire bonding, potentially streamlining electronics assembly [6].</p><h3>Optics</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68a491dfbc428ee29ae5e3f2_droplet-dispensing-oled-fluorescent-pedot-pss.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Printed thermally activated delayed fluorescence droplets in 4 × 4 mm2 square patterns with 200 DPI, adapted from ©<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43014-7#Sec13" target="_blank">Kant, C., et al</a><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/1/1">.</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>In the optics and display industry, droplet dispensing technologies are used to fabricate fine optical structures and deposit light-emitting materials with great control. Inkjet printing of display layers has emerged as a promising alternative to vapor deposition in OLED and quantum-dot displays. Solutions of organic light-emitting or quantum dot materials are dispensed as microliter droplets into millions of pixel wells, then cured to form uniform thin films [7].</p><p>Another optical application is making microlens arrays (MLAs), used to enhance light extraction or sensing in miniaturized cameras, 3D displays, and sensors. By jetting or printing UV-curable polymer droplets to form a smooth micro-lens, droplet dispensing bypasses molding steps and allows high fill-factors over large areas, enabling rapid prototyping of optics on flat or flexible substrates [8].</p><h3>In-vitro diagnostics (IVD)</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Magnified view of microfluidic chip showing both wide (1.3 mm) and narrow (0.6 mm) microchannels connected to microwells containing reagent droplets." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68a4920ad5292297c05d6172_droplet-dispensing-ivd-chip-reagent-microwell.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>The construction of an immunodiagnostic chip supporting the movement of reagent droplets, adapted from ©<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41378-022-00475-y#Sec2" target="_blank">Hu, X., el al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>In lab-on-a-chip assembly and operation, droplet-based systems precisely manipulate microliter and nanoliter droplets of fluids for assays. For example, a recent platform [9] demonstrated fully automated immunoassays by using magnetic beads to shuttle droplets between processing steps, running multiple tests in parallel on a disposable chip, and achieved sensitivities comparable to conventional lab methods.&nbsp;</p><p>Unlike continuous-flow microchannels, droplet-based approaches in point-of-care testing minimize sample volume, cut assay time, and allow in situ integration of functions (mixing, incubation, detection) that would otherwise require bulky instruments. They also provide a controlled, contamination-limited environment for biochemical reactions [10].</p><h3>Bioprinting</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68a492308f2df32c08b31e5e_droplet-dispensing-bioprinting-bioink-cell-deposition.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Bioprinting process ©<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42242-024-00285-3" target="_blank">Ng, W. L., &amp; Shkolnikov, V</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Beyond diagnostics, droplet dispensing has a broad spectrum of expansive applications in the life sciences. In bioprinting, for example, droplet dispensing systems deposit bioink droplets containing living cells, growth factors, or other biomaterials to fabricate tissues and organoids (lab-grown miniature organs/tissues), achieving precise placement of cells at high speed [11]. This precise spatial control supports the recreation of cellular microenvironments, which is essential for studying cell-to-cell interactions, disease progression, and tissue regeneration [11].</p><h2>Key considerations of droplet dispensing</h2><p>As seen in the applications above, a wide variety of materials can be dispensed as droplets, from metals and functional nanomaterials to polymers and bioinks. However, dispensing materials at micro to nanoliter scales comes with several important considerations.</p><ul><li>Clogging: Dried residue from volatile solvents or particulate matter in the fluid can block nozzles. In addition to frequent cleaning, it may be necessary to adjust material viscosity using additives or by changing the temperature.</li><li>Inconsistency in placement and volume: Droplet volume can drift due to changes in printing parameters (e.g., drawback force) [12]. Air currents, static charge on the substrate, or inconsistent drop velocities can also affect placement. Choosing a high-precision droplet dispenser and implementing environmental controls, such as using an enclosure, are critical for consistent results.</li></ul><p>To learn more about dispensing best practices, check out <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/dispense-adhesives">How to Dispense Adhesives</a>.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Droplet dispensing is increasingly important in electronics manufacturing and the life sciences, enabling precise miniaturization. Recent work [13] suggests that adaptive intelligent control will be key to maintaining consistent droplet formation and ejection characteristics, and future advances may allow dispensers to self-tune to different liquids for optimal performance.</p><p>Ready to learn more about materials dispensing? Explore these resources:</p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/dot-dispensing">What Is Dot Dispensing?</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/precision-fluid-dispensing-systems">What Are Precision Fluid Dispensing Systems?</a></li><li>Application overview: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/solder-paste-printing">Solder Paste Printing</a></li></ul><p>Looking for proof-of-concept of your droplet dispensing applications? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=droplet-dispensing&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Lindemann, T., &amp; Zengerle, R. (2008). Droplet Dispensing. <em>Encyclopedia of Microfluidics and Nanofluidics</em>, 402–411. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-48998-8_361">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-48998-8_361</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[2] Lippi, G., Lima-Oliveira, G., Brocco, G., Bassi, A., &amp; Salvagno, G. L. (2017). Estimating the intra- and inter-individual imprecision of manual pipetting. <em>Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM)</em>, 55(7). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2016-0810">https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2016-0810</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[3] Nikapitiya, N. Y. J. B., Nahar, M. M., &amp; Moon, H. (2017). Accurate, consistent, and fast droplet splitting and dispensing in electrowetting on dielectric digital microfluidics. <em>Micro and Nano Systems Letters</em>, 5(1). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40486-017-0058-6">https://doi.org/10.1186/s40486-017-0058-6</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[4] Zhou, C., Li, J. H., Duan, J. A., &amp; Deng, G. L. (2015). The principle and physical models of novel jetting dispenser with giant magnetostrictive and a magnifier. <em>Scientific Reports</em>, 5(1). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18294">https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18294</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[5] Nature Research Intelligence. (n.d.). <em>Fluid Dispensing and Microelectronics Packaging</em>. <a href="https://www.nature.com/research-intelligence/nri-topic-summaries/fluid-dispensing-and-microelectronics-packaging-micro-82301">https://www.nature.com/research-intelligence/nri-topic-summaries/fluid-dispensing-and-microelectronics-packaging-micro-82301</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[6] Shu, Z., Fechtig, M., Florian Lombeck, Breitwieser, M., Zengerle, R., &amp; Koltay, P. (2020). Direct Drop-on-Demand Printing of Molten Solder Bumps on ENIG Finishing at Ambient Conditions Through StarJet Technology. <em>IEEE Access</em>, 8, 210225–210233. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2020.3040035">https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2020.3040035</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[7] Xiong, J., Chen, J., Li, Y., Yue, X., Fu, Y., &amp; Yin, Z. (2025). Large-area OLED substrate printing path planning method based on multi-head GAT imitation learning to solve partitioned integer programming. <em>Scientific Reports</em>, 15(1). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-08355-x">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-08355-x</a>.</p><p>[8] Zhong, L., Liu, W., Gong, H., Li, Y., Zhao, X., Kong, D., Du, Q., Xu, B., Zhang, X., &amp; Liu, Y. J. (2025). Electrohydrodynamically Printed Microlens Arrays with the High Filling Factor Near 90%. <em>Photonics</em>, 12(5), 446–446. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12050446">https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12050446</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[9] Hu, X., Gao, X., Chen, S., Guo, J., &amp; Zhang, Y. (2023). DropLab: an automated magnetic digital microfluidic platform for sample-to-answer point-of-care testing—development and application to quantitative immunodiagnostics. <em>Microsystems &amp; Nanoengineering</em>, 9(1), 1–12. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-022-00475-y">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-022-00475-y</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[10] Trinh, T. N. D., Do, H. D. K., Nam, N. N., Dan, T. T., Trinh, K. T. L., &amp; Lee, N. Y. (2023). Droplet-Based Microfluidics: Applications in Pharmaceuticals. <em>Pharmaceuticals</em>, 16(7), 937. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16070937">https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16070937</a>.</p><p>[11] Ng, W. L., &amp; Shkolnikov, V. (2024). Jetting-based bioprinting: process, dispense physics, and applications. <em>Bio-Design and Manufacturing</em>, 7(5), 771–799. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s42242-024-00285-3">https://doi.org/10.1007/s42242-024-00285-3</a>.</p><p>[12] Wang, W., Chen, J., &amp; Zhou, J. (2016). An electrode design for droplet dispensing with accurate volume in electro-wetting-based microfluidics. <em>Applied Physics Letters</em>, 108(24). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4954195">https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4954195</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[13] Jiang, J., Chen, X., Mei, Z., Chen, H., Chen, J., Wang, X., Li, S., Zhang, R., Zheng, G., &amp; Li, W. (2024). Review of Droplet Printing Technologies for Flexible Electronic Devices: Materials, Control, and Applications. <em>Micromachines</em>, 15(3), 333. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15030333">https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15030333</a>.</p>

What Is Droplet Dispensing?

Droplet dispensing is used in more than just life sciences. Learn about droplet dispensing applications in electronics manufacturing, optics, and beyond.

<p><a href="https://www.copprint.com/" target="_blank">Copprint</a> is an advanced materials company revolutionizing printed electronics with breakthrough conductive copper nanoparticle inks. Founded in 2016, Copprint’s mission is to enable low-cost, high-performance, and sustainable additive manufacturing of conductive components. Copprint’s inks are designed for in-house circuit board manufacturing by replacing chemical etching processes with additive processes.</p><p>We recently sat down with Ofer Shochet, co-founder and CEO of Copprint, to talk about prototyping with nano copper inks. Read on to learn what he had to say…</p><h2>Characteristics of copper nanoparticle ink</h2><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Copprint’s nano copper ink in a cartridge" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b730a16f33bc9f18ced650_copper-conductive-nanoparticle-ink-characteristics.webp" loading="lazy"></div></figure><p><strong>Q: What makes copper nanoparticle ink unique from other conductive inks?</strong></p><p>Copper ink stands out from other conductive inks due to its:</p><ul><li>Cost-effectiveness: Copper is significantly cheaper than silver and can reduce costs by 5 to 10 times.</li><li>High-conductivity: When properly sintered, copper offers excellent electrical performance.</li><li>Sustainability: Copper has the lowest CO₂e per performance relative to any silver or carbon conductive ink. The carbon footprint of conductive copper inks is 40 times less than silver. Copper’s carbon footprint is also slightly lower than carbon’s, and it delivers the same electrical performance using 100 to 1,000 times less material.</li><li>Abundance: Copper is much more abundant and affordable than silver, ensuring a stable and scalable supply, as well as lower costs and reduced cost volatility.</li><li>Recyclability: Copper inks can be composted and recycled.</li></ul><h2>Benefits of Copprint ink for rapid prototyping</h2><p><strong>Q: What are the benefits of using Copprint ink for rapid electronics prototyping?</strong></p><p>Copprint copper nano inks are designed for speed, precision, and flexibility, making them ideal for rapid prototyping. Their print-ready formulations work with standard printing techniques, allowing engineers to quickly iterate designs without specialized equipment. The conductive inks are sintered in seconds at 150-300°C, depending on the substrate, enabling fast turnaround times and low-cost development for functional prototypes.&nbsp;</p><p>Additionally, the inks support fine geometries and high-resolution patterns, making them suitable for complex circuits in applications like <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/wearable-flexible-electronics">wearables</a>, IoT devices, and smart packaging. Since copper nano ink can be used for both prototyping and large-scale manufacturing, using it during the prototyping phases facilitates a smoother transition to mass production.</p><h2>Nano copper ink sustainability benefits</h2><p><strong>Q: What sustainability benefits does nano copper ink offer?</strong></p><p>Additive manufacturing with copper conductive inks offers a sustainable alternative to the highly polluting chemical etching processes used in traditional circuit board production. By using nano copper inks in a design-for-additive-manufacturing (DfAM) approach, engineers can print copper only where it’s needed, eliminating the wasteful etching of copper-clad laminates. This method not only reduces material usage and cost but also enables ultra-thin copper layers, lighter boards, and integrated functionality.&nbsp;</p><p>Copper inks are also highly recyclable and serve as a more affordable and abundant substitute for expensive and scarce silver used in silver-based inks. Copprint’s additive process further enhances sustainability by cutting CO₂ emissions by over 50% and minimizing the use of water, energy, and toxic chemicals. This approach supports cleaner production and contributes to a smaller environmental footprint and is already being explored in <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/flexible-hybrid-electronics">flexible electronics</a>, smart fabrics, and embedded IoT systems.</p><h2>Rheological requirements for DIW and screen printing</h2><p><strong>Q: How do your ink formulations address the rheological requirements for compatibility with direct ink writing and screen printing?</strong></p><p>Copprint’s inks are engineered with precise rheological control to ensure compatibility with a wide range of <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/screen-printing-direct-ink-writing-printed-electronics">additive PCB manufacturing methods</a>. The formulations maintain optimal <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-is-viscosity">viscosity</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-surface-energy">surface tension</a>, and particle dispersion, allowing for smooth flow, accurate deposition, and excellent adhesion. The inks deliver high-resolution patterns with minimal spreading or clogging across both rigid and flexible substrates, supporting scalable production and prototyping.&nbsp;</p><p>The product portfolio of inks is designed for specific substrates, and the viscosity, thixotropy, and particle size distribution (PSD) are tailored to fit different printing techniques and outcomes such as thin or thick printing.</p><p>The entire product portfolio is compatible with the <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a> materials dispensing system.</p><h2>Copprint ink in innovative prototyping</h2><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="__wf_reserved_inherit" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69a5039f02ca1914ba301c12_conductive-nano-copper-ink-rfid-antenna.webp" loading="lazy"></div></figure><p><strong>Q: Can you share an interesting or innovative project that has used Copprint ink in a prototyping context?</strong></p><p>An example is the process towards large-scale manufacturing of radio-frequency identification <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/copper-rfid-tag">(RFID) antennas</a>. The prototyping phase requires many cycles for optimal radio frequency (RF) design and many different circuits and tests. As optimization needs to be done using the same manufacturing technique, using copper inks for both prototyping and large-scale production makes this possible.</p><p>To learn more about Copprint and their copper nanoparticle materials, visit their <a href="https://www.copprint.com/" target="_blank">website</a> or reach out to them at <a href="mailto:info@copprint.com">info@copprint.com</a>.</p><h2>Additional resources</h2><ul><li>Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/2COFihlYVos">Printing Copper RFID Tags</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-rfid-tag-copper-ink-paper">Printing an RFID Tag with Copper Ink on Paper</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/role-conductive-inks-additive-electronics-manufacturing">Role of Conductive Inks in Additive Electronics Manufacturing</a></li></ul>

Prototyping with Conductive Nano Copper Ink from Copprint

Learn how Copprint’s nano copper inks create a seamless transition from prototyping to large-scale manufacturing while improving sustainability goals.

<p>Adhesives play a crucial role in the manufacturing of modern electronics and product development, from securing tiny surface-mount components on circuit boards to bonding structural parts in advanced devices. Unlike mechanical fasteners, adhesives bond dissimilar materials with uniform stress distribution, while providing thermal and electrical insulation, simplifying structural design [1].</p><h2>Types of adhesives</h2><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A diagram showing the advancements in adhesives in chronological order. From left to right: natural adhesives (before 1900s), phenolic resin (1900s), polyurethane (1930s), epoxy resin (1950s), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (1960s), and switchable adhesives (2000s)" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68486f954b72fe8b4a4a4b0f_dispense-adhesives-polyurethane-epoxy-copolymer-switchable.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Chronology of advancements in adhesives ©<a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.202200264" target="_blank">Liu, Z., &amp; Yan, F.</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Adhesives evolved from ancient natural materials like clay to early synthetics like phenolic resins. Polymer advances in the 1930s introduced epoxy resins (1950s), cyanoacrylate (1957), and hot melt glues (1960s) [2].&nbsp;</p><p>The most recent innovations in adhesives are concerned with greener solutions. For example:</p><ul><li>Switchable adhesives activated by light, heat, magnetic fields, or electricity, enabling reversible bonding in robotics, electronics, and microfluidics [2][3]</li><li>Poly(hydroxyurethane) (PHU) derived from cyclic carbonates and amines as a safer, non-isocyanate alternative to polyurethanes, expanding anticorrosion and flame-retardant applications [4]</li><li>Biocompatible adhesives engineered for strong tissue adhesion plus antimicrobial activity, drug delivery, or self-healing, improving surgical outcomes [5]</li></ul><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Four PHU coating applications: abrasion-resistant flooring (PHU-epoxy), flame-retardant (phosphorus-based), anticorrosion (silica-based), and antimicrobial (ammonium-bearing)." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68486fd4097c32408fb3cc0d_dispense-adhesives-high-temperature-anticorrosion-antimicrobial.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Applications of hybrid poly(hydroxyurethane) (PHU) adhesives ©<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c02558" target="_blank">Gomez-Lopez, A., et al</a><a href="https://www.astrj.com/A-Lean-Robotics-Approach-to-the-Scheduling-of-Robotic-Adhesive-Dispensing-Process,152332,0,2.html">.</a>,<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank"> CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><h2>Adhesive dispensing methods</h2><p>Selecting the appropriate adhesive dispensing method is as critical as the adhesive choice. The main methods include manual dispensing, non-contact jetting, and contact dispensing.</p><p>Manual glue dispensers, such as handheld hot melt glue guns, have been reported to have the <a href="https://www.adhesivesmag.com/articles/98601-common-dispensing-challenges-and-solutions-for-adhesives-and-other-materials">lowest shot-to-shot repeatability</a> (the system’s ability to deliver consistent volumes of adhesive) of all. For precision applications, the goal is to deposit the right adhesive amount at the right location with repeatable accuracy.&nbsp;</p><p>Researchers [6] have identified contact dispensing systems as “the most effective dispensing technology” for accommodating a wide viscosity range. These systems vary from desktop <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> (DIW) to <a href="https://www.astrj.com/A-Lean-Robotics-Approach-to-the-Scheduling-of-Robotic-Adhesive-Dispensing-Process,152332,0,2.html">4-axis robotic hands</a>.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A simulation of a lean robotics adhesive dispensing system on a work station dispensing adhesives on the edge of one of the components of a printed circuit board" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/684870074d8b0d8060663831_dispense-adhesives-contact-robotic-hand-pcb.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A robotic adhesive dispensing system © <a href="https://www.astrj.com/A-Lean-Robotics-Approach-to-the-Scheduling-of-Robotic-Adhesive-Dispensing-Process,152332,0,2.html" target="_blank">Sobaszek, Ł.</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><h2>Choosing adhesive dispensing equipment and substrates</h2><p>Selecting adhesive and fluid dispensing systems requires balancing cohesive forces (within the adhesive) and adhesive forces (between the adhesive and substrate).</p><h3>Rheological and chemical properties of adhesives</h3><p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-is-viscosity">Viscosity</a> governs flow characteristics, affects droplet or line formation, and impacts equipment compatibility. In general, low-viscosity adhesives are suited to non-contact jetting, while high-viscosity adhesives often necessitate contact dispensing systems due to their flow resistance.&nbsp;</p><p>For example, one study [7] found that epoxy adhesives with 60 weight percentage hybrid fillers (graphite, boron nitride, and silver flakes) exhibited an 11-fold viscosity increase over neat epoxy, directly impacting flow resistance during dispensing.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Diagram categorizing droplet impact outcomes into deposition, beaded deposition corona splash/break-up, prompt splash/break-up, partial rebound, and full rebound" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b72fd5843154c20c594711_dispense-adhesives-equipment-substrate-rheology-wettability.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Classification of droplet impact behaviors during deposition processes ©<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/13/5/817#">Krishnan, G. H., et al.</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><h3>Substrate wettability</h3><p>The <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-surface-energy">surface energy</a> of substrates dictates adhesive wetting and bond strength. High-surface-energy materials, such as metals, ceramics, and glass, enable adhesives to spread and form strong interfacial contact. Conversely, low-surface-energy polymers like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene (PE), or polypropylene inhibit wetting, causing adhesives to bead up and delaminate [8].</p><h2>Adjusting dispensing parameters </h2><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Two valves mounted on commercial syringes. Upper valve: long nozzle (16.5 mm) and external ring magnet fixture. Lower valve: short nozzle (5.5 mm) and ring magnet attached by clamping fixture" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/68486f4bf153640c76367dd5_dispense-adhesives-adjusting-parameters-pressure-time.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Dispensing syringes equipped with valves ©<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/4/1/9" target="_blank">Bammesberger, S. B., et al</a><a href="https://www.astrj.com/A-Lean-Robotics-Approach-to-the-Scheduling-of-Robotic-Adhesive-Dispensing-Process,152332,0,2.html">.</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 3.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Fine-tuning an adhesive dispensing system’s parameters is essential to ensure high-quality adhesive application, as small adjustments significantly affect feature formation, size, and bond strength. Key parameters include dispensing pressure, time, rate, lifting speed, needle size, and temperature.</p><h3>Dispensing pressure</h3><p>Dispensing pressure directly influences adhesive flow and feature consistency. High-viscosity adhesives need greater pressure to flow through the needle; however, too much pressure can cause overflow or tailing, leading to more waste and inconsistent deposit shapes [6].</p><h3>Dispensing time and rate</h3><p>Dispensing time (the duration for which the adhesive is actively extruded) and dispensing rate (volume dispensed per unit time) determine deposit size and shape. Longer dispensing times increase deposit size and wetting area, but excessive durations produce unstable droplets due to persistent liquid bridges [6].</p><h3>Lifting speed&nbsp;</h3><p>The speed at which the dispensing tip lifts away from the substrate also affects deposit morphology. Lower lifting speeds allow the adhesive more time to stabilize, forming smoother and more uniform features. In contrast, higher lifting speeds can produce uneven feature shapes with pronounced tailing and instability [6].</p><h3>Temperature control</h3><p>Adjusting the temperature of the adhesive can alter its viscosity and improve dispensability. For <a href="https://bonstone.com/affect-of-temperature-on-the-cure-properties-of-two-part-adhesives/" target="_blank">two-part adhesives</a> and structural acrylics which have a limited pot life, dynamic temperature control helps ensure consistent application even as ambient conditions fluctuate.&nbsp;</p><p>Slightly increasing the temperature may reduce viscosity, facilitating smoother adhesive flow through the syringe barrels and needle. However, excessive temperatures could prematurely initiate curing or degrade adhesive performance [8].</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Dispensing adhesives is a precise science — it requires understanding the chemistry and behavior of your chosen adhesives as well as mastering the equipment and process control parameters. By selecting the right type of adhesive for the job and using appropriate adhesive dispensing systems, researchers, engineers, and product designers can optimize their designs and increase efficiency and throughput.</p><p>Interested in learning more about dispensing adhesives? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Application overview: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/adhesive-dispensing">Adhesive dispensing systems</a>&nbsp;</li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/electronics-encapsulation">What Is Electronics Encapsulation?</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/dot-dispensing">What Is Dot Dispensing?</a></li></ul><p>Want to explore dispensing adhesives with <a href="http://voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a>? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=dispense-adhesives&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p><h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2><h3>What are the best adhesive systems for automated dispensing?</h3><p>The best options for automatic adhesive dispensing combine precise flow control with easy calibration. <a href="http://voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a> uses <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> (DIW) to handle a wide range of materials, from epoxies to flexible conductive inks, while maintaining consistent bead geometry and minimal waste.</p><h3>What maintenance does adhesive dispensing equipment require?</h3><p>Regular cleaning and inspection reduce downtime. We recommend keeping nozzles clear and storing materials properly to ensure smooth, efficient operation with little maintenance needed for ongoing reliability and productivity.</p><h3>Where can I find help if I’m new to dispensing systems?</h3><p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/about/contact-us">Reach out</a> for technical support to review parameters, troubleshoot issues, or choose materials. Our expert advice helps you operate your system more efficiently and avoid wasted runs.</p><h3>Can I use the same dispensing setup for solder pastes?</h3><p>No. Solder pastes behave differently — they contain metal particles that melt during the reflow process. The dispensing principles are similar, but cure temperatures, handling, and cleanup differ. Always follow the correct process to protect your machine and maintain productivity.</p><h3>Do adhesives also act as sealants?</h3><p>Many formulations double as sealants for environmental sealing, gasketing, or protection around sensitive parts. Selecting the right chemistry prevents leaks and ensures long-term reliability.</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Maggiore, S., Banea, M. D., Stagnaro, P., &amp; Luciano, G. (2021). A Review of Structural Adhesive Joints in Hybrid Joining Processes. <em>Polymers</em>, 13(22), 3961. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13223961" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13223961</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[2] Liu, Z., &amp; Yan, F. (2022). Switchable Adhesion: On‐Demand Bonding and Debonding. <em>Advanced Science</em>, 9(12), 2200264. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202200264" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202200264</a>.</p><p>[3] Wasay, A., &amp; Sameoto, D. (2014). “Geckofluidics”: A new concept in reversible bonding of Microfluidic Channels. <em>Hilton Head Workshop 2014: A Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems Workshop</em>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.31438/trf.hh2014.119" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.31438/trf.hh2014.119</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[4] Gomez-Lopez, A., Panchireddy, S., Grignard, B., Calvo, I., Jerome, C., Detrembleur, C., &amp; Sardon, H. (2021). Poly(hydroxyurethane) Adhesives and Coatings: State-of-the-Art and Future Directions. <em>ACS Sustainable Chemistry &amp; Engineering</em>, 9(29), 9541–9562. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c02558" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c02558</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[5] Pinnaratip, R., Bhuiyan, M. S. A., Meyers, K., Rajachar, R. M., &amp; Lee, B. P. (2019). Multifunctional Biomedical Adhesives.<em> Advanced Healthcare Materials</em>, 8(11), 1801568. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.201801568" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.201801568</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[6] Zou, J., Huang, M., Zhao, D., Chen, F., &amp; Wang, D. (2023). Modeling the contact dispensing process of conductive adhesives with different viscosities and optimization of droplet deposition. <em>Frontiers in Materials</em>, 10. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2023.1183747" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2023.1183747</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[7] Kumar, R., Mishra, A., Sahoo, S., Panda, B. P., Mohanty, S., &amp; Nayak, S. K. (2019). Epoxy‐based composite adhesives: Effect of hybrid fillers on thermal conductivity, rheology, and lap shear strength. <em>Polymers for Advanced Technologies</em>, 30(6), 1365–1374. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.4569" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.4569</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[8] Lall, P., Goyal, K., Schulze, K., &amp; Miller, S. (2021). Electrically Conductive Adhesive Interconnections on A<em>dditively Printed Substrates</em>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/itherm51669.2021.9503235" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1109/itherm51669.2021.9503235</a>.</p>

Adhesive Dispensing Explained: Methods and Materials

Learn about adhesive dispensing methods, material rheology and chemical properties, substrate compatibility, and dispense parameters.

<p>In this webinar, our Support Lead, Nathan Shinkar, was joined by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackjherring/">Jack Herring</a>, founder of <a href="https://www.jivamaterials.com/">Jiva Materials</a>, to explore how <a href="https://www.jivamaterials.com/technology/">Soluboard<sup>®</sup></a>, a biodegradable PCB substrate, offers a sustainable alternative to traditional FR4 boards. The session included insights on sustainability in PCB prototyping, an in-depth look at Soluboard, and how easily it integrates with our <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/v-one">V-One PCB printer</a>.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X566QCE6IZY"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X566QCE6IZY" title="Webinar: Printing Biodegradable PCBs" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Webinar highlights</h2><h3>Why sustainability matters in PCB prototyping</h3><p>Nathan kicked off the session with a look at how additive electronics, more specifically <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> (DIW), help reduce e-waste:</p><ul><li>Print only where needed — less material waste</li><li>No harsh chemicals or etching processes</li><li>No need for offshoring or bulk orders — fewer shipping emissions</li><li>Compatible with recyclable and biodegradable substrates like Soluboard®</li></ul><p>As a DIW PCB printer, V-One supports eco-conscious development by enabling desktop additive PCB prototyping with <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/conductive-inks">conductive ink</a> printing, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/solder-paste-printing">solder paste dispensing</a>, and reflow, all without relying on traditional subtractive manufacturing methods. For more advanced builds, the V-One also offers through-hole drilling to support double-sided circuits.</p><h3>Soluboard<sup>®</sup>: The world’s first recyclable PCB substrate</h3><p>Jack Herring introduced Soluboard, a biodegradable and recyclable thermoplastic laminate made from natural fibers like jute and flax. Compared to FR4, Soluboard:</p><ul><li>Has a reduced carbon footprint of over 68% (up to 73% for thin substrates)</li><li>Supports metal recovery via a non-hazardous hot-water recycling process</li><li>Fully decomposes natural fiber layers in ~75 days post-recycling</li><li>Is <a href="https://www.ul.com/services/certification">UL-recognized</a> and compatible with through-hole and double-sided PCB designs</li><li>Is already used by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for sustainability-compliant hardware development</li></ul><p>Soluboard performs reliably in environmental and thermal testing, with lower thermal expansion than FR4—minimizing delamination and warping during soldering.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Close-up of a Soluboard® PCB showing copper traces and natural fiber backing, alongside key benefits: 68% lower carbon footprint, drop-in epoxy replacement, and water-based recyclability." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/686542eee2ab711cc41164e6_webinar-printing-biodegradable-pcbs-soluboard-benefits.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Benefits of Soluboard®</figcaption></figure><h3>Integrating Soluboard® with V-One</h3><p>Soluboard integrates directly into the V-One workflow:</p><ul><li>Works with the V-One’s standard bake and reflow steps</li><li>Supports two-sided PCB prototyping with drilling and rivet pressing</li><li>Compatible with Voltera’s low-temp soldering process</li></ul><p>Soluboard is now available in limited quantities through the <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/3-x-4-soluboard-substrates-6-pack">Voltera Store</a>.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="6 pieces of 3&quot; × 4&quot; light brown Soluboards® " src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6865434b663b5a56c540804a_webinar-printing-biodegradable-pcbs-soluboards-voltera.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Soluboard® sold on Voltera’s online store</figcaption></figure><h2>Live Q&amp;A</h2><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: How long does it take for Soluboard to biodegrade?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: ~75 days for natural fibers, after the recycling process.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: Can it support multilayer or buried/blind vias?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: Multilayer support is on the roadmap (Q3-Q4 2025). Current minimum via diameter is 0.3 mm.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: Can any PCB shop use Soluboard?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: Yes, with coordination through OEMs or direct inquiry to Jiva Materials.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: What polymer is used in the blend?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), chosen for performance and minimal environmental impact. For more information, refer to their <a href="https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/94/62/b2/fa3ec3588a3513/WO2018234801A1.pdf">patent document</a>.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: Is Soluboard compatible with immersion cooling or flexible PCBs?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: Soluboard is not currently designed for immersion-cooled or flex PCBs, but testing is ongoing.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: What are the dielectric properties?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: Dielectric constant ranges from ~3.5 to 4, depending on fiber type.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: How thin can the substrate go?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: Currently down to 0.3 mm, with thinner variants under development.</li></ul><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>Want to learn more about sustainable PCB prototyping and how Voltera’s products help create greener electronics? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/prototyping-conductive-nano-copper-ink-copprint">Prototyping with Sustainable Conductive Nano Copper Ink</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-pcbs-biodegradable-substrates-end-of-life-recovery">Printing PCBs on Biodegradable Substrates for End-of-Life Recovery</a></li><li>Application: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/additive-pcb-prototyping">Additive PCB Prototyping</a></li></ul><p>Ready to talk about how V-One can help you make green electronics? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-biodegradable-pcbs&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p>

Webinar Recap: Printing Biodegradable PCBs

In this webinar, we explored Soluboard®, a biodegradable PCB substrate, and how it is compatible with Voltera’s V-One PCB printer for sustainable prototyping.

<p>Excessive heat in electronics is a leading cause of premature component failure. As modern electronic devices trend toward miniaturization and higher energy density, efficient heat dissipation has become a critical design challenge for thermal management systems.</p><p>Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) are specialized compounds placed between two surfaces (e.g., between a microprocessor and a heat sink) to improve heat transfer. They eliminate microscopic air pockets caused by surface roughness, replacing low thermal conductivity air (0.026 W/m·K) with a more efficient interface to reduce thermal resistance levels and enhance conduction.</p><h2>Applications of thermal interface material</h2><p>TIM materials are crucial for effective heat transfer in electronics systems, power electronics, and medical devices. They prevent overheating in CPUs, GPUs, LEDs, and high-power electronics [1], ensure reliability in <a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/thermal-interface-materials/1011" target="_blank">automotive and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS)</a>, and maintain safety and accuracy in <a href="https://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/component/content/article/23307-applying-metallic-thermal-interface-materials-for-medical-electronics" target="_blank">medical imaging, surgical equipment, and portable health monitors</a>, enhancing performance, reliability, and device longevity.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A chart comparing six types of TIM materials in terms of thermal conductivity, contact thermal resistance, pump-out, reusability, stress absorption, and replaceability. From top to bottom: thermal pad, thermal gel, thermal conductive adhesive (TCA), phase-change material (PCM), thermal grease, and metal solders." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6838a54f28cdcf2275ba2f63_thermal-interface-material-tca-pcm-metal.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Common types of commercial TIMs and typical properties ©<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13214287" target="_blank">Tu, Y., et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>TIMs come in various formulations and can be grouped into six main categories: thermal pads, thermal grease, thermal gels, thermally conductive adhesives (TCA), phase-change materials (PCM), and metal solders [2]. Apart from prefabricated thermal pads, the rest of the categories are compatible with TIM paste dispensing techniques such as syringe dispensing, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-screen-printing">screen printing</a>, or <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> (DIW).</p><h2>Thermal grease</h2><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A hand applying thermal paste on a microprocessor using a spatula" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b72f06651b5cf53549f908_thermal-interface-material-thermal-paste-microprocessor.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Thermal paste being applied on a microprocessor</figcaption></figure><p>Thermal greases, also known as thermal compounds or pastes, are non-curing viscous liquids, usually consisting of a polymer oil (often synthetic or silicone-based materials) filled with thermally conductive particles like metal oxides and metal powders [3]. They typically exhibit bulk thermal conductivities between 2 W/m·K and 10 W/m·K [2]. More recent thermal pastes use inorganic fillers, such as aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, and silicon carbide, as well as metallic fillers, such as silver and copper, to enhance thermal conductivities up to 17 W/m·K [1].&nbsp;</p><p>A key advantage of thermal greases is their excellent conformability and low hardness. Thermal greases have no inherent bonding strength (they remain wet or semi-fluid), which allows them to flow readily and fill very thin interface areas on the order of <a href="https://krafab.com/thermal-interface-materials/" target="_blank">5 mils</a> (about 127 μm) or less.&nbsp;</p><p>However, a well-known drawback of thermal pastes is their tendency to migrate under thermal cycling. Repeated expansion or contraction of the interface (due to temperature swings and differing coefficients of thermal expansion) can cause the grease to be slowly pushed (“pump-out”) from the interface over time [3]. This pump-out of excess material or drying of thermal greases can lead to <a href="https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/ca/en/services/resources/white-papers-technical-papers/beyond-thermal-grease-enhancing-thermal-performance-and-reliability.html" target="_blank">performance degradation</a> in long-term use.</p><h3>Thermal gel</h3><p>Thermal gels are typically <a href="https://www.jointas-chemical.com/article/understanding-thermal-gel.html" target="_blank">one-part or two-part</a> formulations that result in an ultra-soft, gel-like polymer matrix filled with thermally conductive particles, similar to thermal pastes. Unlike standard thermal grease, which <a href="https://www.jointas-chemical.com/article/difference-between-thermal-grease-and-thermal-gel.html" target="_blank">does not cure</a>,&nbsp;thermal gels cure into a soft, rubbery solid and serve as effective thermal gap filler materials.</p><p>Because thermal gels are inherently cohesive, they resist pump-out and can handle mechanical vibration or thermal cycling more robustly [2]. This makes them popular in <a href="https://gravicgroup.com/en/thermal-gel/" target="_blank">automotive electronics</a> and other cases where shock or flex might be an issue — the gel fills the gap and also absorbs mechanical stress.</p><h3>Thermally conductive adhesives</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A diagram depicting the heat conduction mechanism in thermally conductive adhesives (TCA), showing three zones: the hot surface, the conductive path (TCA layer), and the cold surface." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6838a60e47e67b974765793e_thermal-interface-material-thermally-conductive-adhesive.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Heat conduction mechanism of thermally conductive adhesives ©<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/19/3337" target="_blank">Alim, Md. A., et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>TCAs are polymer-based thermal interface materials that not only conduct heat but also mechanically bond components together. These thermal adhesives are usually epoxy-, silicone-, or acrylate-based adhesives loaded with thermally conductive fillers such as <a href="https://en.elaplus.cc/thermal-conductive-adhesive-suitable-for-electronic-and-semiconductor-applications/">alumina, boron nitride, or metallic particles</a>. Most commercial TCAs have thermal conductivities around 1-4 W/m·K, though some specialized formulations (with very high loadings of silver or novel fillers) report high thermal conductivity values above 10-20 W/m·K [2].&nbsp;</p><p>The biggest advantage of using TCAs is that a heat sink or component can be glued in place, eliminating the need for screws, clips, or clamps as a heat sink attachment method. This is valuable for small form factor designs or when mechanical retention is difficult (e.g., bonding a heat spreader onto a BGA package lid, or attaching an LED to a heat sink in a lighting module).</p><p>However, a cured adhesive is typically more rigid than a grease or gel. Many thermally conductive epoxies are filled with ceramic or metal powder and can be quite stiff. This means that while they hold parts firmly, if there is differential thermal expansion between the two bonded surfaces, the adhesive layer will experience shear stress. Over many thermal cycles, a brittle adhesive could crack or delaminate [4].</p><h2>Phase-change materials</h2><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A figure illustrating the phase changes microcapsules, categorized by core materials, shell materials, and thermal adhesives" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6838a65fd4c3b7151b5144f3_thermal-interface-material-phase-change-material.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Overview of phase change microcapsules ©<a href="https://www.oaepublish.com/articles/energymater.2023.04" target="_blank">Du B., et al</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>The base material of PCMs is often a wax or paraffin-like substance (sometimes blended with polymers), loaded with conductive filler particles. At room temperature, PCM is solid or highly viscous, which means it can be pre-applied to components without mess or flow. Once the electronic device heats up in operation and exceeds the phase-change temperature (typically 50-80 °C) [5], PCM softens to a semi-liquid state, flowing and filling in all microscopic air gaps at the interface. On cooling, PCM re-solidifies, holding the filler particles in place and preventing pump-out or dripping when the device is off.</p><p>Because PCMs do not cure chemically, they can pump-out if the device is cycled above the phase-change point without proper clamping – but in practice, well-designed PCM TIMs are formulated to resist excessive flow, and their ability to re-solidify provides greater long-term stability than uncured greases [2].</p><h2>Metal TIMs (solder)</h2><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A printed circuit board with multiple ICs, showing solder paste dispensed on pins" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b72f4133dcf9e382a510d3_thermal-interface-material-metal-solder-paste.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Solder paste dispensed on a printed circuit board being reflowed</figcaption></figure><p>Metal TIMs in paste form are solder pastes used as thermal interfaces. They consist of fine metal alloy powders (e.g., <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9816406" target="_blank">indium-based alloys</a> for high performance applications) suspended in a flux binder, similar to the solder pastes used in PCB assembly. They are dispensed using a thermal paste dispenser or similar precision equipment. Then the assembly is reflowed to melt the metal powder, creating a solid metal interface [6].</p><p>Metal solders have some of the lowest measured contact resistances (e.g., <a href="https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IMECE/proceedings-abstract/IMECE2010/77/339779" target="_blank">0.00253 cm<sup> 2</sup> K/W</a>) and deliver optimal thermal performance. They are used in scenarios demanding extreme heat flux transfer, such as high-power or high-density electronics. For example, many high-end server and GPU chips use a solder TIM between the die and heat spreader to handle the heat load that a grease would struggle with [7].</p><p>However, the excellent thermal performance of metal solders comes with trade-offs of mechanical properties: Metals have high stiffness and low compliance, so a solder layer will not accommodate differential thermal expansion well. Similar to conductive adhesives, if the two bonded parts expand at different rates, stresses can build up in the solder, potentially causing fatigue or cracks over many thermal cycles [5].</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Thermal interface materials are an indispensable component in the design of modern electronic and electrical systems. Different types of thermal interface materials — grease, gel, adhesive, PCM, solder — offer unique thermal and mechanical advantages. Selecting the optimal thermal management solution involves a multifaceted trade-off that balances thermal conduction and mechanical performance, manufacturability, costs, and design complexity.&nbsp;</p><p>Interested in the applications of TIM materials? Explore these resources:</p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/print-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits-nova">Print Multilayer Flexible and Stretchable Circuits with NOVA</a></li><li>Report: <a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/thermal-interface-materials/1011" target="_blank">Thermal Interface Materials 2024-2034: Technologies, Markets, and Forecasts</a></li><li>Open course: <a href="https://youtu.be/w6R6V1Mpz7s?si=p39yNQ5PcCgPo-5I" target="_blank">Thermal Modeling and Heat Sinking</a></li></ul><p>Are you dispensing thermal interface materials? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=thermal-interface-material&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Xing, W., Xu, Y., Song, C., &amp; Deng, T. (2022). Recent Advances in Thermal Interface Materials for Thermal Management of High-Power Electronics. <em>Nanomaterials</em>, 12(19), 3365. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12193365" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12193365</a>.</p><p>[2] Tu, Y., Liu, B., Yao, G., Luo, H., Jia, X., Du, J., &amp; Xu, C. (2024). A Review of Advanced Thermal Interface Materials with Oriented Structures for Electronic Devices. <em>Electronics</em>, 13(21), 4287–4287. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13214287" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13214287</a>.</p><p>[3] Prasher, R. (2006). Thermal Interface Materials: Historical Perspective, Status, and Future Directions. <em>Proceedings of the IEEE</em>, 94(8), 1571–1586. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/jproc.2006.879796" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1109/jproc.2006.879796</a>.</p><p>[4] Zhou, Y., Wu, S., Long, Y., Zhu, P., Wu, F., Liu, F., Murugadoss, V., Winchester, W., Nautiyal, A., Wang, Z., &amp; Guo, Z. (2020). Recent Advances in Thermal Interface Materials. <em>ES Materials &amp; Manufacturing</em>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.30919/esmm5f717" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.30919/esmm5f717</a>.</p><p>[5] F. Sarvar, Whalley, D. C., &amp; Conway, P. (2006). Thermal Interface Materials - A Review of the State of the Art. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/estc.2006.280178" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1109/estc.2006.280178</a>.</p><p>[6] Lee, D. W., Mayberry, R., Mackie, A., Hable, B., Heller, D., Jarrett, B., Zhao, X., &amp; Nash, T. (2022). Optimizing Reflowed Solder TIM (sTIMs) Processes for Emerging Heterogeneous Integrated Packages. 2022. <em>IEEE 72nd Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC)</em>, 1228–1237. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/ectc51906.2022.00197" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1109/ectc51906.2022.00197</a>.</p><p>[7] Razeeb, K. M., Dalton, E., Graham, &amp; Robinson, A. J. (2017). Present and future thermal interface materials for electronic devices. <em>International Materials Reviews</em>, 63(1), 1–21. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09506608.2017.1296605" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1080/09506608.2017.1296605</a>.</p>

What Is Thermal Interface Material (TIM)?

Understand TIM material for thermal management. Learn the pros and cons of pads, grease, gel, TCA, PCM, and metal solder interfaces for hot-running devices.

Thermal Interface Material (TIM): Selection Guide

Explore thermal interface materials (TIM), including thermal pastes, thermal gels, conductive adhesives (TCA), phase-change materials (PCM), and metal solders.

<p>Researchers and product developers continually push the limits of precision and resolution in material dispensing. Dot dispensing in electronics and other advanced fields such as additive manufacturing, chemical engineering, and biomedicine provides the fine control needed for cutting-edge applications, enabling features such as fine <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/solder-paste-printing">solder paste application</a>, DNA microarrays (a kind of biochip), or <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/adhesive-dispensing">adhesive</a> micro dots.</p><h2>How dot dispensing works</h2><p>In dot dispensing (a form of drop-on-demand printing), a small volume of functional material is ejected from a nozzle to form a droplet (”dot”) that lands on a substrate at a specified location. Each dot is typically on the order of microliters, nanoliters, or even picoliters in volume.&nbsp;</p><p>The process is digitally controlled: each droplet is generated only when and where needed, allowing precise patterning and minimizing waste. By adjusting process parameters (such as pressure pulses or actuator voltage), the system controls the volume of each drop and thus the dot size on the substrate.</p><h2>Applications of dot dispensing</h2><p>The applications of dot dispensing include microelectronics packaging (e.g., solder paste, conductive adhesives), flexible printed electronics, microfluidics fabrication, biomaterial and cell-based bioprinting, LED phosphor dispensing, underfill encapsulation, and the construction of microstructured sensors and actuators for electronic skin and wearable technology. They provide high accuracy, repeatability, and scalability critical for complex device fabrication and advanced material development [1].</p><h2>Types of dot dispensing machines</h2><p>There are several engineering approaches to generate and dispense tiny dots. Based on one classification framework of Lee J M, et al. [2], dot dispensing mechanisms fall into two broad categories:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Material jetting: A non-contact method that uses actuation mechanisms such as piezoelectric or solenoid jet valves to eject discrete droplets</li><li>Material extrusion: A contact-based method where material is deposited through pressure-driven flow, including pneumatic time-pressure and positive displacement systems</li></ul><p>Each category is suited to a different viscosity range and precision level.</p><h2>Material jetting&nbsp;</h2><h3>Piezoelectric inkjet dot dispensing machines</h3><p>Piezoelectric inkjet dispensers use a piezoelectric actuator to create a pressure pulse in a small ink chamber, ejecting a droplet through a fine orifice. They produce extremely small droplets (single picoliters), enabling high-resolution patterning and precise application in the form of thin, accurate deposit dots and lines [3][4].</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A labelled diagram of a piezoelectric actuated jetting system" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/682f6834d9779ec4d984d983_dot-dispensing-piezoelectric-actuated-jetting-system.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A piezoelectric actuated jetting system © <a href="https://doi.org/10.4071/001c.127407" target="_blank">Agarwal, S</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>The limitation of piezoelectric inkjet, however, is that they impose strict ink property requirements: typically a viscosity below 40 cP and surface tension in the 20-70 mN/m-1 range for reliable jetting [5]. As such, piezoelectric inkjet dispensers are only suitable for micro volume dispensing of low-viscosity functional inks such as conductive polymers and nanoparticle inks [3].</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Droplet quality of an epoxy adhesive material with ~300 µm diameter jetted by a piezo-driven dispense valve from a dispense height of 2 mm from the substrate" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/682f68aac31d1f7199177c78_dot-dispensing-droplet-quality-piezoelectric-valve.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Quality of epoxy adhesive droplets with ~300 µm diameter jetted by a piezo-driven dispense valve © <a href="https://doi.org/10.4071/001c.127407" target="_blank">Agarwal, S</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><h3>Solenoid jetting dot dispensing machines</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/682f68d25591acdbdf9a4f81_dot-dispensing--solenoid-valve-jetting-system.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A pneumatic-solenoid valve droplet dispensing system, adapted from © <a href="https://mnsl-journal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40486-014-0005-8#:~:text=The%20measured%20droplet%20volume%20,to%20985%C2%A0nL%20because%20the%20maximum">Lee, S., et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Different from a piezo-actuated valve dispenser, where a piezoelectric stack or bending element drives the needle open and closed, in a solenoid jet valve, a coil generates a magnetic force to lift the valve needle off its seat momentarily, allowing fluid to jet out until the spring or magnetic force closes it again.</p><p>Similar to piezoelectric jetting systems, solenoid jetting dispensers excel at very high-speed dotting (up to kHz firing rates) and tiny dot sizes (tens of microns), but can handle viscosities <a href="https://tameson.com/pages/fluid-viscosity" target="_blank">up to about 40 cP</a>. Although <a href="https://utw10945.utweb.utexas.edu/Manuscripts/2013/2013-40-Yang.pdf" target="_blank">researchers</a> have been experimenting with pushing jetting into the higher viscosity range, challenges of pattern fidelity remain to be solved.&nbsp;</p><p>In addition, a material jetting system is more complex than a simple time-pressure syringe. It requires a precision-machined valve assembly and a dedicated driver (for the solenoid or piezo). These systems are often more expensive per dispense head than a basic pneumatic time-pressure dispenser, limiting their scalability.</p><h2>Material extrusion&nbsp;</h2><h3>Pneumatic time-pressure dot dispensing machines</h3><p>A time-pressure pneumatic dispenser uses a controlled pressure (air or inert gas) applied to a fluid reservoir to push material through a nozzle. By adjusting pressure and valve open time, discrete droplets can be dispensed [6].</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A labelled diagram of pneumatic time-pressure dispenser" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/682f6933a19e839f5635996e_dot-dispensing-pneumatic-time-pressure-dispenser.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A pneumatic time-pressure dispenser © <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363376844_Experimental_Study_of_the_Jetting_Behavior_of_High-Viscosity_Nanosilver_Inks_in_Inkjet-Based_3D_Printing" target="_blank">Xiao, X., et al</a>., <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>Compared to piezo or microvalve systems, pneumatic dispensers tolerate higher viscosity fluids than inkjet heads (typically 100-100,000 cP), making them versatile in their applications. They are suitable for thick adhesives, silicone sealants, solder pastes, or polymer gels that piezo inkjets cannot eject [7].&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Top row, left to right: Diagram of a pneumatic dispensing system; chart showing GelMA concentration versus dispensing time; chart showing dispensing time versus diameter of GelMA hydrogel beads (GHBs). Bottom row, left to right: Micrograph of tumor cell-laden GelMA beads dispensed by the pneumatic dispenser; chart showing GelMA concentration versus printed temperature; chart showing temperature versus modulus." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/682f6983f2725d3766e254f6_dot-dispensing-pneumatic-dispenser-tumer-cells.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>GelMa hydrogel beads containing tumor cells dispensed by a pneumatic dispensing system, © <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127522007742" target="_blank">Wei, X., et al</a> [8],<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a></figcaption></figure><p>However, the precision and minimum dot size achievable by pneumatic dispensers are more limited. The dispensed volume depends on several factors (pressure level, time, fluid viscosity, nozzle diameter, and even air compressibility) [9], which makes ultra-fine control challenging. Without additional feedback or mechanical pinch-off, achieving very small, consistent dot volumes (in the low-nanoliter range) is difficult due to variability in how the fluid stream breaks off [1].</p><h3>Positive displacement dot dispensing machines</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Results of solder paste dots dispensed by Voltera’s NOVA materials dispensing system with different print settings" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6842f5eaf8bcf80f9ec4104d_dot-dispensing-solder-paste-voltera-nova.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Solder dots dispensed by Voltera’s NOVA materials dispensing system under different settings</figcaption></figure><p>Positive displacement dot dispensing machines use mechanical actuators (e.g., pistons, auger/screws) to directly displace fluid, eliminating air compressibility errors inherent in pneumatic systems. This enables superior volumetric accuracy (&lt; about 1.5% coefficient of variation for 100 nL volumes) and precise control over high-viscosity fluids (up to 1,000,000 cP) [10].</p><p>Extrusion-based <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> equipment, such as <a href="http://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a> (pressure-feedback positive displacement dispensing), falls into this category, capable of accommodating highly viscous, paste-like inks that are orders of magnitude thicker than inks for inkjet dispensers. For example, silver-filled conductive adhesives with nano- or micro-particles, or solder paste with metal alloy powder, can be dispensed by DIW systems when they would clog a fine inkjet nozzle. The ability to deposit such high-solids, thixotropic fluids is a key advantage of extrusion-based dot dispensing [9].</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Dot dispensing technology continues to evolve, expanding its scope into new materials and applications. Improvements in actuator design, fluidics, and control software are pushing the boundaries of what can be dispensed in tiny dot form. By choosing the appropriate dispensing mechanism for a given material and feature size, scientists and engineers can reliably deposit microscopic amounts of material exactly where needed, enabling the fabrication of next-generation devices and materials, one tiny drop at a time.</p><p>Want to learn more about materials dispensing? Explore these resources:</p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/precision-fluid-dispensing-systems">What Are Precision Fluid Dispensing Systems?</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-is-viscosity">What Is Viscosity?</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/droplet-dispensing">What Is Droplet Dispensing?</a></li><li>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwtJUNKQ450" target="_blank">Dot, Dot, Dot...Optimized Dispensing for Silver-Filled Conductive Epoxy Adhesives</a></li></ul><p>Ready to discuss your dot dispensing needs? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=dot-dispensing&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with one of our technical representatives.</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Lee, S., Choi, I. H., Kim, Y. K., &amp; Kim, J. (2014). Velocity control of nanoliter droplets using a pneumatic dispensing system. <em>Micro and Nano Systems Letters</em>, 2(1). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40486-014-0005-8" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1186/s40486-014-0005-8</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[2] Lee, J. M., Sing, S. L., Zhou, M., &amp; Yeong, W. Y. (2018). 3D bioprinting processes: A perspective on classification and terminology. <em>International Journal of Bioprinting</em>, 4(2). <a href="https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v4i2.151" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v4i2.151</a>.</p><p>[3] Bernasconi, R., Brovelli, S., Viviani, P., Soldo, M., Giusti, D., &amp; Magagnin, L. (2021). Piezoelectric Drop‐On‐Demand Inkjet Printing of High‐Viscosity Inks. <em>Advanced Engineering Materials</em>, 24(1), 2100733. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202100733" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202100733</a>.</p><p>[4] Ng, W. L., Lee, J. M., Yeong, W. Y., &amp; Win Naing, M. (2017). Microvalve-based bioprinting – process, bio-inks and applications. <em>Biomaterials Science</em>, 5(4), 632–647. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/c6bm00861e" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1039/c6bm00861e</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[5] Tsai, H.-L., Hwang, W.-S., Wang, J.-K., Peng, W.-C., &amp; Chen , S.-H. (2015). Fabrication of Microdots Using Piezoelectric Dispensing Technique for Viscous Fluids. <em>Materials</em>, 8(10), 7006–7016. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ma8105355" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/ma8105355</a>.</p><p>[6] Durham, M., Wade, G., Judd, B., &amp; Boggiatto, J. (n.d.). Process Optimization for Fine Feature Solder Paste Dispensing. Retrieved May 9, 2025, from <a href="https://www.ipc.org/system/files/technical_resource/E40%26S16_01%20-%20Maria%20Durham.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.ipc.org/system/files/technical_resource/E40%26S16_01%20-%20Maria%20Durham.pdf</a>.</p><p>[7] Xiao, X., Li, G., Liu, T., &amp; Gu, M. (2022). Experimental Study of the Jetting Behavior of High-Viscosity Nanosilver Inks in Inkjet-Based 3D Printing. <em>Nanomaterials</em>, 12(17), 3076. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12173076" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12173076</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[8] Wei, X., Huang, B., Chen, K., Fan, Z., Wang, L., &amp; Xu, M. (2022). Dot extrusion bioprinting of spatially controlled heterogenous tumor models. <em>Materials &amp; Design</em>, 223, 111152. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2022.111152" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2022.111152</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[9] Polychronopoulos, N. D., &amp; Angeliki Brouzgou. (2024). Direct Ink Writing for Electrochemical Device Fabrication: A Review of 3D-Printed Electrodes and Ink Rheology. <em>Catalysts</em>, 14(2), 110–110. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14020110" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14020110</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[10] Ando, T., Hirano, M., Ishige, Y., &amp; Adachi, S. (2016). Precise Dispensing Technology Using Electroformed Tubes for Micro-Volume Blood Diagnosis. <em>IEEE journal of translational engineering in health and medicine</em>, 6, 2800506. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/JTEHM.2018.2852664" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1109/JTEHM.2018.2852664</a>.&nbsp;</p>

What Is Dot Dispensing?

Dive into the world of dot dispensing, from piezoelectric material jetting and pneumatic time-pressure dispensers to hybrid microvalve systems.

<p>Functional inks are the backbone of printed electronics, transforming ordinary substrates like plastic, paper, or textiles into smart, interactive devices. Functional inks add specialized properties — conductivity, sensing, or thermal regulation — to create circuits that power everything from wearable sensors to electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.</p><h2>Types of functional inks</h2><p>Functional inks are typically divided into three categories <a href="https://www.boydcorp.com/blog/fundamentals-functional-inks-part-1.html">based on their main use</a>: conductive, non-conductive, and specialty inks.</p><h3>Conductive inks</h3><p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/conductive-inks">Conductive ink</a> forms the electrical connection of printed electronics. These inks are composed of conductive fillers — such as silver, copper, or carbon — dispersed in a liquid vehicle containing binders, solvents, and additives that determine the viscosity, surface tension, wettability, and adhesion of the ink [1].&nbsp;</p><h4>Metal-organic decomposition (MOD) inks</h4><p>MOD ink contains metal-organic precursors dissolved in organic solvents, or complexing agents like amines or carboxylic acids. When heated, these compounds break down, forming a pure conductive metal layer. MOD inks are compatible with a variety of printing technologies, including <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> (DIW), <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-inkjet-technology">inkjet</a>, aerosol jet, and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-screen-printing">screen printing</a> [2].&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="six screen-printable MOD inks showing metal precursor, substrate, sintering temperature, and resistivity" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67f7ed22312283a6430378f8_functional-inks-printable-metal-organic-decomposition.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Samples of screen-printable MOD inks [2], © Kell, A., et al</figcaption></figure><p>These inks stand out because they can be processed at lower temperatures (usually below 150°C), making them perfect for flexible substrates like plastics. Silver MOD inks can achieve very high conductivity, similar to solid silver, after heating at just 90°C. Copper MOD inks also perform well but need special environments to prevent oxidation [1].&nbsp;</p><p>However, MOD inks typically experience significant volume loss after solvent evaporation, potentially leading to voids and conductivity issues, and require multiple print-and-sinter cycles to achieve the desired conductivity [2].</p><h4>Nanoparticle metal inks</h4><p>Nanoparticle inks use tiny metal particles (silver, copper, platinum, or gold) suspended in solvents. These inks offer excellent conductivity due to their high metal content (70-97.5% by weight). They're popular because they quickly solidify under laser or photonic sintering, making them great for flexible electronics [1][3].</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Processes for formulating particle ink and MOD ink" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67f7ed6470e235094f7e933b_functional-inks-formulating-particle-ink-mod-ink.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Processes for formulating particle ink and MOD ink [4] © Choi, Y., et al</figcaption></figure><p>However, nanoparticle inks can be tricky to produce. They often contain chemicals (surfactants) to prevent particle clumping, which must be removed at high temperatures, making it a challenge when working with heat-sensitive substrates like plastics [1].</p><h3>Non-conductive inks</h3><p>Non-conductive inks don’t carry electricity but are crucial for protecting and supporting electronic circuits. These inks include encapsulants to protect against moisture, bioinks that are safe for human skin, insulating inks for electrical isolation, and adhesive inks for bonding.</p><h4>Adhesive inks</h4><p>Adhesives hold layers of printed electronics together or attach electronic components directly to printed surfaces. Recent innovations include silicone-based adhesive inks that quickly cure without shrinking, ensuring stable and durable structures. This advancement greatly reduces curing time, prevents distortion, and improves adhesion between layers, solving common issues with traditional adhesives​ formulations [5].</p><h3>Specialty inks</h3><p>Specialty inks provide unique capabilities beyond electrical conductivity. Thermal inks help regulate temperature, enabling products like self-warming clothing or anti-fogging mirrors. Optical inks control light for anti-glare screens or OLED displays. EMI shielding inks, typically made with silver or carbon, protect electronics in industries ranging from consumer electronics to aerospace.</p><h4>Glass inks</h4><p>Glass ink is an exciting specialty ink used for advanced optical applications, like lenses or fiber optics. Recent research demonstrated how DIW technology can print water-sensitive borosilicate glass inks using fine glass powder mixed in hydrogel. Although currently opaque due to air pockets formed during heat treatment, ongoing research aims to make printed glass clearer, unlocking its potential for high-quality optical devices [6].</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Photo with glass ink formulated using DIW technology on the left and scanning electron microscope micrograph of the glass ink on the right" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67f7ed88e2ad07a788c152b9_functional-inks-diw-printing-glass-ink.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Glass ink formulated using DIW technology, photo and scanning electron microscope micrograph [6] © Nan, B.,et al</figcaption></figure><h2>Choosing the right substrate for functional inks</h2><p>The choice of material you print on significantly impacts ink performance. Rigid substrates like glass or ceramics tolerate high temperatures, and are ideal for MOD inks in precision electronics. Flexible substrates like polyimide films, paper, or textiles match well with lower-temperature inks, enabling flexible and wearable electronics.</p><h2>Formulating functional DIW inks</h2><p>Direct ink writing has been identified as the most versatile additive manufacturing technique for developing functional inks, allowing single-layer microscale circuits to multi-material, multilayer structures [7].</p><p>Successful DIW inks balance printability with functionality, which involves careful control of ink flow (rheology), ingredients, and curing [8].</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A cartridge containing carbon resistive ink formulated by Voltera’s Applications team" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b72e01197138fdb7902b9e_functional-inks-diy-carbon-resistive-ink.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Carbon resistive ink formulated by Voltera’s Applications team</figcaption></figure><h3>Rheological properties</h3><p>To print smoothly, inks must flow easily when pressure is applied but quickly stiffen after printing. This characteristic, known as shear-thinning, typically involves adding fine particles like silica or ceramic powders, which temporarily separate under pressure and quickly regroup afterward, helping the ink hold its shape [8].&nbsp;</p><h3>Ink composition</h3><p>Ink composition is a careful balance of binders, solvents, and functional additives tailored to the ink’s end use. For example, while conductive inks prioritize high filler loading for electron flow, adhesives emphasize polymer elasticity.&nbsp;</p><h3>Curing and post-processing</h3><p>Different inks require specific curing methods after deposition. For instance, air-dry inks solidify as solvents evaporate, while UV-cure inks rapidly harden under ultraviolet light. Choosing an appropriate curing method is essential to maintain the ink's intended functionality.</p><h2>Functional ink supplier and partnership with Voltera</h2><p>Major suppliers include <a href="https://www.acimaterials.com/">ACI Materials</a>, <a href="https://www.creativematerials.com/">Creative Materials</a>, <a href="https://novacentrix.com/">NovaCentrix</a>, and <a href="https://www.vfpinc.com/products/fabrication-solutions/">VFP</a>, offering everything from medical-grade nano inks to high-recovery adhesives.</p><p>At Voltera, we regularly create specialized electronics with functional inks, including:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-electroluminescent-ink-paper-pet">Electroluminescent display</a> (optical ink)</li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-magnesium-zinc-battery-saral-inks-pet">Flexible multilayer battery</a> (insulating, metal, and adhesive inks)</li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-silver-conductive-ink-cotton-fabric">Wearable heating element</a> (stretchable resistive ink)</li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu">ECG electrodes</a> (biocompatible gold ink)</li></ul><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Functional inks are reshaping printed electronics, enabling lightweight, flexible, and multi-functional products. From precise MOD inks to specialty glass and adhesive inks, these materials power innovation across IoT, healthcare, wearables, and beyond. With advancements continuing, the future holds greener, more efficient inks driving the electronics of tomorrow.</p><p>Want to learn more? Explore these resources:</p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/ultimate-guide-choosing-materials-new-electronics-product">The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Materials for a New Electronics Product</a></li><li>Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/UhzsusIzwY0">Developing a Custom Carbon Ink for Printing a Variable Resistor on PET</a></li><li>Application: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/functional-ink-development">Functional ink development</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/developing-custom-carbon-ink-printing-variable-resistor-pet">Developing a Custom Carbon Ink for Printing a Variable Resistor on PET</a></li></ul><p>Want to discuss your own functional ink development needs? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=functional-ink&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with a technical representative.</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1 ] Douglas, S. P., Mrig, S., &amp; Knapp, C. E. (2021). MODs vs. NPs: Vying for the Future of Printed Electronics.<em> Chemistry – a European Journal</em>, 27(31), 8062–8081. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202004860">https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202004860</a>.</p><p>[2] Kell, A. J., Wagner, K., Liu, X., Lessard, B. H., &amp; Paquet, C. (2023). Advanced Applications of Metal–Organic Decomposition Inks in Printed Electronics. <em>ACS Applied Electronic Materials</em>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaelm.3c00910">https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaelm.3c00910</a>.</p><p>[3] de Souza, F. M., &amp; Gupta, R. K. (2023). Smart Multifunctional Nano-inks: Fundamentals and Emerging Applications, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91145-0.00004-9">https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91145-0.00004-9</a> p. 659.</p><p>[4] Choi, Y., Seong, K., &amp; Piao, Y. (2019). Metal−Organic Decomposition Ink for Printed Electronics. <em>Advanced Materials Interfaces</em>, 6(20). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201901002">https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201901002</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[5] Garcia, V. J., G. M. Fazley Elahee, Collera, A. K., Thornton, T., Cheng, X., Rohan, S., Howard, E. L., Espera, A. H., &amp; Advincula, R. C. (2023). On the direct ink write (DIW) 3D printing of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)-based adhesive sealant. <em>MRS Communications</em>, 13(6), 1266–1274. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-023-00436-0">https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-023-00436-0</a>.</p><p>[6] Nan, B., Przemysław Gołębiewski, Ryszard Buczyński, Galindo-Rosales, F. J., &amp; Ferreira, F. (2020). Direct Ink Writing Glass: A Preliminary Step for Optical Application. <em>Materials</em>, 13(7), 1636–1636. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13071636">https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13071636</a>.</p><p>[7] Yang, G., Sun, Y., Limin qin, Li, M., Ou, K., Fang, J., &amp; Fu, Q. (2021). Direct-ink-writing (DIW) 3D printing functional composite materials based on supra-molecular interaction. <em>Composites Science and Technology</em>, 215, 109013. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2021.109013">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2021.109013</a>.</p><p>[8] De Smedt, S., Attaianese, B., &amp; Cardinaels, R. (2024). Direct ink writing of particle-based multiphase materials: From rheology to functionality. <em>Current Opinion in Colloid &amp; Interface Science</em>, 75, 101889. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cocis.2024.101889">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cocis.2024.101889</a>.</p>

What Are Functional Inks?

Explore functional inks, from ingredients, uses and suppliers to applications in energy storage, flexible displays, biocompatible electronics and more.

What Are Functional Inks

<p>In this webinar, our Applications Lead <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/thomas-p-b9ba01192">Thomas Pol</a> teamed up with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudresh-rudy-ghosh-phd-89463a4b">Dr. Rudresh (“Rudy”) Ghosh</a> from NovaCentrix to explore printed electronics using silver conductive inks. The webinar covered Voltera’s two additive electronics platforms – V-One and NOVA – followed by an in-depth presentation on silver ink technology and a live Q&amp;A with the audience. ​</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgW3Ek7EqXc"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LgW3Ek7EqXc" title="Webinar: Printing Electronics with Silver Conductive Inks" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Webinar highlights</h2><h3>Overview of Voltera printers&nbsp;</h3><h4>V-One</h4><p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/v-one?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=v-one">V-One</a> is a compact desktop PCB printer for rapid prototyping on rigid boards. It dispenses conductive ink to print circuit patterns and cures them with a built-in heated bed. V-One can also apply solder paste and drill through holes for vias, enabling double-sided PCB prototypes.&nbsp;</p><h4>NOVA</h4><p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=nova">NOVA</a> is a materials dispensing system for flexible and stretchable electronics​. It can print on flexible, stretchable, conformable, and biocompatible substrates, as well as rigid substrates like <a href="https://store.voltera.io/search?q=%22fr1%22&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&filter.p.m.custom.product_type=Substrates&sort_by=relevance">FR1</a>, <a href="https://store.voltera.io/search?q=%22fr4%22&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&filter.p.m.custom.product_type=Substrates&sort_by=relevance">FR4</a>, and silicon wafers with a wide range of screen-printable inks (<a href="https://store.voltera.io/search?q=silver&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&filter.p.m.custom.product_type=Inks&sort_by=relevance">silver</a>, gold, <a href="https://store.voltera.io/search?q=%22copper+ink%22&options%5Bprefix%5D=last">copper</a>, <a href="https://store.voltera.io/search?q=%22carbon+ink%22&options%5Bprefix%5D=last">carbon</a>, etc.).</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Four projects printed with NOVA, including a 4-layer display printed with electroluminescent ink, a 2-layer EDG electrode printed with gold and silver ink, a project with silver ink printed directly on fabric, and a 7-layer flexible battery printed using a suite of battery inks" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67ed4a28bad696dda4c28fe1_webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-projects.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Projects printed with the NOVA material dispensing system</figcaption></figure><p>Example projects printed with NOVA include:</p><ul><li>Stretchable circuit: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-silver-conductive-ink-cotton-fabric?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=white-paper">Silver ink printed directly on cotton fabric</a>&nbsp;</li><li>Flexible multilayer circuit: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-electroluminescent-ink-paper-pet?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=electroluminescent-project">Four-layer display printed with electroluminescent ink</a></li><li>Conformable multilayer circuit: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=wearable-sensors">Two-layer ECG electrodes printed with gold and silver ink</a></li><li>Flexible multilayer circuit: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-magnesium-zinc-battery-saral-inks-pet?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=seven-layer-flexible-battery">Seven-layer flexible battery printed with a battery ink suite</a></li></ul><h3>Guest presentation: Silver conductive inks</h3><p>Dr. Ghosh presented an in-depth look at conductive inks, focusing on silver-based formulations. He explained how material properties such as particle size, solvent composition, and binder selection impact ink performance. Compared to copper, silver inks offer higher conductivity, lower oxidation risk, and easier processing, making them ideal for prototyping and flexible electronics.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="NOVA dispensing NovaCentrix’s HPS-U11 Silver Nanoparticle Ink on Kapton" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67ed4a5e719f1ab0bcc1c9c0_webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-novacentrix-ink.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>NOVA printing NovaCentrix’s HPS-U11 Silver Nanoparticle Ink on Kapton</figcaption></figure><p>Dr. Ghosh also introduced <a href="https://novacentrix.com/product/hps-u11-silver-nanoparticle-ink/">NovaCentrix’s HPS U11 Silver Nanoparticle Ink</a>, optimized for <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing</a> with:</p><ul><li>High metal loading for lower sheet resistance</li><li>Fine resolution and minimal line spreading</li><li>Low curing temperature (around 140 °C)</li><li>Strong adhesion on both rigid and flexible substrates</li></ul><h3>Live Q&amp;A</h3><p>After the presentations, Tom and Dr. Ghosh answered audience questions. Key questions included:</p><ul><li><strong>Q:</strong> Can NOVA’s software be accessed without purchasing the machine?</li><li><strong>A:</strong> No, it comes included with the NOVA printer (at no extra cost).</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: Can I print circuits on fabric?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: Yes. NOVA’s stretchable silver inks have been successfully printed on fabric. We have a <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-silver-conductive-ink-cotton-fabric?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=white-paper">white paper</a> explaining the details of a project where we printed silver conductive ink on cotton. However, porous fabrics are more challenging to print on.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: What’s the typical print thickness with NOVA?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: Approximately 20-25 µm after curing. Thickness can vary based on print settings, but typically metal inks exhibit some level of shrinkage after curing.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: How does silver ink compare to copper?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: Although copper is cheaper as a raw material for traditional PCB manufacturing, its inks require additional processing to prevent oxidation. Silver is often the preferred material for additive electronics prototyping applications due to its high conductivity and chemical stability.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: Can silver conductive inks be used for RF applications?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: Yes. Many <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-rfid-tag-copper-ink-paper?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=rf-circuits">RF circuits</a> and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/printed-antennas">antennas</a> have been successfully printed with silver conductive inks due to their high conductivity.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: Can you explain the process of the electroluminescent project? What was the dielectric used?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: We have a white paper on the <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-electroluminescent-ink-paper-pet?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=electroluminescent-project">electroluminescent project</a>, with inks used and the process documented. We used <a href="https://www.saralon.com/en/inks/dielectric-inks:saral-dielectric-600/">Saralon Saral Dielectric 600 Dielectric Ink</a>.&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: Are silver inks flexible and stretchable?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: It depends on the formulation. Inks like HPS U57B are designed for stretchable applications such as <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=wearable-sensors">wearable sensors</a>.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: What soldering materials are recommended?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: <a href="https://store.voltera.io/collections/materials?filter.p.m.custom.product_type=Solder+Paste">Low-temperature solder pastes</a> such as tin-bismuth alloys are preferred to avoid damaging printed traces.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Q</strong>: How can I use Voltera’s printing service to print my designs?</li><li><strong>A</strong>: To get started, visit our <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/printing-service?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=printing%20service">printing service page</a> and tell us about your project requirements in the form.</li></ul><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>Want to learn more about Voltera’s products and how they print silver conductive inks? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Partner Highlight: <a href="https://blog.novacentrix.com/dispensing-systems-for-electronics-prototyping-from-voltera/">Dispensing systems for electronics prototyping from Voltera</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/print-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits-nova?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=multilayer-blog">Print Multilayer Flexible and Stretchable Circuits with NOVA</a></li><li>Videos: <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZdiubRTqorowIyWJ2htVEbDG9y_XrZa&feature=shared">Projects completed using NOVA</a></li><li>Videos: <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZdiubRTqorfB-5XzLLe62Xbr9i-fqRc&feature=shared">Projects completed using V-One</a></li></ul><p>Ready to talk about how our products and printing service can help you prototype? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-silver-conductive-inks&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to speak with a Voltera technical representative.</p>

Webinar Recap: Printing Electronics with Silver Conductive Inks

In this webinar, we explored how silver conductive inks are used in printed electronics, covering V-One and NOVA applications and material properties.

<p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/bioelectronics?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=ai-powered-ingestible-sensor-monitoring-gut-health&utm_content=bioelectronics">Bioelectronics</a> is where biology shakes hands with electronics, creating devices that “chat” with our bodies — think sensors that monitor glucose levels or implants that ease chronic pain. Prototyping these devices is like crafting a futuristic toolset: engineers, biologists, and product designers team up to turn bold ideas into devices that improve our quality of life.</p><p>Early prototypes often start as patchwork experiments: flexible circuits printed on skin-like materials, tiny sensors that “talk” to enzymes, or <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu">wearable patches</a> that track your heartbeat — all tested in labs (or sometimes garages). </p><p>When it comes to prototyping, a printing technology called <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=ai-powered-ingestible-sensor-monitoring-gut-health&utm_content=diw">direct ink writing</a> helps researchers and developers iterate biosensor designs quickly by enabling design changes on-the-fly. Stretchable conductive inks and biocompatible materials ensure these devices conform seamlessly to and in the body. From <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33254-4">smart contact lenses that measure eye pressure</a> to <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6824398/">neural implants restoring movement</a>, bioelectronics is reshaping healthcare. </p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Bioelectronics monitoring biomarkers" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b72d2e828ba3f26fa35939_ingestible-sensor-monitoring-gut-biomarker-electrodes.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Bioelectronics monitoring biomarkers</figcaption></figure><h2>Printing a wearable sensor using NOVA</h2><p>Measuring gas concentrations in the gut offers important insights into our digestive health. By analyzing levels and locations of different gases like hydrogen and carbon dioxide, researchers can better understand the activity of the microbiome [1] and the complex interactions between gut bacteria and various health conditions, including imbalances linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or malabsorption [2].</p><p>Recently, researchers from the University of Southern California [3] used Voltera’s <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=ai-powered-ingestible-sensor-monitoring-gut-health&utm_content=nova">NOVA materials dispensing system</a> to develop a wearable sensor that, together with an ingestible pill, maps gas concentrations in the gut with precision — all from the comfort of home.</p><p><a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-physical-science/fulltext/S2666-3864(24)00250-9">Keep reading</a> to see how it works…</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Interested in more projects like this by our customers? Check out the following resources:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/printing-a-smart-resonator-to-track-meat-freshness">Printing a Smart Resonator to Track Meat Freshness</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/advancing-printed-sensors-rfid-tag-breath-monitoring">Advancing Printed Sensors: RFID Tag for Breath Monitoring</a></li></ul><p>Want to see how NOVA can support your biosensor and medtech projects? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=ai-powered-ingestible-sensor-monitoring-gut-health&utm_content=contact-us">Contact us</a> for a demo. And if you're curious about future projects completed using NOVA, please <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1DG3jeG6BRDOZ6o0OGyVv-g34u2a?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=ai-powered-ingestible-sensor-monitoring-gut-health&utm_content=subscribe-newsletter">subscribe to our newsletter</a>!&nbsp;</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Chen, A. <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/01/08/575944661/gut-check-gas-sniffing-capsule-charts-the-digestive-tract">Gut Check: Gas-Sniffing Capsule Charts The Digestive Tract</a>. 2018.</p><p>[2] Dickson, I.&nbsp; (2018). Gas-sensing gut capsules. <em>Nature Reviews Gastroenterology &amp; Hepatology.</em> 15(131). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2018.3">https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2018.3</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>[3] Angsagan, A., et al. (2024). 3D gas mapping in the gut with AI-enabled ingestible and wearable electronics. <em>Cell Reports Physical Science</em>. 5(7). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.101990">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.101990</a>.&nbsp;</p>

AI-Powered Ingestible Sensor for Monitoring Gut Health 

Researchers from the University of Southern California used Voltera NOVA to develop a wearable sensor for gut health monitoring.

AI-Powered Ingestible Sensor for Monitoring Gut Health

<p>In this webinar, our Technical Sales Lead, <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/giovanni-obando-78512a7b">Giovanni Obando</a>, walked attendees through the process of printing multilayer circuits using <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/print-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits-nova?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits&utm_content=plan">Plan</a>, the latest software feature of Voltera’s <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits&utm_content=nova">NOVA materials dispensing system</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>It included a live demonstration showcasing how Plan enables a new multilayer printing workflow, followed by a Q&amp;A session where attendees had the opportunity to gain deeper insights into compatible materials, print settings, and best practices for printing multilayer flexible circuits.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eH_6OMEIpI"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_eH_6OMEIpI" title="Webinar: Printing Multilayer Flexible and Stretchable Circuits" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Webinar highlights&nbsp;</h2><h3>Overview of Plan and multilayer printing</h3><p>Key benefits of Plan include:</p><ul><li>Efficient multilayer workflows: Users can stack up to four layers and visualize print sequences before execution.</li><li>Improved print job editing: Tool paths, probe targets, and traces can be adjusted for higher accuracy.</li><li>Height mapping optimization: Ensures precise ink dispensing on flexible and stretchable substrates.</li></ul><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Voltera’s NOVA materials dispensing system probing an existing printed layer to measure height changes before printing another layer on top" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67cf228a76acdb4eb871ea91_nova-printing-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>NOVA probing the existing layer to account for height change</figcaption></figure><p>NOVA probing the existing layer to account for height change</p><h3>Live demonstration</h3><p>Giovanni demonstrated the step-by-step process of printing multilayer designs with Plan:</p><ol><li>Loading files: Importing Gerber files for a three-layer flexible circuit</li><li>Editing files: Adjusting dispense start/stop points, reordering layers, and refining print settings</li><li>Height mapping: Using the probe to measure layer height and prevent nozzle collisions</li><li>Executing the print job: Printing a conductive circuit on a flexible polyimide film</li></ol><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Inspecting print result using NOVA’s camera" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67cf227570523dc049ec648f_printing-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits-inspection.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Inspecting print result using NOVA’s camera</figcaption></figure><p>Attendees saw first-hand how Plan simplifies multilayer printing and optimizes print quality and repeatability.</p><h3>Key takeaways from Q&amp;A&nbsp;</h3><p>During the Q&amp;A, attendees asked insightful questions about multilayer printing, material compatibility, and best practices. Some key takeaways included:</p><ul><li>Flexible and stretchable materials: NOVA supports most screen-printable inks, including <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/aci-ss1109-2ml-cartridge">stretchable silver</a> and <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/aci-sc1502-2ml-cartridge">carbon inks</a>, for applications such as <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/wearables">wearables</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/printed-antennas">printed antennas</a>, and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/bioelectronics">bioelectronics</a>.</li><li>Substrate compatibility: NOVA can print on soft substrates such as fabric, flexible substrates like <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/polyimide-5-sheets">polyimide (PI)</a> and <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/pet-5-sheets">polyethylene terephthalate (PET)</a>, as well as rigid substrates like <a href="https://store.voltera.io/search?q=fr1&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&filter.p.m.custom.product_type=Substrates&sort_by=relevance">FR1</a> and <a href="https://store.voltera.io/search?q=fr4&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&filter.p.m.custom.product_type=Substrates&sort_by=relevance">FR4</a>.</li><li>Ink selection and curing: The choice of ink depends on conductivity, adhesion, and flexibility, with thermal curing required after each layer.</li><li>Alignment and fiducials: We recommend using fiducial markers for precise layer alignment.</li><li>Offline use of Plan: An internet connection is required to enable cloud access. Stay tuned for future updates to this functionality.</li></ul><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>Want to explore multilayer projects completed with NOVA? Check out these helpful resources:</p><ul><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-multilayer-flexible-membrane-keyboard-conductive-silver-ink-dielectric-ink-pet">Printing a Flexible Membrane Keyboard with Conductive Silver Ink and Dielectric Ink on PET</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-electroluminescent-ink-paper-pet">Printing Electroluminescent Ink on Paper and PET</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-flexible-pcb-silver-ink-pet">Printing a Flexible PCB with Silver Ink on PET</a></li></ul><p>Ready to print multilayer flexible circuits? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to learn more about NOVA, or check out our <a href="https://www.voltera.io/printing-service?srsltid=AfmBOoqLpYy3QISNkxU4dFea2CKBaCVGlCC9rwZvLMKEGiLz8xovhQBr">printing service</a>.</p>

Webinar Recap: Printing Multilayer Flexible And Stretchable Circuits

This webinar explored multilayer flexible circuit printing using Plan, NOVA’s latest software feature, demonstrating layer stacking and trace editing.

<p>In the ever-evolving landscape of electronics manufacturing, terminology often carries hidden histories and technical nuances that shape industry practices. Two such terms — printed wiring board (PWB) and printed circuit board (PCB) — are often used interchangeably, but they represent distinct phases in the evolution of electronics.&nbsp;</p><p>While modern usage increasingly favors PCB as the catch-all term, comparing the difference between PCBs and PWBs in electronics reveals a fascinating journey from rudimentary electrical interconnections to today’s sophisticated, multi-functional electronic systems.</p><h2>PWB and PCB: A historical and functional comparison</h2><p>The terms PWB and PCB both describe non-conductive materials with conductive pathways, but they carry different historical and functional implications. <a href="https://www.mclpcb.com/blog/history-of-pcbs/#history" target="_blank">Historically</a>, PWB (printed wiring board) referred to boards with simple etched traces on basic substrates like phenolic paper, focusing solely on wiring connections. These were foundational in early electronics, such as industrial control systems, where basic interconnections were all that was required.</p><p>In contrast, the term printed circuit board emerged as the modern label for boards with more advanced materials, such as FR4 fiberglass, and designs that support features like multilayer routing, plated through-holes, and high-density interconnects. According to <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/pwb-vs-pcb" target="_blank">Wevolver</a>, PCBs support advanced functionalities like multilayer board designs, signal integrity management, and thermal regulation, making them indispensable in modern electronic devices like smartphones and automotive systems.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Stack of Voltera FR4 substrates for printed circuit board prototyping." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67ae5257289ed7626e788097_pwb-pcb-additive-electronics-fr4-boards.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>FR4 substrates</figcaption></figure><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/67ae529b5e0e99ea60df0666_Blog_PWB%20and%20PCB%20table%201.txt[/script]</p><p>Even though the term PWB is still used in some regions — such as Japan — <a href="https://absolutepcbassembly.com/pwb-vs-pcb/" target="_blank">to avoid confusion with polychlorinated biphenyls</a> (toxic chemicals), the term PCB is now the global standard for unpopulated circuit boards.</p><h2>From bare boards to functional electronics: PCBA and packaging&nbsp;</h2><p>The key difference lies not between PWB and PCB, but between bare boards (PWB/PCB) and assembled boards (PCBAs). While PWBs and PCBs serve as the foundation of electronic circuits, they remain non-functional until there are electrical components soldered onto them.</p><p>For example, the motherboard in a smartphone begins as a multilayer PCB substrate material. During <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/pcb-vs-pcba" target="_blank">PCB assembly</a>, surface mount technology (SMT) streamlines the placement of tiny micro-components such as resistors, capacitors, and integrated circuits (ICs) onto the board’s surface. Reflow soldering then secures these essential components, bringing the PCB to life as a functional electronic system.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Decimal counter PCB assembly with seven-segment displays and surface-mount components during reflow on Voltera V-One." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b72c32022439a7c339fe39_pwb-additive-electronics-voltera-pcba-reflow.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A decimal counter printed circuit board assembly being reflowed on V-One</figcaption></figure><p>Beyond printed circuit assembly, advanced electronics packaging has further transformed how circuit boards function. Technologies like <a href="https://ats.net/en/technologies/ecp-technology/" target="_blank">embedded component packaging</a> (ECP) integrate passive components directly into PCB layers, reducing size while improving performance. Similarly, <a href="https://www.protoexpress.com/kb/enig/" target="_blank">electroless nickel immersion gold</a> (ENIG) finishes enhance electrical signal reliability and corrosion resistance, making PCBs more durable in high-performance applications like 5G networks, aerospace systems, and IoT devices.</p><p>The journey from simple PWBs to highly integrated PCBs and advanced packaging reflects how electronics have evolved from basic electrical connections to intelligent, high-density systems that power the intelligent era.</p><h2>Rethinking the future of PCB fabrication with <strong>additive manufacturing processes</strong></h2><p>As electronics demand greater customization, miniaturization, and sustainability, additive manufacturing is redefining PCB fabrication. One such technology is <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct Ink writing</a> (DIW). Unlike traditional subtractive etching, DIW deposits conductive ink, dielectric ink, or other functional inks and pastes directly onto PCB substrates. This method <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542435118301302" target="_blank">significantly reduces material waste</a> and enables rapid prototyping of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001868624000186" target="_blank">complex geometries</a>, such as stretchable surfaces for wearable devices.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="High-precision conductive traces printed on a PCB with the Voltera V-One, featuring a microscope close-up showing trace width of ~202 µm." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b72c643e9a5313b920be6b_pwb-pcb-additive-electronics-conductive-traces.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>High precision conductive tracks printed by V-One</figcaption></figure><p>Even PCBA is evolving through additive techniques. Traditional PCBA relies on stencil printing, where a metal stencil is used to apply solder paste onto PCB pads before placing and connecting electronic components via reflow soldering. As such, it has several limitations, including the need for custom stencils for each printed board design, difficulty in handling fine-pitch components, and inefficiencies in prototyping or low-volume runs. DIW platforms such as Voltera’s <a href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one">V-One PCB printer</a> and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA materials dispensing system</a> can directly print solder paste onto PCB substrates, reducing the need for traditional stencils.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="NOVA dispensing solder paste precisely onto pads of a flexible LED roulette circuit" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b72c970aa5261e00bf474d_flexible-pcb-solder-dispensing.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>NOVA dispensing solder paste exactly where needed</figcaption></figure><p>Researchers and developers have also explored <a href="https://www.ipc.org/system/files/technical_resource/E15&S28_01.pdf" target="_blank">embedding components during fabrication</a> — a potential step toward merging fabrication and assembly into a single, seamless electronics manufacturing process. This shift could blur the lines between PCB fabrication and PCBA, leading to entirely new ways of designing and manufacturing electronics.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>While the terms PWB and PCB reflect historical nuances in board fabrication, they both describe non-functional substrates — until PCBA brings them to life. But the shift from PWB to PCB wasn’t just about terminology. It reflected a major leap in how electronics are designed and manufactured, paving the way for more complex, high-performance systems.</p><p>Now, with the rise of PCB additive manufacturing, we are well on our way to another transformation — one that could merge PCB fabrication with PCB assembly. The fascinating journey of electronics is far from over. As we rethink legacy technologies and embrace new PCB manufacturing methods, the future of circuit boards will continue to evolve in ways we have yet to imagine, but one thing is for sure: the future is being built layer by layer.</p><p>Want to see our additive PCB prototyping projects? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-control-board-line-following-robot-silver-ink-fr1">Printing a Control Board for a Line Following Robot with Silver Ink on FR1</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/dispensing-solder-paste-factory-fabricated-pcbs">Dispensing Solder Paste on Factory Fabricated PCBs</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-flexible-pcb-silver-ink-pet">Printing a Flexible PCB with Silver Ink on PET</a></li></ul><p>And if you're curious about the latest Voltera content, don’t forget to <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1DG3jeG6BRDOZ6o0OGyVv-g34u2a?__hstc=13863464.a6e861abd69863d5e355c083710f6ae2.1708615212577.1737667977279.1737694163529.597&__hssc=13863464.2.1737694163529&__hsfp=3011104808">subscribe to our newsletter</a>!</p><h2><strong>Frequently Asked Questions</strong></h2><h3>Can I create electronic prototypes using a printed wiring board (PWB) instead of a printed circuit board (PCB)?</h3><p>Yes, if the design is simple. “PWB” historically meant a basic wiring board with conductive traces; for multiple layers, tighter spacing, and reliability across the entire board, modern PCBs are a better fit for most prototypes.</p><h3>What’s the difference between PWB, PCB, and PCBA?</h3><p>PWB is the older term tied to simpler, wiring-focused boards; PCB is the modern term for boards that support features like multiple layers and plated through-holes. PCBA is the board after attaching components, which is the version used in products.</p><h3>Are additive manufacturing methods suited to consumer devices?</h3><p>Additive methods shine for R&amp;D, fast iteration, and short pilot runs. For high volumes in consumer electronics, mass production still favors etched laminates with copper traces due to cost and throughput.</p><h3>Does additive PCB fabrication change the component mounting process?</h3><p>You still apply solder to pads, place components, and reflow to form joints. What changes is the step before mounting: additive tools can dispense solder paste directly onto pads (including on prefabricated boards), enabling stencil-free assembly on early spins. That reduces setup time and can lower manufacturing costs while you iterate.</p><h2><strong>Check out our Customer Stories</strong></h2><p>Take a closer look at what our customers are doing in the electronics industry.</p><p>[<a href="https://www.voltera.io/customer-stories">Visit Customer Stories</a>]</p>

PWB vs. PCB in the Age of Additive Electronics

Ever wondered what a PWB is? This blog compares PWBs and PCBs while exploring how PCB manufacturing technologies adapted to meet the demands of a new age.

<p>Today, Voltera is announcing NOVA software update v1.16, which unlocks an exciting beta feature — multilayer printing and print job editing. This feature is in direct response to requests from NOVA users who are frequently printing multilayer or multi-material designs.</p><h2>What is Plan?</h2><p>To understand Plan, it’s important to first understand NOVA. NOVA uses <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing (DIW) technology</a> to print circuits on soft, stretchable, and conformable substrates. Its free software is what enables users to interact with NOVA. You can choose different workflows to perform different operations:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Dispense: Dispense a selected material on a selected substrate.</li><li>Materials: Browse, create, modify, and delete material profiles.</li><li>Calibrate: Figure out print settings for a new material or nozzle.</li></ul><p>And now, we are adding another tile — Plan.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Main menu of the Voltera NOVA software showing workflow options: Dispense, Materials, Calibrate, and Plan." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/678ab14a3e8d68cba69cd1e5_676074a59d951f67841cfb69_printing-multilayer-circuits-workflows-nova-software.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Workflows in the NOVA software</figcaption></figure><p>Here is how Plan makes your printing process smoother:</p><ul><li>Multilayer printing<ul><li>View and set up complete multilayer designs in one step.</li><li>Identify print errors before dispensing, ensuring repeatable results.</li><li>Generate smart probe points, taking into account subtle height changes each subsequent layer creates.</li><li>Create a detailed height map while minimizing height mapping time.</li></ul></li><li>Print job editing<ul><li>Easily visualize design features such as toolpaths and probe points.</li><li>Adjust the print order of design features to achieve repeatable results.</li><li>Delete unwanted design features to simplify the print process.</li><li>Save print jobs with the same settings, allowing for easy reprints with consistent results.</li></ul></li></ul><p>Watch this video to see it in action:</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6wUTKv6mYs"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i6wUTKv6mYs" title="Print Multilayer and Multi-Material Flexible Circuits Voltera NOVA's Plan Feature" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><p>If you're curious about NOVA’s specifications and how they tie into printing multilayer designs, here’s what you need to know:</p><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/677816f8e0a27d5ae5435dc1_Blog_Plan%20Feature%20Launch%20table%201.txt[/script]</p><p>* Designs with more than 4 stack-up layers are achievable but depend on a number of factors. For more information, contact Support at support@voltera.io.</p><h2>What you can do with Plan</h2><p>Now that we’ve covered Plan’s features, let’s take a closer look at the multilayer flexible circuits we’ve completed.</p><h3>Flexible membrane keyboard</h3><p>This flexible membrane keyboard consists of a control board and a 10-number keypad printed on PET using ACI Materials’ silver ink, insulating ink, and T4 solder paste. <a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-multilayer-flexible-membrane-keyboard-conductive-silver-ink-dielectric-ink-pet">Read the white paper</a> to learn more.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Flexible membrane keyboard circuit printed on PET, featuring dome switches and conductive traces, connected to a rigid PCB." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/678ab14a3e8d68cba69cd1e8_67607970589894e4655e978b_printing-multilayer-circuits-flexible-membrane-keyboard.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Flexible membrane keyboard on PET</figcaption></figure><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/677816f84632617df2fe99fc_3f42e6b7a983525e5716598fbbe5e35f_Blog_Plan%20Feature%20Launch%20table%202.txt[/script]</p><h3>Electroluminescent circuit</h3><p>This is an electroluminescent display printed on PET and paper using Saralon’s conductive inks, phosphor ink, and dielectric ink. <a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-electroluminescent-ink-paper-pet">Read the white paper</a> to learn more.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Electroluminescent display of Voltera’s logo printed on paper, glowing in blue and connected with conductive traces." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b72a974b5294aaea8d2746_printing-multilayer-circuits-electroluminescent-display-paper.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Electroluminescent circuit on paper</figcaption></figure><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/677816f8750749270399ea44_Blog_Plan%20Feature%20Launch%20table%203.txt[/script]</p><h3>Flexible LED roulette circuit</h3><p>For this project, we took a LED roulette circuit we had previously developed as a rigid PCB on FR4, and then converted it for printing on PET.<a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-flexible-pcb-silver-ink-pet"> Read the white paper</a> to learn more.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Flexible LED roulette circuit printed on PET, with surface-mounted components and a lit blue LED light up, being folded by hand." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/678ab14a3e8d68cba69cd1ce_67607ad020d26aa924f9e294_printing-multilayer-circuits-flexible-led-roulette.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Flexible LED roulette circuit on PET</figcaption></figure><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/6778177c30b815aec910f276_5b6653749db506e40a620487d2ac06fb_Blog_Plan%20Feature%20Launch%20table%204.txt[/script]</p><p>The possibilities are endless. Explore more multilayer projects by checking out our <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers">other white papers</a>.</p><h2>What makes Plan different?</h2><p>Unlike other software solutions for multilayer electronics printing, Plan is designed to be beginner-friendly, focusing on ease of use and efficient printing. Nick Levinski, an MASc student in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo, shared his experience after using Plan to prototype flexible and stretchable sensors for <a href="https://www.voltera.io/applications/wearables">wearable electronics</a>:</p><p>“The plan feature has definitely simplified a lot of my regular workflows. For my research, a lot of it involves developing sensors. With the Plan feature multilayer deposition, I can now relax a lot of constraints by separating different sensor elements, traces, or components to different layers and removing toolpaths that I don’t want.”</p><p>Watch to see how Plan helps Nick print multilayer sensors for soft robotics:</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://youtu.be/tG3YzCNbIs0"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tG3YzCNbIs0" title="Voltera NOVA | Introducing Plan, NOVA's New Feature for Printing Multilayer Flexible Circuits" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><p>‍</p><h2>What’s next?</h2><p>Now that you’ve seen how Plan works and the possibilities it unlocks, here’s how to get started:</p><h3>If you have NOVA</h3><p>Update the software:</p><ol><li>Connect your NOVA to your computer and the internet.&nbsp;</li><li>Visit <a href="http://www.myvoltera.io">www.myvoltera.io</a> and log into your account.&nbsp;</li><li>The NOVA software update (v1.16) will download automatically. Once the update is complete, the <strong>Plan</strong> tile will appear as a new workflow on your home screen.&nbsp;</li></ol><h3>Offline users</h3><p>Offline use of Plan is not available in this release, and an internet connection is required. Stay tuned for <a href="https://docs.voltera.io/nova/software/release-notes">future updates</a> to enable offline functionality.</p><h3>Don’t have a NOVA yet?&nbsp;</h3><p>If you’re printing multilayer flexible or stretchable circuits and don’t have a NOVA yet, contact us at <a href="mailto:sales@voltera.io">sales@voltera.io</a> or <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Plan%2FMultilayer%20Launch&utm_source=website&utm_medium=plan-launch-blog&utm_term=printing-multilayer-circuits-nova-plan-feature&utm_content=book-a-meeting">book a demonstration </a>with our technical team.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the meantime, check out these resources for additional information:</p><ul><li><a href="https://docs.voltera.io/nova/plan/designing-multi-layer-artworks">Designing Multi-Layer Artworks</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.voltera.io/nova/learn-more/working-with-custom-inks">Working with Custom Inks</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/electronics-that-bend-the-rules-the-benefit-of-flexible-multilayer-designs" target="_blank">Electronics That Bend the Rules: The Benefit of Flexible Multilayer Designs</a></li></ul>

Print Multilayer Flexible and Stretchable Circuits with NOVA

Are you printing multilayer flexible, stretchable, and conformable electronics? Check out how NOVA’s new Plan feature makes multilayer printing easy.

<p>Sensors are everywhere — these clever electronic devices detect and respond to changes in the environment, turning physical, chemical, or biological information into measurable signals. From smart watches to medical devices, they’re shaping the future of technology.</p><p>And that future is growing fast. According to <a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/printed-and-flexible-sensors-2024-2034-technologies-players-markets/993" target="_blank">IDTechEx</a>, the printed sensor market was valued at USD $421 million in 2024 and is expected to grow at 8.6% annually through 2034. One area driving this growth is biosensors, which are gaining momentum thanks to the rising prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Two donut charts comparing global printed sensor annual revenue in 2024 and 2034, including temperature, photodetectors, capacitive, wearable electrodes, strain, gas, and piezoelectric sensors" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/679a41db36a8495ec54a8a08_679a40f51b873211fa8a8fba_advancing-printed-sensors-idtechex-market-report.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/printed-and-flexible-sensors-2024-2034-technologies-players-markets/993" target="_blank">Global sensor market size, 2024 – 2034</a></figcaption></figure><p>At Voltera, we’re right in the middle of this exciting space, pushing the boundaries of printed electronics. Biosensors are a particular focus for us, and we’ve been working on some exciting projects, including:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu">Gold electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-rfid-tag-copper-ink-paper">Ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tag</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-strain-gauges-tpu-laminated-glove-remote-hand-control">Stretchable strain gauges</a></li></ul><p>But it’s not just us driving innovation. Our <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/customer-stories">customers</a> are constantly inspiring us with their work. For example, researchers from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain recently developed a biosensor using our <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA materials dispensing system</a> and published their findings in Electronics [1]. It’s research like this that keeps us excited about the future of sensor technology.</p><h2>Developing a stretchable respiration sensor</h2><p>The research team aimed to develop a wearable sensor to track inspiration (the process of inhaling air into the lungs) and expiration (the process of exhaling air out of the lungs) cycles. The sensor consists of three key components:</p><ul><li>A UHF RFID tag</li><li>A copper strip</li><li>An adhesive belt</li></ul><h3>Sensor design&nbsp;</h3><p>The RFID tag features two non-symmetrical meander dipoles with a central loop that connects to the <a href="https://www.murata.com/~/media/webrenewal/products/rfid/rfid/uhf/uhf-smd/media-datasheets/uhf%20rfid%20tag%20lxms21acnp-184%20datasheet%20rev1_1_181130.ashx?la=en-us" target="_blank">UHF RFID chip</a>. This asymmetric design enhances sensitivity to displacement variations (Δ𝑑), making it well-suited for respiration monitoring.&nbsp;</p><p>During testing, the sensor was integrated into an elastic belt and worn around the abdominal region, allowing it to detect breathing by monitoring changes in the relative position of the copper strip and RFID tag during respiration.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Two-part figure showing an RFID-based stretch sensor. (a) Schematic diagram of an elastic belt with adhesive tape, a copper strip, and an RFID tag attached, marked with a 50 mm scale. (b) Photograph of the actual prototype, with a copper strip and RFID tag fixed to a fabric belt using adhesive tape" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/679a41db36a8495ec54a8a13_679a414d2ac50f8784179ce7_advancing-printed-sensors-design-diagram-sensor.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/2/262" target="_blank">Diagram and photograph of the sensor</a></figcaption></figure><h3>Printing the RFID tag</h3><p>The RFID tag was printed using NOVA with <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/aci-fs0142-2ml-cartridge?">ACI FS0142A silver conductive ink</a> on a <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/polyimide-5-sheets">0.2 mm thick Kapton (polyimide) substrate</a>, chosen for its flexibility and durability.&nbsp;</p><p>The NOVA software, which supports Gerber files from any ECAD software, automatically generated toolpaths to dispense the conductive ink onto the designated area. After printing, the tag was cured at 40°C for 20 minutes to ensure optimal electrical performance while maintaining flexibility for wearable applications.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="The fabrication process of the printed RFID tag. On the left, the antenna design is displayed in NOVA software, then shown as a printed tag with an attached chip. On the right, a Voltera NOVA material dispensing system is pictured printing the design onto a substrate." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/679a41db36a8495ec54a8a10_679a417e8e39516d11580e57_advancing-printed-sensors-fabrication-process-rfid.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/2/262" target="_blank">The printing process</a></figcaption></figure><h3>Sensor operation</h3><p>The sensor functions through mutual inductive coupling between the printed RFID tag and the copper strip. Changes in displacement (Δ𝑑) during respiration modulate the tag impedance, which affects power transmission efficiency, and the transmission coefficient, which influences the backscattered signal strength received by the reader.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Experimental results demonstrated a 9 dB reduction in the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and a 2.3 m decrease in read range within the first 12 mm of displacement. In addition, the sensor successfully tracked respiratory cycles, showing an approximate 5 dB variation between inspiration and expiration phases when worn around the abdominal region.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>The study validated the sensor’s potential for remote patient monitoring as a cost-effective, battery-free solution. Its lightweight, flexible design enables seamless integration into <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/wearables">wearable applications</a>, providing real-time respiratory tracking without bulky or invasive equipment.</p><p>Interested in more projects like this by our customers? Check out the following resources:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/printing-a-smart-resonator-to-track-meat-freshness">Printing a Smart Resonator to Track Meat Freshness</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/ai-powered-ingestible-sensor-monitoring-gut-health">AI-Powered Ingestible Sensor for Monitoring Gut Health</a></li></ul><p>Want to see how NOVA can support your next big idea? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=advancing-printed-sensors-rfid-tag-breath-monitoring&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Contact us</a> today! And if you're curious about this, or other projects completed using NOVA, don’t forget to <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1DG3jeG6BRDOZ6o0OGyVv-g34u2a?__hstc=13863464.a6e861abd69863d5e355c083710f6ae2.1708615212577.1737667977279.1737694163529.597&__hssc=13863464.2.1737694163529&__hsfp=3011104808">subscribe to our newsletter.</a>&nbsp;</p><h2>Reference</h2><p>[1] Hussain, T., Gil, I., &amp; Fernández-García, R. (2025). Wearable Displacement Sensor Using Inductive Coupling of Printed RFID Tag with Metallic Strip. <em>Electronics</em>, 14(2), 262. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14020262" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14020262</a>.&nbsp;</p>

Advancing Printed Sensors: RFID Tag for Breath Monitoring

Researchers used NOVA to print a ultra-high frequency RFID tag for a stretchable respiration sensor that enables real-time, non-invasive breath monitoring.

<p>There is a rising demand for smaller, thinner, and stretchable electronics to bring the innovations of tomorrow to life. In response, electronics manufacturing is adapting to meet these new requirements across industries. Flexible hybrid electronics (FHE), in particular, are notable for their capacity to bend and stretch without compromising the integrity of the electronic circuits, while enabling rapid prototyping.</p><h2>What are flexible hybrid electronics?</h2><p>Flexible hybrid electronics combine the best of printed and traditional electronics to create electronics that can bend, stretch, and conform to their environment. They are characterized by the combination of printed, conductive interconnects, flexible or stretchable substrates, and mounted components. This allows for devices that are not only lightweight and flexible, but also highly functional, enabling <a href="https://www.voltera.io/applications">new applications</a> in fields such as healthcare, consumer electronics, automotive, and beyond.</p><p>Printable and flexible hybrid electronics open new doors for industries that require flexible, biocompatible, conformable, and stretchable devices. With advancements in materials and manufacturing processes, FHE offers a tremendous impact for <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/industries">industries</a> creating wearable devices, flexible displays, and even implantable electronics that can stretch with the body or adapt to irregular surfaces, among many others.</p><h2>Key components of flexible hybrid electronics</h2><p>The combination of flexible materials and rigid components makes flexible hybrid electronics unique from printed electronics or traditional rigid PCBs. FHEs integrate the advantages of flexible substrates with the robustness of conventional rigid electronic components and integrated circuits (IC), allowing researchers and engineers to customize electronics for their research, applications, and products.</p><h3>Substrates for FHEs</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67575ad97d5c5c3dd312bc32_bendable-pet-substrate-flexible-hybrid-electronics.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-magnesium-zinc-battery-saral-inks-pet">Flexible battery</a> printed on PET substrate</figcaption></figure><p>What makes FHEs unique from other types of electronics is their use of substrates that are flexible and stretchable. <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/pet-5-sheets?_pos=6&_fid=65f88ddf8&_ss=c">Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)</a> is commonly used for FHEs because it is cost-effective, durable, and flexible. However, <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/intexar-tpu-5-sheets?_pos=7&_fid=65f88ddf8&_ss=c">thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)</a>, <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/polyimide-5-sheets?_pos=8&_fid=65f88ddf8&_ss=c">polyimide (PI)</a>, <a href="https://na.industrial.panasonic.com/products/electronic-materials/printed-and-flexible-hybrid-materials/lineup/beyolex-stretchable-circuit-materials" target="_blank">BEYOLEX</a>, and even novel substrates can offer different advantages, like biocompatibility or increased stretchability.&nbsp;</p><p>Some common substrate suppliers include (but are not limited to):</p><ul><li><a href="https://na.industrial.panasonic.com/products/electronic-materials/printed-and-flexible-hybrid-materials" target="_blank">Panasonic</a></li><li><a href="https://normandy-coating.com/en/" target="_blank">Normandy Coating</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dupont.com/electronics-industrial/printed-circuit-boards.html" target="_blank">Dupont</a></li><li><a href="https://polyonics.com/Resources/about-our-products.php#" target="_blank">Polyonics</a></li></ul><h3>Conductors and interconnects for FHEs</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Close-up of a direct ink writing printer, NOVA materials dispensing system, printing nano copper ink onto paper in a serpentine pattern to fabricate an RFID tag antenna" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67575b0cbddec4287e182d8d_printing-conductive-copper-ink-flexible-hybrid-electronics.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Printing nano copper ink on paper to make an <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-rfid-tag-copper-ink-paper">RFID tag</a></figcaption></figure><p>Conductive inks are printed on flexible substrates to create electrical connections between components in FHEs. These inks are often flexible and/or stretchable to maintain conductivity, even when the substrate is bent, twisted, or stretched. Ink is printed via printing processes such as direct ink writing, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-inkjet-technology?srsltid=AfmBOooLgmtxfhJnJcFE6HwnMhtaAIAZc-sEWeeArH1babbH5SFoRI7f">inkjet printing</a>, and aerosol printing. <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/screen-printing-direct-ink-writing-printed-electronics">Direct ink writing</a>, in particular, ensures that ink is only applied where it is needed which eliminates unnecessary material waste.&nbsp;</p><p>Some common ink suppliers for FHE include (but are not limited to):</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.acimaterials.com/products/" target="_blank">ACI Materials&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="https://www.celanese.com/" target="_blank">Celanese</a></li><li><a href="https://www.copprint.com/products/" target="_blank">Copprint</a></li><li><a href="https://www.creativematerials.com/products" target="_blank">Creative Materials</a></li><li><a href="https://www.elantas.com/europe/products/printed-electronics/products.html" target="_blank">Elantas</a></li><li><a href="https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/ca/en/products/industrial-coatings/inks-coatings.html" target="_blank">Henkel</a></li><li><a href="https://www.heraeus-group.com/en/heraeus-businesses/#electronics" target="_blank">Heraeus</a></li><li><a href="https://novacentrix.com" target="_blank">Novacentrix</a></li><li><a href="https://vfp-ink-technologies.com/functionnal-decorative-inks-varnishes/" target="_blank">VFP</a></li></ul><h3>Components for FHEs</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Flexible printed circuit board populated with components encapsulated by an epoxy resin being bent" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70cbc20d86875e8b7932b_flexible-hybrid-electronics-printed-pcb.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-flexible-pcb-silver-ink-pet">flexible printed LED roulette circuit</a></figcaption></figure><p>Flexible hybrid electronics use traditional components such as silicon chips or resistors. Thinned silicon dies are often used in FHEs to make circuits smaller, lighter, and more adaptable to flexible applications. Components are mounted onto the printed conductive paths, forming the <a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-article/flexible-hybrid-electronics-future-of-flexible-printed-circuit-boards/20603" target="_blank">hybrid nature of FHEs</a>. Components are often coated with an encapsulant like epoxy resins, silicone, or polyimide to protect against corrosion and contaminants, and help to reinforce components on the substrate when flexed.</p><h2>Flexible hybrid electronics vs printed electronics vs flexible printed circuit boards</h2><p>Other types of electronics are similar to flexible hybrid electronics, so you might be wondering, how do flexible hybrid electronics compare to printed electronics (PE) and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/flexible-pcbs">flexible printed circuit boards</a> (FPCB)? Each type is uniquely positioned to tackle different electronics applications, so understanding the differences is key to choosing the right solution for different projects.&nbsp;</p><h3><a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-article/flexible-hybrid-electronics-future-of-flexible-printed-circuit-boards/20603" target="_blank">Comparison of FHE vs PE vs FPCB</a></h3><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/67586618b3c3ed4a68f1dd6a_FHE%20blog%20table.txt[/script]</p><h2>Future outlook for flexible hybrid electronics</h2><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Close-up of a printed biocompatible ECG electrode adhered to the skin with medical tape. The flexible gold circuit connects to a snap connector for monitoring." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70d08f8980a7ac2700c45_gold-ecg-electrode-bioelectronics-future.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu">printed biocompatible ECG electrode</a></figcaption></figure><p>Technological innovations are continually shaping the way industries approach electronics, and as a result, there is a growing demand for FHEs. According to<a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/flexible-hybrid-electronics-2024-2034/950" target="_blank"> IDTechEx</a>, the flexible hybrid electronics market is projected to reach $1.8 billion USD by 2034.&nbsp;</p><p>The main industries positioned for growth in the flexible hybrid electronics market are:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/applications/bioelectronics">Bioelectronics</a>: FHEs enable flexible, biocompatible devices like biosensors, electrodes, and wearable health monitors, improving personalized medicine and real-time patient care.</li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/applications/wearables">Wearables</a>: FHEs make smart devices, fitness trackers, and e-textiles lighter, more comfortable, and more durable.</li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/applications/printed-batteries">Printed batteries</a>: FHEs support the development of lightweight, flexible printed batteries, creating energy storage solutions ideal for small, portable, and wearable devices.</li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/applications/printed-antennas">Antennas</a>: FHE-based antennas enable high-performance, bendable communication systems for 5G, IoT devices, and compact wearables.</li></ul><p>By merging the best features of printed electronics and traditional electronics, FHEs offer the versatility to meet the growing demand for smaller, thinner, and more flexible devices without compromising on performance or reliability. FHE technologies will drive the next wave of electronics, offering solutions that are functional, comfortable, and integrated seamlessly into everyday life.</p><p>Take a look at some of our in-house FHE projects:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-electroluminescent-ink-paper-pet">Printing Electroluminescent Ink on Paper and PET</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-multilayer-flexible-membrane-keyboard-conductive-silver-ink-dielectric-ink-pet">Printing a Flexible Membrane Keyboard with Conductive Silver Ink and Dielectric Ink on PET</a></li></ul><p>Want the latest news in printed electronics? <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1BPx4J9lvQ7-8px6MtaXF0w34u2a">Subscribe to our newsletter</a>. Meanwhile, if you have questions about your PCB printing needs, please contact us at <a href="mailto:sales@voltera.io">sales@voltera.io</a> or <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting">book a meeting</a>.</p>

What are Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE)?

A guide to flexible hybrid electronics, their key components, future outlook, and a comparison with printed electronics and flexible printed circuit boards.

What are Flexible Hybrid Electronics? | Voltera

<p>In a recent webinar, our Support Lead, Nathan Shinkar, demonstrated the printing process of a seven-segment display (99 decimal counter) using our PCB printer, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one">V-One</a>.</p><p>This project, designed by <a href="http://itiz.co.kr/vone/">ITIZ</a>, our authorized reseller in South Korea, aims to teach a fundamental aspect of electrical engineering: PCB development. It includes circuits for power regulation, pulse generation, and digital counting.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5EiL5QOOO0"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h5EiL5QOOO0" title="Webinar: Printing PCBs for Hands-On Learning" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Webinar highlights&nbsp;</h2><h3>Overview of the software and the print workflow</h3><p>Nathan began the webinar with an overview of the V-One software and one of its four workflows: <strong>Print</strong>. Before the live demonstration, he walked through several preparation steps, including:</p><ol><li>Loading the Gerber file</li><li>Cleaning the X and Z positioner</li><li>Clamping the FR4 board</li><li>Mounting the probe</li></ol><h3>Project overview</h3><p>While the Smart Probe created a height map of the FR4 board, Nathan showcased the final product and provided an overview of the project. It features three interconnected PCBs:</p><ul><li>Voltage regulator board<ul><li>Converts a 9V input into a steady 5V output, allowing students to compare linear and switching regulators.</li></ul></li><li>Pulse generator board<ul><li>Uses a 555 timer chip to produce pulse signals, which are sent to the final board to drive the counting circuit.</li></ul></li><li>Digital counter board<ul><li>Counts from 0 to 99 using seven-segment displays, with adjustable speed control and a reset button.</li></ul></li></ul><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="__wf_reserved_inherit" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67782cbaeec7a93878566945_67782c5c7f638c68dc6cca50_webinar-recap-printing-pcbs-final-product.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Final product of the decimal counter</figcaption></figure><h3>Live demonstration and Q&amp;A&nbsp;</h3><p>We demonstrated the printing process for the digital counter board. After calibrating the ink, V-One printed conductive traces on the FR4 board. The process took approximately 15 minutes, during which Nathan addressed attendee questions. Here are a few highlights:</p><ul><li>Can V-One print multiple layers?some text<ul><li>V-One supports two-sided PCB printing, including drilling functionality for vias and through-holes.</li></ul></li><li>What material was used in this project?some text<ul><li>The ink we used for this print is, <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/conductor-3-ink-cartridge-2ml">Conductor 3</a>, a silver-based and semi-sintering ink that provides strong conductivity after curing.</li></ul></li><li>What nozzles should be used?&nbsp;some text<ul><li>We generally recommend using a nozzle with a diameter that is at least six times larger than the average particle size in your ink.&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="__wf_reserved_inherit" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67782cbaeec7a93878566940_67782c6dd15762c9ca554af9_webinar-recap-printing-pcbs-digital-counter.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>V-One printing the digital counter board</figcaption></figure><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>Excited to try this project? Download Gerber files <a href="https://5264434.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/5264434/_Sales%20(SALE)/Sales_Assets/ITIZ%20parts%20list%20and%20design%20files.zip?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--3uwhwvbGFcPVzB998QlxbgUNz4eIdljcVnFTdGHObjSk-D5gBBkLuUHAA49BSVmlUiNw3">here</a>.&nbsp; Interested in other projects to teach the basics of PCB prototyping? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Tutorial: <a href="https://docs.voltera.io/v-one/getting-started/hello-world-project">Printing a Basic LED Circuit Using the V-One PCB Printer</a></li><li>Tutorial: <a href="https://docs.voltera.io/v-one/getting-started/punk-console-project">Printing a Punk Console Using the V-One PCB Printer</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/applications/flexible-pcbs">Printing a Flexible PCB with Silver Ink on PET</a></li><li>Video: <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZdiubRTqoqS9CDbZrtc5kbc-bhfKdUw&si=TpSbDWjqoyVp_tcQ">Other Voltera webinars on additive electronics</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/prototype-pcbs-in-house">How to Prototype PCBs In-House</a></li></ul><p>To discuss your PCB prototyping needs, contact us at <a href="mailto:sales@voltera.io">sales@voltera.io</a> or <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-pcbs-learning&utm_content=book-a-meeting">book a meeting</a>. To stay informed on upcoming webinars, <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1DG3jeG6BRDOZ6o0OGyVv-g34u2a">subscribe to our newsletter</a>!&nbsp;</p>

Webinar Recap: Printing PCBs for Hands-On Learning 

This webinar showcased the process of printing a single-sided PCB as part of an educational project for teaching the fundamentals of electronics development. 

Webinar Recap: Printing PCBs for Hands-On Learning

This webinar showcased the process of printing a single-sided PCB as part of an educational project for teaching the fundamentals of electronics development.

<p>In a recent webinar, we demonstrated the process of dispensing in-mold electronics (IME) ink onto a polycarbonate substrate. This was achieved using <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a>, our direct-ink write printer designed for high-resolution materials dispensing and flexible hybrid electronics prototyping.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="webinar image" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6765e4e7efa24f7e2cab3be6_6765e40dff15f5e90502d3fd_webinar-printing-in-mold-electronic-prototypes.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Webinar: Printing in-mold electronic prototypes for automotive applications</figcaption></figure><h2>Webinar highlights</h2><h3>Overview of the industry</h3><p>Our Support Lead, Nathan Shinkar, kicked off the webinar with a brief overview of the in-mold electronics industry, discussing its market size, typical applications, and ink property requirements.</p><h3>Overview of the project and best practices</h3><p>Nathan then walked through the steps to complete the final product — an automotive console — including:</p><ol><li>Preparing the circuit design and ink</li><li>Calibrating the ink</li><li>Printing the ink on polycarbonate</li><li>Curing the circuit in an oven</li><li>Post-processing</li><li>Injection molding</li></ol><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Nathan showing the automotive console final product" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6765e4e6efa24f7e2cab3b87_6765e4334e7babbc9ab68ed4_webinar-printing-ime-prototypes-automotive-console.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Automotive console, final product</figcaption></figure><p>Once the process was explained, Nathan shared best practices for printing similar IME projects to ensure durability and functionality.</p><h3>Dispensing thermoformable conductive ink on polycarbonate</h3><p>Since we covered the calibration workflow in previous webinars, such as <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/webinar-recap-printing-wearable-electronics">Printing Wearable Electronics</a>, we instead focused on a live demonstration of dispensing Bectron® CP 6680 thermoformable conductive silver ink, made by <a href="https://www.elantas.com/">Elantas</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>The process began with generating a height map for the polycarbonate substrate, followed by a flow check to ensure proper ink flow and confirm the nozzle was unclogged. NOVA then took care of dispensing the ink. After printing the circuit, Nathan inspected the print quality using NOVA’s high-resolution camera and was pleased with the precise quality.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Viewing print quality in the NOVA software" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6765e4e6efa24f7e2cab3b84_6765e45a8d7106c80e3f4040_webinar-printing-ime-prototypes-inspect-print.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Inspecting print quality in the NOVA software</figcaption></figure><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>This webinar highlighted the immense potential of IME applications in the automotive industry, but their possibilities extend far beyond. IME technology can also be applied to consumer electronics, home appliances, industrial equipment, and more. NOVA’s capability to dispense IME inks on flexible and thermoformable substrates opens the door to even more innovative opportunities.</p><p>Special thanks to Philipp and Ben, Technical Sales Managers at ELANTAS, and Benjamin Redford, Founder and CPO at Mayku, for answering questions throughout the webinar! Last but not least, thank you to everyone who participated and asked thought-provoking questions.</p><p>Didn’t make it to the webinar? Watch it here: </p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FER16I0GlLk"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FER16I0GlLk" title="Webinar: Printing In Mold Electronic Prototypes for Automotive Applications" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><p>Interested to learn more about IME? Check out the following resources:</p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/in-mold-electronics">What Is In-Mold Electronics?</a></li><li>Video: <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZdiubRTqoqS9CDbZrtc5kbc-bhfKdUw&si=TpSbDWjqoyVp_tcQ">Other Voltera webinars on additive electronics</a></li><li>Market report: <a href="https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/in-mold-electronics-market/#:~:text=In%2DMold%20Electronics%20Market%20Size%20And%20Forecast,forecasted%20period%202024%20to%202031.">In-Mold Electronics Market Size and Forecast</a></li></ul><p>We offer <a href="https://www.voltera.io/printing-service?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-ime-automotive&utm_content=paas">printing as a service</a>, where we can create flexible hybrid electronics prototypes for you. To discuss your in-mold electronics prototyping needs, contact us at <a href="mailto:sales@voltera.io">sales@voltera.io</a> or <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-ime-automotive&utm_content=book-a-meeting">book a meeting</a>. To stay informed on upcoming webinars, <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1BPx4J9lvQ7-8px6MtaXF0w34u2a?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=link&utm_term=subscribe-to-newsletter&utm_content=webinar-recap-wearable-electronics">subscribe to our newsletter</a>!&nbsp;</p>

Webinar recap: Printing In-Mold Electronic Prototypes

Learn about dispensing in-mold electronics ink on thermoformable polycarbonate for IME applications in the automotive industry from our recent webinar. 

Webinar Recap: Printing In-Mold Electronic Prototypes

Learn about dispensing in-mold electronics ink on thermoformable polycarbonate for IME applications in the automotive industry from our recent webinar.

<p>In the ever-evolving landscape of advanced manufacturing and material deposition, screen printing and direct ink writing (DIW) have emerged as two prominent technologies. Both techniques have found applications across various industries, including <a href="https://www.voltera.io/applications/electroluminescent-displays">display electronics</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/applications/bioelectronics">biomedical devices</a>, and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/applications/printed-batteries">energy storage systems</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Understanding the differences between these two methods is crucial for selecting the appropriate technology for specific applications. This blog will explore the key differences, advantages, and limitations of screen printing and DIW.</p><h2>Screen printing</h2><p>Screen printing is a well-established technique widely used in the field of printed electronics. It involves the use of a mesh screen to transfer conductive inks, dielectric pastes, or other functional materials onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable by a blocking stencil. The ability to print a variety of materials, such as silver, carbon, and dielectric inks, makes screen printing essential for <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/flexible-hybrid-electronics">flexible</a> and rigid electronics.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A screen printer" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70b94c64b6976f0b02f87_screen-printing-diw-stencil-squeegee-ink.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Screen printing</figcaption></figure><h3>How screen printing works</h3><p>The screen printing process in printed electronics involves several key steps:</p><ol><li>Screen preparation: A mesh screen is coated with a photosensitive emulsion and a stencil of the desired circuit pattern is created by exposing the emulsion to light through a film positive. The unexposed areas of the emulsion are washed away, leaving a stencil that defines the electronic pattern on the screen.</li><li>Ink application: Conductive or functional ink is placed on the screen, and a squeegee is used to press the ink through the mesh openings, transferring the pattern onto substrates such as <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/pet-5-sheets">PET</a>, <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/polyimide-5-sheets">polyimide</a>, or other materials commonly used in electronics.</li><li>Curing: The printed substrate is typically cured using heat, UV light, or other methods to solidify the ink and ensure proper conductivity and adhesion.</li></ol><h3>Advantages of screen printing in printed electronics</h3><ul><li>Scalability: Screen printing is ideal for large-scale production of printed electronics, such as <a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-rfid-tag-copper-ink-paper">RFID antennas</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-multilayer-flexible-membrane-keyboard-conductive-silver-ink-dielectric-ink-pet">flexible circuits</a>, and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu">wearable sensors</a>, offering a cost-effective solution for mass manufacturing.</li><li>Versatility: Screen printing supports a wide range of conductive, resistive, and insulating materials, allowing for the fabrication of diverse electronic components on various substrates, including flexible and rigid surfaces.</li><li>Thick film deposition: Screen printing excels in depositing relatively thick layers of conductive or dielectric inks, which is advantageous in applications like thick-film resistors and printed circuit boards where material build-up is essential for functionality.</li></ul><h3>Limitations of screen printing</h3><ul><li>Costs: Initial setup costs, including screen preparation and stencil creation, can be high, especially for small runs or frequent design changes. Specialized inks are also costly, and material waste, particularly of expensive inks, adds significantly to the overall expense.</li><li>Resolution: The resolution of screen printing is constrained by the mesh size, limiting the minimum achievable line widths and spacing. This makes it challenging for applications requiring fine feature sizes, such as advanced microelectronics.</li><li>Complexity in multilayer printing: While screen printing is capable of creating multilayer structures, aligning each layer accurately is critical and can be complex. Misalignments can lead to electrical short circuits or open connections, impacting the performance of printed electronic devices.</li></ul><h2>Direct ink writing</h2><p>DIW is an additive manufacturing process that deposits conductive inks, solder pastes, and other functional materials onto substrates, layer by layer. Similar to screen printing, DIW technology is compatible with a wide variety of materials, but unlike screen printing, which prints entire patterns at once, DIW creates patterns feature-by-feature. This allows DIW machines like <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a> to offer precise control of the material dispensed and makes it ideal for prototyping and customization of printed electronics.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Direct ink writing of a circuit" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67520ec3aadd17a2036bb6be_67520e6e545e0807f3636280_screen-printing-diw-direct-ink-writing.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Direct ink writing</figcaption></figure><h3>How direct ink writing works</h3><p>The DIW process in printed electronics involves the following steps:</p><ol><li>Ink/paste preparation: Depending on the material, inks or pastes may need purging to remove trapped air. For solder pastes, it's crucial to let the cartridge reach room temperature before dispensing.</li><li>Dispensing: The ink is extruded through a nozzle, following precise paths controlled by software. The nozzle moves relative to the substrate, dispensing material onto specific areas to create intricate electronic patterns layer by layer.</li><li>Curing: The dispensed material is typically solidified through heat or UV light, ensuring the conductivity and stability required for electronics to function.</li></ol><h3>Advantages of direct ink writing in printed electronics</h3><ul><li>High precision: DIW offers high resolution, allowing for the creation of fine, detailed features that are ideal for intricate electronic patterns and components. This precision makes it suitable for applications requiring meticulous design and control over material placement.</li><li>Material versatility: DIW printing supports a variety of materials, including conductive inks, composites, epoxies, encapsulants, and multi-materials, enabling complex and functional electronic structures.</li><li>Customization: DIW is perfect for prototyping and small-batch production, offering flexibility and easy design adjustments, ideal for custom electronic applications.</li><li>Scalability to screen printing: DIW is highly compatible with screen-printable inks or pastes, making it easy to transition from prototyping with DIW to large-scale deployment with screen printing.</li></ul><h3>Limitations of direct ink writing in printed electronics</h3><ul><li>Speed: Although the setup process is simpler, DIW builds patterns feature by feature, making it slower compared to the rapid, full-pattern deposition of screen printing.&nbsp;</li><li>Material preparation: DIW relies on ink cartridges, which may run out during the printing process, requiring frequent reloading and causing downtime for material changeovers. This can interrupt the workflow.</li><li>Scale: Due to the workflow of DIW, scaling up to mass production is challenging compared to screen printing.</li></ul><h2>Screen printing vs. DIW: When to choose which?</h2><p>The choice between screen printing and DIW in printed electronics depends on the specific needs of your application. Screen printing is well-suited for high-volume production where speed and cost-efficiency of manufacturing are crucial. As such, it’s ideal for large-scale manufacturing of electronics.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Mass manufacturing of PCBs" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70bc0fa0d757b41a6568c_screen-printing-diw-large-scale-manufacturing.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Large-scale manufacturing of PCBs</figcaption></figure><p>On the other hand, DIW is the preferred choice for applications that require high precision, customization, and the ability to work with advanced materials. Applications such as biomedical devices and microelectronics can benefit from DIW due to its ability to create complex geometries and functional structures, especially during the prototyping stage when frequent design changes are common.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="High-precision and highly customized electronics" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67520ec3aadd17a2036bb6af_67520eb8bd013209a9e0e3f3_screen-printing-direct-write-customized-electronics.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>High-precision and customized prototyping</figcaption></figure><p>Using the NOVA materials dispensing system as an example, here’s how it stacks up against screen printing:</p><p>[script]https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/67a25d5dd1f78a9bfd7d8259_efdc0dbf70268bf7313a52a5d1aef0cc_Blog_Screen%20printing%20vs%20DIW_table%201.txt[/script]</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Deciding between screen printing and DIW comes down to what your project needs most. Knowing the strengths and limitations of each method helps you match the right technology to your design goals, whether you're focusing on scalability, precision, or working with advanced materials in printed electronics.&nbsp;</p><p>For more information on technologies in printed electronics, check out the following blogs:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">Introduction to Direct Ink Writing (DIW) Printing Technology</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-screen-printing">Introduction to Screen Printing</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-inkjet-technology">Introduction to Inkjet Technology</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-to-gravure-printing-technology">Introduction to Gravure Printing Technology</a></li></ul><p>Meanwhile, if you have questions about your PCB printing needs, please contact us at <a href="mailto:sales@voltera.io">sales@voltera.io</a> or <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting">book a meeting with us</a>!</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] <a href="https://www.pcb-hero.com/blogs/lickys-column/the-importance-of-pcb-trace-widths-in-pcb-design?utm_source=chatgpt.com">The Importance of PCB Trace Widths in PCB Design</a>.</p><p>[2] <a href="https://www.silkscreenprintingsupply.com/news/influence-of-screen-parameters-on-printing-film-thickness?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Influence of screen parameters on printing film thickness</a>.</p>

Screen Printing vs. Direct Ink Writing for Printed Electronics

Discover the differences and similarities between screen printing and direct ink writing, in terms of their workflow, advantages, and limitations.

<p>Twenty years ago, the idea of integrating electronics into devices seemed impossible — or, at least, very expensive. As new additive manufacturing methods like Voltera’s <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a> platform are introduced to the market, those newer, lighter, smaller, and more complex designs are becoming a reality.&nbsp;</p><h2>Definition of in-mold electronics</h2><p>In-mold electronics (IMEs) is the process of incorporating electronic elements into molded plastic objects. It typically consists of the following process:</p><ol><li>Printing a thermoformable circuit</li><li>Thermoforming the circuit into a designated 3D shape</li><li>Injecting a thermoplastic polymer to encapsulate the electronic devices</li></ol><p>Depending on their end use, IMEs can include all the surface-mount devices (SMDs) included in traditional electronics to increase functionality, such as sensors, LEDs, and microcontrollers. SMDs are usually placed on the circuit before thermoforming. The final product is a functional, rigid plastic component.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A plastic box being Injection molded" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67520e0949ffc696dd647248_67520cd40832bcd40e723cab_in-mold-electronics-definition.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Injection molding</figcaption></figure><h2>Market potential of in-mold electronics</h2><p>IMEs offer unparalleled design freedom, allowing for sleek, modern, and lightweight designs that maintain high functionality, creating an excellent user experience. These electronics are water, scratch, and chemically resistant, making them highly durable and ideal for applications in harsh environments. Additionally, the highly automated workflow of IMEs can reduce manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance costs.</p><p>As a more sophisticated solution compared to the traditional approach of mounting rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs) inside rigid enclosures, IMEs are becoming increasingly popular in human-machine interface (HMI) applications in the automotive, medical equipment, aerospace, and consumer electronics <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/industries">industries</a>. According to the report "<a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/in-mold-electronics-2023-2033/919" target="_blank">In-Mold Electronics 2023-2033</a>" by IDTechEx, the market for IMEs is forecasted to reach around USD $2 billion by 2033.&nbsp;</p><h2>Applications</h2><h3>Automotive industry</h3><p>IME technology in the automotive sector is used to design sophisticated HMIs, including touch-sensitive dashboards, integrated lighting, and control panels. These designs eliminate traditional mechanical buttons, wires, and connectors, allowing for a streamlined, button-free interface. The resulting designs are not only visually clean but also functionally integrated, blending seamlessly with the vehicle's interior.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Automotive IME" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6752068484bbcc4a5c211f1c_675206633cf6159d9b9caf7b_warming-coffee-in-mold-structural-electronics-automotive-console.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Application of IME in automotives (image: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/black-car-door-with-black-lever-AHyZ9cQW3ZU">Markus Spiske</a>)</figcaption></figure><h3>Consumer Electronics</h3><p>In consumer electronics, IME is applied to products such as headphones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, and smart home devices. <a href="https://www.tactotek.com/">Tactotek</a>, for example, has utilized IME technology to develop headphones with a thin, transparent user interface set into a curved plastic frame. This design emphasizes minimalism and subtle integration of electronic controls. The touch controls and responsive lights are discreetly incorporated, providing an intuitive and straightforward user experience.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="IME application in consumer electronics" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67520e0949ffc696dd64723d_67520dfcafa41b8c122fdbf4_in-mold-electronics-consumer-electronics.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Application of IME in consumer electronics</figcaption></figure><h2>Inks for in-mold electronics</h2><p>Conductive inks, dielectric inks, and conductive adhesives used in IMEs must withstand the thermoforming and injection molding processes, requiring resistance to high temperatures, pressure, and elongation. <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/elantas-bectron-cp-6680-2ml-cartridge-copy">Conductive inks</a>, in particular, need to provide high electrical conductivity, low contact resistance, and good adhesion. To ensure compatibility and optimal performance, it is advisable to select inks from the same supplier.</p><p>A few ink suppliers that make inks for IMEs include:&nbsp;</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.celanese.com/products/micromax" target="_blank">Celanese</a></li><li><a href="https://www.creativematerials.com/thermoformable-in-mold-compatible-electrically-conductive-ink/" target="_blank">Creative Materials</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dycotecmaterials.com/products/in-mold-electronic-inks/" target="_blank">Dycotec Materials</a></li><li><a href="https://www.genesink.com/applications/in-mold-electronics/" target="_blank">GenesInk</a></li></ul><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>As the market for IME technology continues to grow, its potential to enhance user experiences and improve product performance is increasingly recognized. To learn more about IMEs, check out these resources:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/in-mold-electronics-2023-2033/919" target="_blank">In-Mold Electronics 2023-2033</a></li><li><a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-article/unravelling-competing-in-mold-electronics-manufacturing-methodologies/29146" target="_blank">Unravelling Competing In-Mold Electronics Manufacturing Methodologies</a></li><li><a href="https://www.industryarc.com/Research/in-mold-electronics-ime-market-research-800274">In-Mold Electronics (IME) Market Report</a></li></ul><p>Want the latest news in printed electronics? <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1BPx4J9lvQ7-8px6MtaXF0w34u2a">Subscribe to our newsletter</a>. If you have questions about additive prototyping and low volume manufacturing of electronics , please <a href="mailto:sales@voltera.io">contact us</a>.</p>

What Is In-Mold Electronics?

As electronics evolve, in-mold electronics are becoming more common. In this article, we discuss the market potential, explore applications, and outline ink requirements.

<p>Choosing the right development platform for your electronics project can significantly impact its efficiency and success rates. Breadboards and printed circuit boards (PCBs) each offer unique advantages suited to different stages of development. This blog will explore the key differences between the two in terms of definitions, materials and substrates, manufacturing processes and costs, as well as benefits and applications, helping you make informed decisions for your electronics projects.</p><h2>Definitions</h2><h3>What are breadboards?</h3><p>Breadboards, also known as protoboards, consist of a perforated plastic board with a grid of holes where components can be inserted. The central area of the breadboard is divided into rows, each with internal electrical connections, allowing components placed in the same row to be connected without soldering. Separate vertical columns, known as power rails, line the outer edges to facilitate easy power distribution across the board.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A breadboard with components connected to an Arduino Uno board" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b707e709b40850eaa36390_breadboards-pcbs-definitions-materials-costs-benefits-applications-definition.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A breadboard connected to an Arduino Uno</figcaption></figure><h3>What are PCBs?</h3><p>Printed circuit boards mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components through conductive tracks, pads, and other features. PCBs are a crucial component in any electronic device.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="An Arduino Leonardo printed circuit done with V-One" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70840d0dc54b0a02502d4_breadboards-pcbs-definitions-materials-costs-benefits-applications-what-pcbs.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>An Arduino Leonardo printed circuit done with V-One</figcaption></figure><h2>Types of PCBs</h2><p>In modern electronics, single-layer, double-layer, and multilayer PCBs are common, each offering varying levels of complexity and functionality. Among these, several types of PCBs stand out for their popularity: breakout boards, template boards, and development boards.</p><h3>Breakout boards</h3><p>Breakout boards are compact PCBs designed to provide easy access to the pins of an integrated circuit or other components. They "break out" the connections from a single component or chip to a more manageable layout, typically with larger, more accessible pins. This design makes it easier to integrate specific components into your projects without dealing with very small or densely packed pins.</p><h3>Template and development boards</h3><p>Template boards, also known as development boards, are pre-designed PCBs equipped with common microcontrollers or other integrated circuits (ICs), along with the necessary circuitry to support programming and prototyping. Examples include:</p><ul><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/arduino-uno-template?_pos=9&_fid=a687361e0&_ss=c">Arduino</a></li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/raspberry-pi-b-template?_pos=11&_fid=a687361e0&_ss=c">Raspberry Pi</a></li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/particle-photon-template?_pos=12&_fid=a687361e0&_ss=c">Particle</a></li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/feather-templates?_pos=13&_fid=a687361e0&_ss=c">Adafruit</a></li></ul><p>These boards offer a standardized platform for building and testing projects, facilitating rapid development, and experimentation.</p><h3>PCBA</h3><p>It is worth noting that a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) is not the same as a PCB. While a PCB is not functional on its own, a PCBA includes the PCB itself and all the components soldered onto it, making it a complete and functional assembly for its intended application.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A PCBA" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b7087697458b69960f3c58_breadboards-pcbs-definitions-materials-costs-benefits-applications-pcba.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A PCBA</figcaption></figure><h2>Differences between PCBs and breadboards</h2><h3>Materials and substrates</h3><h4>Breadboards</h4><p>Breadboards are primarily made from a plastic body featuring numerous holes with metal strips underneath. These strips are usually made of spring metal to create a temporary electrical connection when the leads of components are inserted into the holes. Breadboards are inherently rigid due to their plastic construction, and are typically not used with flexible materials.</p><h4>PCBs</h4><p>Traditional PCBs are typically made from layers of fiberglass reinforced with epoxy resin, known as <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/3-x-4-substrates">FR4</a>. This material provides a sturdy, non-conductive substrate. The conductive paths are generally made of copper etched onto the board to form tracks that electrically connect components.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="PCBs with gold finish" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b708abfad4bfdd8efe4d97_breadboards-pcbs-definitions-materials-costs-benefits-applications-pcbs.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>PCB boards</figcaption></figure><h4>Flexible PCBs</h4><p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/flexible-pcbs">Flexible PCBs</a> represent a variant of standard PCBs, made from materials that allow them to bend, flex, and move without breaking. Typically constructed from a flexible high-performance plastic like polyimide, these PCBs incorporate conductive copper layers and, in many cases, dielectric layers to ensure electrical insulation and mechanical strength.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Flexible PCBs" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b708e51c108e9b24827b83_breadboards-pcbs-definitions-materials-costs-benefits-applications-flexible-pcbs.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Flexible PCBs printed on <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a></figcaption></figure><h3>Manufacturing processes and costs</h3><h4>Breadboards</h4><p>Breadboards require no manufacturing for individual projects since they are reusable and do not need to be customized. This makes them cost-effective for initial testing and development. Prices generally range from a few dollars for basic models to higher amounts for larger or specialty types.</p><h4>PCBs</h4><p>PCBs, on the other hand, involve a complex manufacturing process. This includes designing the circuit layout, printing the design onto the substrate, etching copper layers, drilling holes, and sometimes adding a protective solder mask and silk-screening component labels. The cost of producing PCBs can vary widely depending on the complexity of the design, the number of layers, and the quantity produced. While unit costs decrease with larger batch sizes, the initial setup and design work can be costly.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Traditional fabrication of PCBs" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70a0cfba8d4e617264eda_breadboards-pcbs-definitions-materials-costs-benefits-applications-manufacturing-pcbs.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Traditional fabrication of PCBs</figcaption></figure><p>The manufacturing of PCBs in a traditional factory setting is often not the most efficient approach, particularly when the process involves multiple iterations in quick succession. In such cases, the <a href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one">Voltera V-One PCB printer</a> can be extremely useful. It allows users to modify their PCB designs on the fly and produce up to 15 boards in one day, while also ensuring that the design files and intellectual property remain secure.&nbsp;</p><h3>Workflows</h3><h4>Breadboards</h4><p>Breadboards are straightforward to use and require no special tools, making them ideal for beginners and those testing concepts or learning about circuits. Their non-permanent nature allows for easy adjustments and corrections without additional cost.</p><h4>PCBs</h4><p>PCBs, however, involve a significant upfront investment in design and planning. Designing a PCB typically requires using specialized software to lay out circuits, which can present a steep learning curve initially. However, for advanced projects and mass production, PCBs are more efficient once the initial setup is complete. They provide a more reliable and professional outcome, suitable for commercial products.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A PCB mounted on a breadboard" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70a3f3d72e36c5d9eabc7_breadboards-pcbs-definitions-materials-costs-benefits-applications-workflows.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A PCB mounted on a breadboard</figcaption></figure><h3>Benefits and applications</h3><h4>Breadboards</h4><p>Breadboards offer simplicity and flexibility, making them ideal for beginners and for educational purposes. They facilitate quick assembly and easy modifications of circuits without the need for soldering. This non-permanent setup is perfect for iterative testing and debugging, allowing users to learn and adjust as they go.</p><p>Breadboards are commonly used in educational settings to <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-decimal-counter-circuit-silver-conductive-ink-fr1">teach electronics</a>, in hobbyist projects for experimenting with new circuit designs, and during the prototype testing phase of electronic development, especially when frequent adjustments are anticipated. Examples of projects using breadboards include FM radio transmitters, LED cubes, and digital thermometers.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Breadboards and electronic components" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70a7806e3ffd082c4372f_breadboards-pcbs-definitions-materials-costs-benefits-applications-benefits.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Breadboards and electronic components</figcaption></figure><h4>PCBs</h4><p>PCBs provide enhanced durability and reliability, supporting complex and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/print-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits-nova">multi-layered circuit designs</a> with dense component placement, essential in professional-grade electronics. They are designed to handle more permanent and advanced applications, ensuring consistent performance over time.</p><p>PCBs are crucial in <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/industries">various industries</a>, including consumer electronics, medical devices, automotive components, and other demanding applications that require long-term reliability and efficiency under varying environmental conditions. Examples of these applications include advanced driver-assistance systems, MRI scanners, and the flight control systems of drones.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A PCBA for a robotic hand" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70aa61ed25b944a52044e_breadboards-pcbs-definitions-materials-costs-benefits-applications-benefits-pcbs.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/building-a-remote-controlled-robotic-hand-with-strain-gauges">A PCBA for a remote control robotic hand made with V-One and NOVA</a></figcaption></figure><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Both breadboards and PCBs play essential roles in electronics development. Breadboards are perfect for prototyping, testing, and educational purposes due to their flexibility and ease of use. On the other hand, PCBs are indispensable for final product development, offering stability, reliability, and suitability for complex and high-frequency circuits.&nbsp;</p><p>Understanding the strengths and limitations of each tool will help you choose the right one for your project, ensuring success in your electronics endeavors.&nbsp;</p><p>For more information on additively printed circuit boards, check out the following resources:</p><ul><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-magnesium-zinc-battery-saral-inks-pet">Printing a Magnesium Zinc Battery with Saral Inks on PET</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-electroluminescent-ink-paper-pet">Printing Electroluminescent Ink on Paper and PET</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/printing-multilayer-flexible-membrane-keyboard-conductive-silver-ink-dielectric-ink-pet">Printing a Flexible Membrane Keyboard with Conductive Silver Ink and Dielectric Ink on PET</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/webinar-recap-printing-electronics-with-carbon-ink">Printing Electronics with Carbon Ink</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/prototype-pcbs-in-house">How to Prototype PCBs In-House</a></li></ul><p>Meanwhile, if you have questions about your PCB printing needs, please contact us at <a href="mailto:sales@voltera.io">sales@voltera.io</a>.</p>

Breadboards vs. PCBs: Definitions, Materials, Costs, Benefits, and Applications

Discover the differences and similarities between breadboards and printed circuit boards, in terms of materials, costs, benefits, applications and more. 

Breadboards vs. PCBs: Materials, Costs, and Applications

Discover the differences and similarities between breadboards and printed circuit boards, in terms of materials, costs, benefits, applications and more.

<p id="">In our latest webinar, we dove into the process of dispensing T4 solder paste onto factory-fabricated circuit boards using the <a id="" href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one">V-One PCB printer </a>— a key innovation in PCB prototyping that streamlines PCB assembly.</p><figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5WuA4h4fN0"><div id=""><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v5WuA4h4fN0" title="Webinar: Dispensing Solder Paste on Factory Fabricated PCBs" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2 id="">Precision solder paste dispensing</h2><p id="">The webinar focused on V-One’s solder paste dispensing workflow. With features like aligned dispensing, selective printing, and an integrated heated bed, the V-One simplifies the often complex and messy process of applying solder paste, making <a id="" href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/additive-pcb-prototyping">PCB prototyping</a> accessible for everyone.</p><h2 id="">Webinar highlights</h2><h3 id="">Live demonstration</h3><p id="">We kicked off with a live demonstration of V-One in action, showcasing the paste setup process, dispensing solder paste onto the PCB, and even correcting unsatisfactory results on the fly. This real-time demo highlighted the ease of using V-One’s software and the precision of the dispensing process, emphasizing its role in reducing manual errors and improving consistency in PCB assembly.</p><h3 id="">Workflow overview</h3><p id="">The session provided a comprehensive overview of the entire solder paste dispensing workflow, including the alignment of the factory-fabricated board, dispensing the solder paste, and performing reflow on the heated bed. Voltera’s support lead, <a id="" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanshinkar/">Nathan Shinkar</a>, shared tips on achieving optimal results with V-One, such as calibrating the machine and selecting the correct print settings.</p><h3 id="">Tips and tricks</h3><p id="">We also showcased a completed print with components populated, sharing tips and tricks on how to place the components to the right place of your own boards and cure the print on V-One, all guided by a detailed software walkthrough.</p><h2 id="">Conclusion</h2><p id="">As demonstrated by the webinar, the capabilities to dispense solder paste and reflow PCBs make V-One an ideal tool for PCB prototyping, whether it’s precise and repeatable dispensing of your selected paste, reworking your solder pads on the fly, or creating addons for your PCBAs.&nbsp;</p><p id="">Special thanks to everyone who joined and participated in the live chat. Your questions about solder paste selection, board alignment, and reflow processes helped make this webinar interactive and informative.&nbsp;</p><p id="">Interested to learn more? Check out the following resources:</p><ul id=""><li id="">Blog: <a id="" href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-is-solder-paste">What is Solder Paste?</a></li><li id="">White paper: <a id="" href="https://www.voltera.io/application-whitepapers/dispensing-solder-paste-factory-fabricated-pcbs">Dispensing Solder Paste on Factory Fabricated PCBs</a></li></ul><p id="">As mentioned in the webinar, we offer <a id="" href="https://www.voltera.io/printing-service">printing as a service</a>, where we can create your prototypes for you. To discuss your PCB printing needs, contact us at sales@voltera.io or <a id="" href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting">book a meeting with us</a>. To stay informed on upcoming webinars, <a id="" href="https://share.hsforms.com/1BPx4J9lvQ7-8px6MtaXF0w34u2a?__hstc=13863464.a6e861abd69863d5e355c083710f6ae2.1708615212577.1725990309429.1725995530379.319&__hssc=13863464.11.1725995530379&__hsfp=141023726">subscribe to our newsletter</a>!&nbsp;</p>

Webinar recap: Dispensing Solder Paste on Factory-Fabricated PCBs

Learn more about our webinar on dispensing solder paste on factory fabricated boards using the Voltera V-One PCB printer.

<p>Researchers from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Italy recently published a study in Nature where they utilized Voltera <a href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one">V-One</a> PCB printer to print interdigital electrodes on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate, forming part of a three-layer piezoresistive sensor.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Research Using V-One PCB Printer Published in Nature" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70656b4bcdf3853b73232_Research-using-VOne-PCB-printer-published-Nature.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>V-One PCB printer</figcaption></figure><h2>The research problem</h2><p>This study aimed to formulate an eco-friendly conducting ink that maintains high electrical performance while being biodegradable. The ink formulation involves using biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) as a matrix combined with conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silver flakes, to create a conducting ink suitable for flexible electronic devices.</p><h2>The role of V-One</h2><p>The V-One was used to create eight-finger interdigitated electrodes on a PDMS substrate. V-One’s ability to handle conductive inks and produce intricate electrode patterns was vital in demonstrating the practical application and effectiveness of the newly developed biodegradable ink in flexible pressure sensors.</p><p><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-60315-z" target="_blank">Read the full article</a></p><p>‍</p>

Research Using V-One PCB Printer Published in Nature

Read research conducted using the V-One PCB printer where researchers printed interdigital electrodes on PDMS, as part of a piezoresistive sensor. 

This research was conducted using the V-One PCB printer where researchers printed interdigital electrodes on PDMS, as part of a piezoresistive sensor. 

<p>In the world of additive fabrication, two technologies stand out for their transformative potential: 3D printing and PCB (printed circuit board) printing. They share the fundamental principle of additive manufacturing, but are different in a number of ways.&nbsp;</p><p>In this article, we will delve into the main differences between traditional 3D printing and additive PCB printing, as seen in machines like the Voltera <a href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one">V-One</a>, in order to clarify their distinct roles in modern manufacturing.</p><h2>How does 3D printing and PCB printing work?</h2><h3>3D Printing</h3><p>With 3D printing, printers create objects by layering material, typically thermoplastic, from the bottom up. You begin with designing a model using computer-aided design (CAD) software. Next, you export the .stl file to your 3D printer software which will slice the model into thin horizontal layers, generating&nbsp; G-code for each layer. Depending on the type, your 3D printer will then extrude or solidify material layer by layer to form the final object.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="3D printing workflow: step one - design, step two - slice, step three - print" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/66be5b359aadbe103e20f21d_667048027567407f41e872d6_3D-printing-PCB-printing-difference-workflow.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>3D&nbsp;printing workflow</figcaption></figure><h3>PCB printing</h3><p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/additive-pcb-prototyping">Additive PCB printing</a> shares similarities with 3D printing in terms of its workflow. Using electrical computer-aided design (ECAD) software, you design your project, then export the Gerber file and upload it to your printer’s software. PCB fabricators, such as V-One, will then interpret the Gerbers and deposit <a href="https://store.voltera.io/collections/materials?filter.p.m.custom.product_type=Inks">conductive materials</a> to construct the layers of a printed circuit board.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Voltera software displayed on a computer screen" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b7056bbdf83c9ba5752176_3D-printing-PCB-printing-difference-VOne-software.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Viewing your project with V-One software</figcaption></figure><h2>Key differences between 3D printing and PCB printing</h2><h3>Materials and substrates</h3><p>The most apparent difference lies in the materials used. Traditional 3D printers work with a wide array of materials, including plastics such as PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, and resin, as well as nylons and metals. In contrast, PCB printers utilize conductive inks, such as silver, copper, or graphite, and more to create functional circuit boards.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Important update: Conductor 3, benefits include upright curing on the heated bed, 44% faster curing, and no burnishing required" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b705a279bdf928e4752322_3D-printing-PCB-printing-difference-Conductor-3.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/conductor-3-ink-cartridge-2ml">Voltera Conductor 3 ink</a></figcaption></figure><p>While you can print a three-dimensional object directly on the heated bed of a 3D printer, PCB printing requires fixing a <a href="">substrate</a> to the bed. Depending on your specific needs, you can choose more rigid substrates such as <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/2-x-3-fr1-substrates">FR1</a>, <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/3-x-4-substrates">FR4</a>, or more flexible ones such as <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/intexar-tpu-5-sheets">TPU</a>, paper or fabric.</p><h3>Precision</h3><p>3D printers are generally used for larger objects and may not achieve the fine detail required for PCB manufacturing. The <a href="https://www.3erp.com/blog/how-dimensionally-accurate-are-3d-printed-parts/" target="_blank">accuracy of desktop 3D printers</a> varies, ranging from ± 0.1 mm to ± 0.5 mm.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="RFID tag print on paper using Copprint LF301 nano copper ink" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/66be5b359aadbe103e20f22d_667048d961a073c36efc7f3a_3D-printing-PCB-printing-difference-RFID-tag.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/copper-rfid-tag">RFID tag printed on paper</a></figcaption></figure><p>In contrast, PCB printers are designed for high precision, which is crucial for the intricate pathways and components of circuit boards. Notably, machines that use <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct-ink-writing technology</a>, such as <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a>, enable the production of features as small as 100 µm.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Various print results using NOVA" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/66be5b359aadbe103e20f24a_6670498fe92d6eb0734ce684_3D-printing-PCB-printing-difference-NOVA-traces.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Details of conductive traces printed by NOVA</figcaption></figure><h3>Capabilities and applications</h3><p>3D printers are handy when it comes to producing complex geometries and shapes. Some industries use 3D printing to manufacture the final product, such as architectural models, automotive parts, and dentures.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A 3D printed arm brace" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67520881ebdcd6cdde502825_6752080b9b2a0e79f586433b_3d-printing-pcb-printing-difference-capabilities-applications.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A 3D-printed custom orthoses</figcaption></figure><p>However, these 3D printed projects, on their own, cannot perform functions such as sensing, monitoring, moving, amplifying, controlling, or mirroring, which require a printed circuit board and a range of electronic components. In order to test and iterate electronics projects, you will need a PCB printer.&nbsp;</p><p>The applications of PCB printers range from simple personal projects such as a weather station that monitors temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, to complex R&amp;D endeavors such as a <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-strain-gauges-tpu-laminated-glove-remote-hand-control">prototype for robotic arms</a> capable of performing surgeries.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="An AI robot" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b705f1786cc7a5990659de_3d-printing-pcb-printing-difference-capabilities-applications-robot.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>A robot in a shopping mall in Kyoto</figcaption></figure><h3>Costs</h3><p>Due to the differences in all the aforementioned aspects, these technologies are available at varying costs. Desktop 3D printers can be priced anywhere from <a href="https://formlabs.com/blog/how-to-calculate-3d-printer-cost/" target="_blank">USD $200 to $2,500</a>, whereas desktop PCB printers tend to range from USD <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/v-one">$3,499.99</a> to $27,800.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>3D printing allows for the creation of a broad spectrum of objects, whereas PCB printing offers a specialized, rapid, and cost-effective solution for circuit board production.&nbsp;</p><p>Despite their differences, 3D printing and PCB printing can be highly complementary. Leveraging these technologies together will streamline the electronics prototyping process.&nbsp;</p><p>As the technology continues to evolve, there is tremendous potential for further integration and innovation in both fields. For more insights on additive PCB manufacturing, check out these resources:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-is-printed-electronics-conductive-inks">What is Printed Electronics? Conductive Inks</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">Introduction to Direct Ink Writing (DIW) Printing Technology</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-inkjet-technology">Introduction to Inkjet Technology</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-screen-printing">Introduction to Screen Printing</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/resistance-resistivity-and-sheet-resistance">Resistance, Resistivity &amp; Sheet Resistance</a></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/prototype-pcbs-in-house">How to Prototype PCBs In-House</a></li></ul><p>Meanwhile, if you have questions about your PCB printing needs, please contact us at <a href="mailto:sales@voltera.io">sales@voltera.io</a>.</p>

3D Printing vs. PCB Printing — What’s the Difference?

Discover the differences and similarities between two additive technologies, 3D printing and PCB printing, in terms of materials, precision, and more.

<h2 id="">Voltera is one of Canada’s top emerging startups and a pioneer in additive electronics. </h2><p id="">The goal? Print electronics on anything and everything, opening up a world of possibilities.</p><p id="">Over the years, there’s been plenty of debate in the startup sphere over whether university is ‘worth it.’ The college dropout turned tech superstar is a much lauded story arc in Silicon Valley. However, for the co-founders of Waterloo-based <a href="https://www.voltera.io/about/about-us">Voltera</a>, university was not just worth it, but the genesis of their company.</p><p id="">What began as a school project by four University of Waterloo engineering students turned into one of Canada’s fastest-growing startups as Voltera blazes new trails in electronics.</p><p id="">Specifically, Voltera specializes in additive electronics, which have the potential to open up a world of possibilities like circuitry in sneakers to track your runs or parkas with <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/webinar-recap-printing-wearable-electronics">smart heated pockets</a> that respond to outside temperature. The goal is to print electronics on practically any material in a manner that’s also more sustainable than traditional manufacturing methods.<br><br><a id="" href="https://www.rbcx.com/ideas/profiles/how-waterloos-voltera-is-upending-the-world-of-electronics/" target="_blank">Keep reading...</a></p>

Voltera on RBCx: How Waterloo’s Voltera Is Upending the World of Electronics

Voltera specializes in additive electronics, which have the potential to open up a world of possibilities like circuitry in sneakers to track your runs or parkas with smart heated pockets that respond to outside temperature. The goal is to print electronics on practically any material in a manner that’s also more sustainable than traditional manufacturing methods.

<p>In this webinar, we hosted <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bambach-17072793">Andrew Bambach</a>, Engineering Manager at <a href="https://www.acimaterials.com/">ACI Materials</a>, to explore cutting-edge advancements in printed electronics, focusing on flexible conductive inks and their transformative applications.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k_DRhbHZGA"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8k_DRhbHZGA" title="Webinar: Printing Electronics with Flexible Inks" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Announcements</h2><p>During the webinar, our Support Lead, <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nathanshinkar">Nathan Shinkar</a>, unveiled our new electronics <a href="https://www.voltera.io/printing-service">printing service</a>. You can now outsource your novel electronics designs for cost-effective, precise prints without minimum order quantities. In addition, we have added more inks to <a href="https://store.voltera.io/collections/materials">our store</a>. Because these inks cater to niche applications with smaller quantity requests, please inquire through the store to see if we have them in stock.</p><h2>Webinar highlights</h2><h3>Overview of ACI’s Alchemy inks</h3><p>Andy introduced <a href="https://www.acimaterials.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ACI_Data_Sheet-Shared_Alchemy_Inks_1-1.pdf">ACI’s Alchemy ink series</a>, emphasizing their unique semi-sintering technology that combines high conductivity (4–5 times better than polymer thick films) with low-temperature curing.&nbsp;</p><p>Key innovations of the Alchemy line include:</p><ul><li>Cavitation process: A manufacturing method, proprietary to ACI Materials, which uses vacuum bubbles to disperse particles without damaging morphology, ensuring stable, clog-resistant inks</li><li><a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/aci-sc1502-2ml-cartridge">Stretchable carbon ink SC1502</a>: An ink optimized for demanding applications such as <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/wearables">wearables</a>, offering flexibility under strain</li><li>Fine feature printing: 20 μm traces (comparable to etched copper) for transparent metal meshes are achievable</li><li>Environmental edge: The Alchemy line reduces reliance on copper etching, slashing toxic waste, and enabling eco-friendly additive manufacturing</li></ul><p>Andy also introduced a circuit with fine traces printed with ACI’s FS0117 Semi-Sintering Ink on <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">Voltera’s NOVA materials dispensing system</a> to accommodate the world’s smallest 555 timer.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="An image showing fine traces printed with ACI semi-sintering ink using Voltera’s NOVA materials dispensing system" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67d445b94c6b42259bd6697b_printing-electronics-flexible-inks-fine-traces.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Fine traces printed by NOVA</figcaption></figure><h3>Live demonstration: Printing stretchable inks with NOVA</h3><p>Nathan demonstrated printing ACI’s stretchable carbon ink SC1502 on <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/pet-5-sheets?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-flexible-inks&utm_content=pet">PET</a> using a <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/nordson-efd-7018395-dispensing-tip-27-gauge-clear-1-4-50-box?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-flexible-inks&utm_content=nordson-dispensing-tip">Nordson EFD 7018395 200 μm dispensing tip</a> on NOVA.&nbsp;</p><p>The process included:</p><ol><li>Probing: NOVA probed the PET substrate and created a height map to ensure precise ink deposition.</li><li>Adjusting print settings: Nathan adjusted trace width, print height, and temperature for uniform traces.</li><li>Calibrating the ink: NOVA printed the calibration pattern, taking a picture with the built-in camera and guiding Nathan to improve the print results</li></ol><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="An image showing NOVA probing the PET substrate to create a height map" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/67d445eb5881814723e8962e_printing-electronics-flexible-inks-probing-pet.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>NOVA probing the height of the PET substrate</figcaption></figure><h3>Q&amp;A&nbsp;</h3><p>The webinar wrapped up with a Q&amp;A session where participants asked about multilayer printing, curing conditions, conductivity, and material compatibility. Key insights included:</p><ul><li>Current handling: Alchemy traces support 1–2 amps for bus lines and about 0.5 amps for wearables (e.g., 40mm × 7mm traces).</li><li>High-frequency circuits: Smooth topography and high conductivity make Alchemy inks ideal for <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/printed-antennas?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-flexible-inks&utm_content=antenna-applications">antenna applications</a>.</li><li>Curing and development: Developmental inks cure at 120°C (2–3 minutes in ovens), with ongoing R&amp;D to boost conductivity at lower temperatures.</li><li>Ink compatibility: NOVA handles viscosities from 1,000 to 1,000,000 cPs. For custom inks, we recommend prioritizing consistent particle size to avoid nozzle clogs.</li></ul><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>Want to learn more about flexible inks and projects completed using flexible inks? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/ultimate-guide-choosing-materials-new-electronics-product?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-flexible-inks&utm_content=ultimate-guide-choosing-material">The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Materials for a New Electronics Product</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/ask-an-expert-conductive-ink-challenges-misconceptions-and-more-with-mike?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-flexible-inks&utm_content=talking-ink-mike">Ask an Expert: Talking Conductive Ink with Mike Mastropeitro from ACI</a></li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-flexible-pcb-silver-ink-pet?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-flexible-inks&utm_content=printing-flexible-pcb">Printing a Flexible PCB with Silver Ink on PET</a> (stretchable insulator)</li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-silver-conductive-ink-cotton-fabric?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-electronics-flexible-inks&utm_content=printing-cotton">Printing Silver Conductive Ink on Cotton Fabric</a> (stretchable heating ink)</li></ul><p>Looking to print flexible electronics with flexible inks? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Demo%20Webinar&utm_source=website&utm_medium=%2Fwebinar-recap-printing-electronics-flexible-inks&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> to learn more about NOVA.</p>

Webinar Recap: Printing Electronics with Flexible Inks

In this webinar, we invited ACI Materials to discuss NOVA’s compatibility with flexible inks to create eco-friendly, high-conductivity flexible circuits.

<p>The printed electronics landscape has seen substantial growth in recent years and there’s no sign of it slowing down. In 2023, the global printed electronics market size by material and substrate reached <a href="https://market.us/report/printed-electronics-market/" target="_blank">13.1 billion</a> USD. The healthcare/wellness and automotive sectors <a href="https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/flexible-and-printed-electronics-2023-2033-forecasts-technologies-markets/943" target="_blank">dominated the market</a>, fueled by various applications ranging from in-mold touch sensing to wearable glucose test strips.&nbsp;</p><p>As 2024 kicks off, the forecast for the printed electronics market is showing promising growth — supporting well established sectors like conductive inks while also shining light on emerging use cases like <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/in-mold-electronics">in-mold electronics</a>. These trends serve as an indicator of how closely the next generation of electronics will integrate with our daily lives.</p><p>Let's take a closer look at where the market is headed.</p><h2>Printed electronics market size</h2><p>According to <a href="https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/electronics-manufacturing-trends/" target="_blank">StartUs Insights</a> printed electronics is forecasted to rank as the sixth most impactful trend in electronics manufacturing in 2024.</p><p>Individually, the market for printed electronics is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately <a href="https://market.us/report/printed-electronics-market/" target="_blank">19% between 2024 and 2033</a>. By the end of 2024, the market is projected to reach a total value of over 15 billion USD.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Graph showing the global printed electronics market from 2022-2029" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/66be68b263342bd62767433d_66704635d15051aaa15e4ca3_2024-trends-printed-electronics-global-market-size.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Image:&nbsp;<a href="https://greyviews.com/reports/printed-electronics-market/62" target="_blank">GreyViews</a></figcaption></figure><h2>What are the market drivers in printed electronics?</h2><p>A number of market drivers contribute to the predicted growth rate of printed electronics. These include:&nbsp;</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/role-conductive-inks-additive-electronics-manufacturing"><strong>Conductive inks</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Being the most critical component of printed electronics applications, continued investment in conductive inks will enable cost-effective production of lightweight and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/flexible-hybrid-electronics">flexible electronics</a>.</li><li><strong>Substrates: </strong>Equally as important as conductive inks, the rise in lightweight, flexible, and stretchable applications will also result in increased demand for materials to print on.</li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/copper-rfid-tag"><strong>RFID technology</strong></a><strong>:</strong> As retail tracking and data communication continues to expand, RFID technology will grow in tandem, particularly with regards to opportunities in smart packaging. <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/printed-electronics-market" target="_blank">Grand View Research</a> expects this technology to realize the fastest CAGR from 2022 to 2030.</li><li><strong>The Internet of things (IoT): </strong><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/10/19/2024-iot-and-smart-device-trends-what-you-need-to-know-for-the-future/?sh=7cec41e97f34" target="_blank">Forbes</a><strong> </strong>projected that<strong> </strong>by the end of 2024, over 200 billion IoT devices, ranging from toys to appliances, will be connected online. With the form factors of electronics rapidly evolving, it’s expected that IoT devices will help drive global adoption of printed electronics.</li><li><strong>Flexible and stretchable electronics:</strong></li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/electroluminescent-displays"><strong>Displays:</strong></a> With applications in consumer electronics and automotive dashboards, displays hold the highest market share at <a href="https://market.us/report/printed-electronics-market/" target="_blank">over 38%</a>.</li><li><strong>Sensors: </strong>Innovations in healthcare, environmental monitoring, industrial automation, and wearables can be attributed to the continued growth of sensors.</li><li><strong>Photovoltaics (PV)</strong>: Within the energy sector, flexible PVs are predicted to gain large traction primarily driven by integration with buildings.</li></ul><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A graph showing the global printed electronics market from 2024-2033" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/66be68b263342bd627674346_6670467d219a72391a792ee4_2024-trends-printed-electronics-market-drivers.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Image:&nbsp;<a href="https://market.us/report/printed-electronics-market/" target="_blank">Market.US</a></figcaption></figure><p>We can clearly see the dominance of conductive inks in printed electronics displayed in this data. Flexible substrates, though not as dominant as conductive inks, are still projecting growth in the global market up to 2033.</p><h2>Where is the largest market for printed electronics?</h2><p>According to <a href="https://market.us/report/printed-electronics-market/" target="_blank">Market.US</a>, who analyzes the regional trends and market drivers that make up this industry’s global landscape, the largest markets for printed electronics are:</p><ul><li><strong>Asia-Pacific (APAC): </strong>This region represents the largest market for printed electronics adoption. This can be attributed to a robust electronics manufacturing hub created by key market players like <a href="https://www.samsungdisplay.com/eng/index.jsp" target="_blank">Samsung Display</a>, <a href="https://www.lgdisplay.com/eng" target="_blank">LG Display CO. Ltd</a>., and <a href="https://www.eink.com/" target="_blank">E Ink Holdings</a>. Furthermore, the APAC region’s economic growth in major countries like China, Japan, and South Korea, fuels investment in the printed electronics sector.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>North America:</strong> Shortly behind APAC comes North America. Their demand for printed electronics primarily focuses on research and development in sectors like healthcare, aerospace, and defense. Some key market players in this region include <a href="https://www.nextflex.us/" target="_blank">NextFlex</a>, <a href="https://flex.com/" target="_blank">Flex Ltd</a>, and <a href="https://www.molex.com/en-us/home" target="_blank">Molex LLC</a>.</li><li><strong>Europe:</strong> Renowned for innovation and sustainability, European countries like Germany are projected to continue increasing research and development in advanced consumer electronics and automotive displays, due to the demand for electric vehicles and eco-friendly electronics.</li><li><strong>South America:</strong> A smaller market, countries like Brazil and Mexico are fueled by a younger demographic's interest towards technology and innovation.</li><li><strong>Middle East and Africa:</strong> The smallest market, this region mainly focuses on technological infrastructure and educational advancement.</li></ul><h2>Printed electronics technology</h2><p>In the same report mentioned above by <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/printed-electronics-market" target="_blank">Grand View Research</a>, this following graph segments the printed electronics market by technology.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A graph showing the global printed electronics market in 2021 with screen printing taking the largest share" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/66be68b263342bd62767432f_667046d1f45369d2657e0f11_2024-trends-printed-electronics-technology.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Image: <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/printed-electronics-market" target="_blank">Grand View Research</a></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-screen-printing">Screen printing</a> represents the largest share of the market by technology, holding over 64% of total revenue. <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-inkjet-technology">Inkjet</a> is close behind, followed by flexographic and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-to-gravure-printing-technology">gravure</a> printing technology. While not listed, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink write dispensing</a> is gaining momentum in the industry for its affordability, accuracy, and low cleaning requirements.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>These factors serve as a general indicator of where the printed electronics market is headed for 2024 and beyond. However, the industry’s potential isn’t limited to only a few trends. Whether it’s the digital dashboards transforming automobile interior design, or cellular smart labels revolutionizing shipment tracking for both sender and receiver, these trends will inspire confidence for industry innovators worldwide.</p>

2024 Trends in Printed Electronics

Explore printed electronics trends expected to emerge or grow in 2024. This article covers the industry’s projected growth, market drivers, regional trends, and printing technology.

<p>Precision fluid dispensers play a crucial role in manufacturing the products we interact with regularly. They are used in a wide range of industries, so much so, we often forget their role in our everyday lives.</p><p>In this article, we will provide a brief overview of fluid dispensing systems, highlight their applications, discuss common challenges with the technology, and share an overview of <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a>, our materials dispensing system.&nbsp;</p><h2>What are precision fluid dispensing systems?</h2><p>Precision fluid dispensing systems allow users to deposit micro amounts of assembly fluids onto a substrate in targeted areas. When dealing in microlitres or nanolitres, the amount of fluid deposited is often nearly impossible to control with most manual pumps and flowmeters. These systems were developed to implement control, precision, accuracy, and consistency in applications requiring microdispensing.</p><p>The two most common types of systems for fluid dispensing are:&nbsp;</p><h4>Non-contact&nbsp;</h4><p>Also known as jet dispensing or jetting. In a jetting system, the fluid is deposited or “jetted” onto the substrate from a distance.&nbsp;</p><h4>Contact&nbsp;</h4><p>This method uses a valve to deposit material in a highly controlled manner. It offers compatibility with a wider range of fluids compared to non-contact systems. Some examples of contact systems include:</p><ul><li><strong>Pneumatic/time pressure</strong>: Pulses of air engage the top of the plunger in a specific pattern, driving the plunger forward in the syringe and depositing material.</li><li><strong>Mechanical positive displacement</strong>: A rod or piston that forces fluid out of the cartridge.</li><li><strong>Auger</strong>: A motor enables the auger screw to rotate, pulling material from the reservoir and guiding it towards the nozzle.</li><li><strong>Progressive cavity (PC) pump</strong>: Similar to an auger system, PC pumps utilize a rotor and stator to fill tightly sealed cavities with precise amounts of fluid which are then pushed towards the nozzle, enabling larger consistent deposits with high viscosity fluids.</li></ul><h3>Fluid dispensing applications</h3><p>Numerous industries utilize dispensing systems for depositing materials, such as:</p><ul><li>Electronics: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-is-solder-paste">Solder pastes</a>, conductive adhesives, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/role-conductive-inks-additive-electronics-manufacturing">conductive inks</a>, flux, coatings, underfill adhesives, and dam and fill.&nbsp;</li><li>Medical: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu">Biomarker detection</a>, and in- and on-body <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/printed-tattoo-electrodes">biomedical sensors</a>.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/copper-rfid-tag">RFID</a>: Eco-friendly and cost effective non-contact data transfer and localization systems.</li></ul><p>Recent <a href="https://www.precedenceresearch.com/fluid-dispensing-systems-market">research</a> indicates the electrical and electronics assembly segment was the leading global market for fluid dispensing equipment in 2024.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A graph of the fluid dispensing systems market share, by application, 2024. From left to right: electrical and electronics assembly (36%), automotive (29%), medical devices (20%), construction (10%), and others (5%)." src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6824a6de43f1ffa35b392ab0_precision-fluid-dispensing-system-market-share.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Fluid dispensing systems market share, by application in 2024. Source: <a href="https://www.precedenceresearch.com/fluid-dispensing-systems-market">Precedence Research</a></figcaption></figure><h3>Materials used in fluid dispensing&nbsp;</h3><p>Precision fluid dispensers enable a diverse range of <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/compatibility-guide-inks-substrates">material compatibility</a>. Some of the most common materials used in these systems are:</p><ul><li><strong>Flux: </strong>A chemical compound used in preparing metal surfaces for soldering.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Conductive ink:</strong> Printable materials that are capable of conducting electricity.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Lubricant:</strong> Oily materials that help reduce friction in surfaces that contact each other.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Solder paste:</strong> Powdered metal solder that is suspended in flux.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Adhesive: </strong>Substances that are capable of<strong> </strong>holding at least two surfaces together permanently.</li><li><strong>Sealants:</strong> Materials that attach at least two surfaces together, filling the space between them.</li><li><strong>Conformal coatings:</strong> A film applied over components that provides protection against contaminants and environmental factors.</li><li><strong>Epoxy underfill: </strong>An epoxy-material used in PCBs to connect a chip to the board through capillary action.</li></ul><p>In the same research report referenced above, the graph below shows the growth of fluid dispensing systems of various materials in the global market.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A chart showing the fluid dispensing systems market share, by application in 2024. From biggest to smallest: Asia Pacific (46%), North America (29%), Europe (20%), Latin America (10%), MEA (5%)" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6824a7182f16b031a170df7a_precision-fluid-dispensing-system-global-market.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Fluid dispensing systems market share, by region, 2024. Source: <a href="https://www.precedenceresearch.com/fluid-dispensing-systems-market">Precedence Research</a></figcaption></figure><p>Though the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 46% of the global revenue for fluid dispensing equipment in 2024, the global demand is projected to increase for systems that are compatible with lubricant, solder paste, adhesives, and sealants. This is primarily driven by advancements in electronics and automotive manufacturing [1].</p><h2>Benefits of precision fluid dispensing&nbsp;</h2><p>The primary benefit of precision fluid dispensers is the ability to print high-resolution patterns and features quickly. They are designed to implement control methods to ensure high quality results are achieved. Many applications developed using these systems require consistent prints in high volume orders, so repeatability is key.</p><p>These systems can also be integrated into production lines to significantly reduce development time. They offer customizable features like interchangeable dispensers and programmable settings. Swappable dispensers allow users to disperse different types of material that would otherwise take longer to complete using manual processes, or even require a different tool altogether. A user can switch from a precision nozzle designed for depositing an adhesive ink, to a nozzle designed for spraying a coating in a matter of seconds.</p><h2>Challenges with precision dispensing systems</h2><p>One of the primary challenges that exists is finding the right system for your application. Unless you’re a material scientist, it is easy to become overwhelmed by technical specifications, even if you know your application’s requirements. There is no one-size-fits-all materials dispensing system on the market; each has its own advantages and disadvantages, most often tailored to specific applications. Even after settling on a system to purchase, it's extremely common to face difficulties with material reliability and flow.</p><p>Let’s say you have your system, the material, and a substrate. How do you tell the system where to deposit the fluid? How much should it deposit? When and where should it start and stop?&nbsp;</p><p>Balancing these aspects while also adjusting settings to manage consistency, material leakage, and quality results, is often no easy task — especially without an intuitive user interface.</p><h2>NOVA: Voltera’s precision fluid dispensing system</h2><p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a> is a precision materials dispensing system that dispenses screen-printable materials (1,000 to 1,000,000 cP) on flexible, stretchable, conformable, and biocompatible materials, as well as rigid substrates. It is ideal for:</p><ul><li>Flexible hybrid electronics R&amp;D</li><li>Novel materials research</li><li>Precise material dispensing</li><li>Seamless transition to mass production</li></ul><p>In 2025, we released <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/print-multilayer-flexible-stretchable-circuits-nova">Plan</a>, a software feature that enables multilayer printing and print job editing for NOVA, further improving user experience for printing multi-material and multilayer circuit designs.&nbsp;</p><h3>Benefits of NOVA</h3><ul><li>Achieve repeatable results with close-loop pressure feedback, temp-controlled dispensing, and an optimized algorithm for multilayer printing.</li><li>Stack up to four layers of materials and visualize multilayer print sequences before execution.</li><li>Experiment with a wide range of printable materials, from conductive inks and adhesives to solder paste on both flexible and rigid substrates.</li><li>Change designs on the fly and iterate without screens or stencils, eliminating delays and reducing costs while prototyping in-house.</li><li>…and more</li></ul><p>For technical specifications of NOVA, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/technical-specifications">click here</a>.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="NOVA is printing a potentiometer circuit using functional carbon ink, Voltera Conductor 3 silver ink, and ACI FS0142 flexible silver ink on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b703e02e926afdfce5eea1_precision-fluid-dispensing-system-nova-carbon.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>NOVA printing a functional carbon ink developed by Voltera’s Applications team on <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/pet-5-sheets">PET</a> sheet</figcaption></figure><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="NOVA is printing a heating element pattern made up of meander lines that resemble a hand using the ACI SH5025 printed fixed resistance heater ink on cotton fabric" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b7042390200f4952d6da68_precision-fluid-dispensing-system-nova-stretchable.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>NOVA printing the ACI SH5025 printed fixed resistance heater ink on cotton fabric</figcaption></figure><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="NOVA printing ECG electrodes shaped like hexagonal labyrinths using Creative Materials’ EXP 2613-40 biocompatible gold ink and Celanese’s Intexar PE874 silver ink on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70470ec5cb1f8663b5cc8_precision-fluid-dispensing-system-nova-gold.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>NOVA printing Creative Materials’ EXP 2613-40 biocompatible gold ink on <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/intexar-tpu-5-sheets">TPU</a> to make ECG electrodes</figcaption></figure><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>As additive manufacturing continues to revolutionize research outcomes and product development, innovators are searching for the right solution to meet their goals. They’re looking to accelerate development timelines and find cost effective methods for achieving reliable, high quality results.</p><p>If you would like to see if <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a> is a fit for your application, <a href="https://meetings.hubspot.com/royperez/v-one-or-nova-demo?__hstc=13863464.f4bac85f003ca4e96b9dc2632e0f0baa.1698168973705.1701183200004.1701198740111.109&__hssc=13863464.3.1701198740111&__hsfp=1999393944">book a meeting</a> with one of our application specialists.&nbsp;</p><h2>References</h2><p>[1] Precedent Research, <a href="https://www.precedenceresearch.com/fluid-dispensing-systems-market">Fluid Dispensing Systems Market Size, Share, and Trends 2025 to 2034</a>, 2025.</p>

What Are Precision Fluid Dispensing Systems? 

Learn how precision fluid dispensing systems are changing additive electronics. Explore their benefits, materials, challenges, and where Voltera’s NOVA system fits in.

What are Precision Fluid Dispensing Systems? 

<p>In this webinar, Voltera's Support Lead, <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nathanshinkar">Nathan Shinkar</a>, and Panasonic's Business Director, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybehr">Andy Behr</a>, explored the capabilities of <a href="https://na.industrial.panasonic.com/products/electronic-materials/printed-and-flexible-hybrid-materials/lineup/beyolex-stretchable-circuit-materials/series/144592">BEYOLEX™ high-temperature stretchable film</a>, a groundbreaking substrate designed for soft circuit applications.&nbsp;</p><p>The session provided an in-depth look at BEYOLEX's unique properties and a live demonstration of printing a force-sensitive resistor (FSR) using <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a> and <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/aci-ss1109-2ml-cartridge?srsltid=AfmBOor9orMYVz2nygWbpSlawy40hsk0MnVp5nIIdByx6pKKRf-8vQ5U">ACI SS1109 stretchable silver ink</a>.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyICoRTERFI&list=PLbZdiubRTqoqS9CDbZrtc5kbc-bhfKdUw"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gyICoRTERFI" title="Webinar: Printing on BEYOLEX™ High-Temperature Stretchable Film with NOVA" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Webinar highlights&nbsp;</h2><h3>Introduction to BEYOLEX™</h3><p>Andy Behr introduced BEYOLEX™, Panasonic's innovative high-temperature stretchable film, emphasizing its advantages over traditional substrates such as TPU and silicone. BEYOLEX stands out due to its:</p><ul><li>High elongation (200%) with near-zero hysteresis, meaning it can stretch and return to its original shape without deformation.</li><li>Exceptional heat resistance, withstanding temperatures over 300°C, making it ideal for applications that require soldering or exposure to high temperatures.</li><li>Superior durability, retaining mechanical properties even after prolonged exposure to extreme environments.</li></ul><p>Andy also discussed various potential applications of BEYOLEX, including wearables, robotics, flexible heaters, and sensor patches, highlighting its versatility in printed electronics.</p><h3>Printing demonstration with NOVA</h3><p>Following the introduction, Nathan conducted a live printing demonstration using the NOVA modular dispensing system. The session covered key steps in the process, including:</p><ol><li>Preparing the substrate: BEYOLEX was mounted onto the NOVA vacuum module to ensure a stable print surface.</li><li>Loading the materials: ACI’s SS19 stretchable silver ink was selected due to its compatibility with BEYOLEX's stretchability and temperature resistance.</li><li>Printing with NOVA: Nathan showcased how NOVA’s intelligent software and precise dispensing capabilities produced fine conductive traces with high accuracy. The process included print file alignment, height mapping using NOVA’s smart probe, and the final printing step.</li><li>Post-processing: The printed circuit was cured at 135°C for 5 minutes, well below BEYOLEX's threshold, ensuring proper conductivity and flexibility.</li></ol><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="The sensors being stretched" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b72b3923c055c14dc671f0_webinar-recap-beyolex-printed-sensors-stretched.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>The sensors being stretched</figcaption></figure><h2>Additional resources</h2><p>Curious what other projects can be done using stretchable substrates like BEYOLEX™? Check out these resources:</p><ul><li>White papers: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers">Projects done using our dispensing systems</a></li><li>Blog: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/compatibility-guide-inks-substrates">A Compatibility Guide for Inks and Substrates</a></li><li>Video: <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZdiubRTqoqS9CDbZrtc5kbc-bhfKdUw&si=TpSbDWjqoyVp_tcQ">Other Voltera webinars on additive electronics</a></li></ul><p>Ready to print your soft circuits? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/book-a-meeting?utm_campaign=Blog%20Campaign&utm_source=website&utm_medium=webinar-recap-printing-beyolex&utm_content=book-a-meeting">Book a meeting</a> with us now. To stay informed on upcoming webinars, <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1DG3jeG6BRDOZ6o0OGyVv-g34u2a">subscribe to our newsletter</a>!&nbsp;</p>

Webinar Recap: BEYOLEX™ Stretchable Film for Soft Circuits

In this webinar, we explored Panasonic BEYOLEX™ stretchable film’s properties and printed force-sensitive resistors using ACI’s stretchable silver ink.

<p id="">In our latest webinar, the spotlight was on printing biomedical sensors using <a id="" href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA technology</a>, a landmark in the evolution of printed electronics. We also highlighted Creative Materials’ <a id="" href="https://server.creativematerials.com/datasheets/DS_124_36.pdf" target="_blank">124-36 Ag/AgCl (silver silver-chloride) ink</a>, which was perfect for the application we demonstrated.</p><h2 id="">Precision materials dispensing&nbsp;</h2><p id="">The webinar focused primarily on the precision and adaptability of NOVA in printing biomedical sensors. With the use of advanced materials and sophisticated printing techniques, made easier with products like NOVA and Creative Materials inks, you’re able to create sensors that are both highly functional and biocompatible.</p><h2 id="">Webinar highlights</h2><p id=""><strong id="">Printing techniques explored:</strong> We discussed various methods like syringe dispensing and screen printing, emphasizing their relevance in biomedical applications.</p><p id=""><strong id="">Material compatibility:</strong> The webinar highlighted the compatibility of NOVA with a range of materials, including innovative silver/silver-chloride inks.</p><p id=""><strong id="">Flexibility:</strong> Customization became a key theme, with discussions in the live chat of the webinar on tailoring sensor designs to specific biomedical needs and the flexibility of materials on different substrates.</p><p id=""><em id="">Interested in exploring NOVA's capabilities for your biomedical projects?&nbsp;</em><a id="" href="https://meetings.hubspot.com/royperez/meet-with-team-voltera"><em id="">Get in touch</em></a><em id=""> with our experts for a personalized demo or more information.</em></p><h2 id="">Audience Q&amp;A insights</h2><p id=""><strong id="">Ink selection:</strong> One question inquired on the difference between pure silver inks and silver/silver-chloride inks. Our experts explained that while pure silver offers higher conductivity, silver/silver-chloride inks provide greater biocompatibility, crucial for sensors in direct contact with skin.</p><p id=""><strong id="">Printing on flexible materials:</strong> A question arose about NOVA's ability to print on flexible substrates and we clarified that NOVA's precision and pressure feedback dispensing make it ideal for such applications, above and beyond the capability of the <a id="" href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one">V-One</a>.</p><p id=""><strong id="">Ink preparation and handling:</strong> Questions about ink preparation underscored the importance of proper material handling for optimal printing results. Many helpful tools and techniques were highlighted, including but not limited to:&nbsp;</p><ul id=""><li id="">A planetary mixer to help blend materials to ensure a complete mix and consistent flow.</li><li id="">Deflection testing to identify whether there’s air in the dispenser, which is further helped by the pressure feedback from NOVA’s Smart Dispenser.</li><li id="">Consultation with experts (like <a id="" href="https://www.creativematerials.com" target="_blank">Creative Materials</a>) for recommendations when you’re looking to create custom mixed materials for your application.</li></ul><h2 id="">Practical demonstration</h2><p id="">A significant portion of the webinar was dedicated to a live demonstration, showcasing the printing of a biomedical sensor using NOVA. This hands-on display not only highlighted the machine’s capabilities but also addressed practical considerations like setup time and material preparation.</p><p id=""><em id="">Didn’t make it to the webinar? Watch it here:</em></p><figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://youtu.be/dcr2Itxfbq4?feature=shared"><div id=""><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dcr2Itxfbq4" title="" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2 id="">Applications and future of printed electronics in a biomedical setting&nbsp;</h2><p id="">We discussed the wide range of applications for <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/bioelectronics">printed biomedical sensors</a>, from ECG/EKG and EEG sensors to more novel uses in drug delivery systems and comfortable, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/wearables">wearable health monitors</a>. The session also touched upon future trends and potential advancements in this rapidly evolving field.</p><p id="">Special thanks to everyone who participated in the chat. There were tons of questions about the capabilities of NOVA and Creative Materials inks. The most common themes were the importance of precision in dispensing, versatility in materials, and customization for creating advanced medical devices.</p><p id="">To stay informed on future webinars, <a id="" href="https://share.hsforms.com/1BPx4J9lvQ7-8px6MtaXF0w34u2a?__hstc=13863464.a6e861abd69863d5e355c083710f6ae2.1708615212577.1725990309429.1725995530379.319&__hssc=13863464.9.1725995530379&__hsfp=141023726">subscribe to our newsletter</a>.</p>

Webinar Recap: Printing Biomedical Sensors with Ag/AgCl ink

A summary of Voltera's printed electronics webinar, including techniques and materials that are compatible with biomedical applications.

A recap of our webinar on biomedical sensors printed with silver silver-chloride ink using NOVA.

<p>In a future characterized by flexibility, stretchability, sustainability, and affordability, conductive inks serve as tools to foster electronics innovation. In this blog, we will explore the role of conductive inks in printed electronics.</p><h2><strong>What are conductive inks?</strong></h2><p>Conductive inks are printable materials that are capable of conducting electricity. These liquid inks contain other conductive materials, such as silver nanoparticles or copper and carbon particles, and enable electrical conduction. Most inks aren’t conductive right from the beginning — they need to be processed to evaporate the solvents, which strengthens the connection between the metal particles. After the printing process, they are cured in different ways to render them electrically conductive. Typically, the main curing process we use on <a href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one">V-One</a> for low-temperature inks is thermal curing. This process applies heat to initiate polymerization, solidifying the ink and changing the volume of the traces. However, there are alternative methods for processing conductive inks, such as ultraviolet (UV) curing. UV curing exposes the uncured ink to UV light, converting the monomers to polymers, which hardens the liquid.</p><p>To learn more about what conductive inks are made of, see <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/what-is-printed-electronics-conductive-inks">What is Printed Electronics? Conductive Inks.</a></p><h2><strong>Advantages of conductive inks in additive manufacturing:</strong></h2><p>The <a href="https://www.precedenceresearch.com/flexible-electronics-market#:~:text=The%20global%20flexible%20electronics%20market%20is%20poised%20to%20grow%20at,USD%2071.54%20billion%20by%202032.">increasing demand</a> for flexible and stretchable electronic devices requires conductive materials that can satisfy the characteristics of the devices. Traditionally, subtractive manufacturing processes like chemical etching require an extensive production process that is costly, wastes material, and is environmentally harmful. Conversely, conductive inks are used in additive manufacturing processes — providing an extensive list of benefits to users:</p><h3><strong>Testing and design acceleration</strong></h3><p>Because conductive inks are additive in nature:</p><ul><li>They accelerate the design and iteration stage for developing electronics.&nbsp;</li><li>They avoid multi-step procedures related to chemically stripping materials (keep reading — there’s more on this process below.)</li></ul><p>Instead, they utilize a more streamlined process of printing only what’s needed, where it is needed. This approach eliminates material waste and enables users to develop and test their prototypes faster.</p><h3><strong>Material versatility of conductive inks</strong></h3><p>Conductive inks are comprised of a wide variety of functional materials, providing users with a diverse range of application compatibility. With various resistance thresholds and temperature ranges, conductive inks allow for compatibility with <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/flexible-hybrid-electronics">flexible</a> and stretchable applications on a wide variety of films and substrates. Here are a few examples of the inks and their potential applications:</p><ul><li>Silver conductive inks are easy to print and offer excellent conductivity and low resistance, making them ideal for applications requiring high flexibility. Typical applications where silver conductive inks are used include aerospace electronics, alternative<a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/printed-batteries"> energy solutions</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/bioelectronics">biosensors</a>, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-rfid-tag-copper-ink-paper">RFID tags</a>, and automotive sensors.</li><li>Silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) inks are an environmentally friendly option, commonly used in biomedical electronics. Their smooth finish and ability to achieve different resistance and sensitivity levels by adjusting their ratio make them specifically suitable for on or in-body applications like <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu">health monitoring patches and sensors</a>.</li><li>Carbon inks offer high thermal stability at a lower cost compared to silver conductive inks. Their chemical inertness makes carbon inks suitable for printing resistors and conductors on non-conductive materials such as plastics, ceramics, and paper. Carbon-based inks are useful for applications like windshield defrosters, resistors, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-multilayer-flexible-membrane-keyboard-conductive-silver-ink-dielectric-ink-pet">computer keyboards</a>, and capacitive sensors where conductivity and stability are required.&nbsp;</li><li>Gold and platinum conductive inks offer very high electrical conductivity and longevity, and are used in applications where the higher conductivity can justify the high price. The durability of these electrically conductive inks can be attributed to their resistance to corrosion and oxidation. Some common applications where gold and platinum conductive inks are used include photovoltaics and thin film transistors.&nbsp;</li></ul><h3><strong>Sustainability and material waste</strong></h3><p>Subtractively manufactured electronics involve chemical etching, a process that subjects material to chemicals to remove excess material until the final form is obtained. This process generates significant material waste and also exposes handlers to toxic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide or ferric chloride.&nbsp;</p><p>A much safer option is printing conductive inks additively onto a substrate or film in the desired pattern, resulting in no exposure to toxic chemicals or creation of material waste.</p><h2><strong>Conductive ink applications</strong></h2><p>There are numerous applications for conductive inks. We’ve highlighted a few below that have been developed on our materials dispensing systems, <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a> and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one">V-One</a>:</p><h3><strong>Remote-controlled robotic hand with strain gauges</strong></h3><p>This project involved designing a remote-controlled robotic hand, printed using a highly conductive stretchable silver ink from <a href="https://materials.celanese.com/gb/products/pdf/SI/Micromax%E2%84%A2%20Intexar%E2%84%A2%20PE874-gb.pdf">Celanese</a>. The process of building a remote-controlled robotic hand involved designing strain gauges that could stretch while maintaining good conductivity and exhibiting a measurable change in resistance. Using this stretchable conductive ink opens the door for designing strain gauges on nearly any flexible material.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Robot hand and control glove shown side by side" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b701fb1f6d214c447d9805_Role-conductive-inks-robotic-hand-strain-gauges.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/building-a-remote-controlled-robotic-hand-with-strain-gauges">See the build process</a></figcaption></figure><h3><strong>Insole pressure sensor&nbsp;</strong></h3><p>This application saw the full design and build of an insole with a force-sensitive resistor capable of detecting pressure and weight distribution in a shoe. Using the same stretchable silver conductive ink as the robotic glove above, traces were printed onto a sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which then comes into contact with a carbon sheet under pressure, allowing for resistance to increase in various regions of the print.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Insole pressure sensor laid out on a table, connected to wires" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b7023a93334305929702dd_Role-conductive-inks-insole-pressure-sensor.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Insole pressure sensor</figcaption></figure><h3><strong>Biomedical sensors with silver-silver chloride ink</strong></h3><p>Another industry where we continue to see the application of conductive inks flourish is biomedical health monitoring. In our webinar Printing Biomedical Sensors, we demonstrated printing a biomedical sensor using Creative Materials’ <a href="https://server.creativematerials.com/datasheets/DS_124_36.pdf?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--4FZ7IrgeZBrspF9UgInjiWDGpZ2zkWPzzlX4ld_93xfqFIrVmyoD7KjPSul3O02kAeA2y">124-36 silver-silver chloride</a> on TPU.&nbsp;</p><p>Didn’t get a chance to attend the webinar? Watch the recording on our YouTube channel:</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://youtu.be/dcr2Itxfbq4?feature=shared"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dcr2Itxfbq4" title="Webinar: Printing Biomedical Sensors with NOVA" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h3><strong>RFID Tags with nano copper ink</strong></h3><p>Another common application for conductive inks is printing RFID tags. In this example, the tags were printed using Copprint’s <a href="https://www.copprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TDS-LF-301-Beta-22-08-21.pdf">LF-301</a> nano copper ink on paper in the desired pattern. This process resulted in better performance than an off-the-shelf tag we purchased from a market volume leader in RFID. With NOVA, we were able to produce one fully printed RFID tag antenna in less than 15 minutes.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Printing with NOVA: Copper RFID tags on paper" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/69b70273fa91b18ccf6074c3_Role-conductive-inks-RFID-nano-copper-ink.webp" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/copper-rfid-tag">See more</a></figcaption></figure><h2><strong>Choosing an ink</strong></h2><p>Each ink has its own unique specifications and applications. Making a decision on which ink to choose can seem intimidating, so we are going to help simplify this process for you:</p><p>When choosing an ink, there are a few main aspects to consider to ensure your application achieves the results you're looking for. The main consideration is what you're trying to achieve with your application. This main decision will lead to other secondary considerations, such as the substrate you plan to print on, the technology you intend to print with, and your budget. For a detailed breakdown on ink compatibility, see our <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/compatibility-guide-inks-substrates">Compatibility Guide for Inks and Substrates</a>.</p><p>Some conductive ink suppliers include:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.acimaterials.com/">ACI Materials</a></li><li><a href="https://www.creativematerials.com/">Creative Materials</a></li><li><a href="https://www.copprint.com/">Copprint</a></li><li><a href="https://www.celanese.com/products/micromax">Celanese</a></li><li><a href="https://www.novacentrix.com/">Novacentrix</a></li></ul><p>If you have questions about ink compatibility with our NOVA or V-One dispensing systems, please contact us at support@voltera.io.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2><p>The innovation of technology can’t exist without the innovation of processes. As electronics continue to move into a more flexible, sustainable, affordable, and reliable future, conductive inks serve as tools to make these innovations achievable.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://meetings.hubspot.com/royperez/v-one-or-nova-demo?__hstc=13863464.58e9aa047cb30acc0b1796784ada0fc8.1745876874770.1767718139595.1767970207656.52&__hssc=13863464.2.1767970207656&__hsfp=3827730490">Book a meeting</a> with one of our application specialists to discover why a <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/nova">NOVA</a> or <a href="https://www.voltera.io/products/v-one">V-One</a> dispensing system could be a game changer for your printed electronic applications.</p><h2><strong>Frequently asked questions</strong></h2><h3><strong>What are conductive inks?</strong></h3><p>Conductive inks are printable liquids that conduct electricity after processing. They contain conductive particles or flakes (commonly silver, copper, or carbon) suspended in a liquid system. Across different types of conductive inks, you are typically looking at a combination of filler (conductivity), binder (adhesion and mechanical integrity), and vehicle (printability).</p><h3><strong>What are the main pros and cons of conductive inks?</strong></h3><p>When looking at conductive inks' advantages and disadvantages, the biggest advantage is formulation versatility, as conductive inks can be designed around different conductive materials and performance targets. The main “cons” are usually practical constraints rather than deal-breakers: material cost can vary widely by ink system, and most conductive inks still require defined post-print processing (drying and curing) to reach final conductivity and stability for your application.</p><h3><strong>What’s the difference between thermal curing and UV curing?</strong></h3><p>Thermal curing uses heat to evaporate solvents and solidify the ink, which can reduce the trace volume as it cures. UV curing uses UV light to polymerize monomers in the ink, and UV-cured inks retain their full volume since nothing evaporates. Which cure method you need is dictated by the ink chemistry.</p><h3><strong>When would I use a conductive polymer instead of a metal-based conductive ink?</strong></h3><p>Use a conductive polymer when you need a trace or sensing layer that performs well on flexible substrates, especially in printed electronics applications like flex sensors. We’ll also sometimes use a combination of materials in one build, for example, pairing a silver ink layer with a conductive polymer layer in a thin-film pressure sensor. The right choice comes down to what’s compatible with your substrate and curing constraints, plus the printing techniques you’re using.</p><h2><strong>Check out our Customer Stories</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/customer-stories">Take a closer look</a> at what our customers are doing in the industry.</p>

The Role of Conductive Inks in Additive Electronics Manufacturing

Explore how conductive inks printed electronics support rapid prototyping, less waste vs etching, and real-world applications including strain gauges, biomedical sensors, and RFID tags.

Conductive Inks Printed Electronics: The Role of Inks in Additive Electronics Manufacturing

Explore the pivotal role conductive inks play in advancing printed electronics. From their design, to their benefits, to their applications, discover how these versatile inks continue to revolutionize additive electronics.

<h2>Nordson EFD nozzles launched</h2><div data-rt-embed-type='true'><a id="nordson-efd-nozzles-launched-anchor">Nordson EFD nozzles launched</a></div><p>Voltera is excited to announce that we’ve added Nordson EFD straight barrel nozzles to our <a href="https://store.voltera.io/collections/consumables">online store</a> in four different sizes: 100, 150, 200, 250 μm. These disposable stainless steel nozzles can improve dispensing with lower viscosity fluids and inks on <a href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one">V-One</a> and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a>, but are not recommended for use with solder paste.&nbsp;</p><p>Not sure which nozzle you need? Your application and material will dictate which is right for you. For help choosing the correct nozzle, see <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/nordson-efd-high-performance-low-cost-nozzles#how-to-choose-a-nozzle-anchor">How to choose a nozzle </a>below.</p><h2>Benefits of Nordson EFD nozzles</h2><div data-rt-embed-type='true'><a id="benefits-of-nordson-efd-nozzles-anchor">Benefits of Nordson EFD nozzles</a></div><p>Nozzles (or dispensing tips) direct the flow of material as it exits the cartridge onto your substrate. They are a critical component of the dispensing system and control many aspects of the quality of your output. The Nordson EFD nozzles new to our store offer a wide range of benefits:</p><ul><li><strong>Versatile fluid handling</strong>: These nozzles are designed to handle a wide range of assembly fluids.</li><li><strong>Precise and consistent depositing</strong>: Their burr-free passivated stainless steel tubing allows for precise and consistent fluid depositing, making these nozzles suitable for lower viscosity materials.</li><li><strong>Leak-proof design</strong>: Their polypropylene SafetyLok™ hubs prevent leakage and ensure drip-free dispensing.</li><li><strong>Cost-efficiency: At a more economical price point than Subrex nozzles, these will reduce consumable costs while still achieving high quality dispensing.</strong></li></ul><p>While we now offer these Nordson EFD nozzles in our store, you can still find other nozzles there as well, including Voltera disposable and Subrex metal nozzles.</p><h3>Voltera disposable nozzles</h3><div data-rt-embed-type='true'><a id="voltera-disposable-nozzles-anchor">Voltera disposable nozzles</a></div><p>Disposable nozzles serve a cost effective purpose — minimizing ink volume and maximizing flow. They can also be a suitable option if you find your metal Subrex nozzles are clogging or breaking frequently.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" style="max-width:40%" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="40%"><div><img alt="Voltera disposable nozzles" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/66db569ce46d4305fdb13ce3_667040491dcc310945a03cd7_Nordson-EFD-nozzles-Voltera-disposable-nozzles.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Voltera disposable nozzles</figcaption></figure><h3>Subrex precision nozzles</h3><div data-rt-embed-type='true'><a id="subrex-precision-nozzles-anchor">Subrex precision nozzles</a></div><p>These precision nozzles provide excellent resolution and more accurate dispensing of ink and solder paste but are more expensive and fragile than other nozzles. The enhanced performance comes from a tapered design and a thinner wall to improve flow performance with high viscosity materials and reduce spread at the target location.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" style="max-width:40%" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="40%"><div><img alt="Subrex precision nozzles" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/66db569ce46d4305fdb13cea_667040938723d8e7d0e94451_Nordson-EFD-nozzles-Subrex-precision-nozzles.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Subrex precision nozzles</figcaption></figure><h2>How to choose a nozzle</h2><div data-rt-embed-type='true'><a id="how-to-choose-a-nozzle">How to choose a nozzle</a></div><p>This table gives you a brief overview of the types of nozzles we carry as well as their printer and fluid compatibility:</p><p>[script]https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/6334888a34bfac591c6aa6e9/665f130ae3dff8ef7e8c2b7a_Table%20template.txt[/script]</p><p><em>* Please note: Nozzles can be used with materials and printers not currently stocked in the Voltera online store.&nbsp;</em></p><p>Still not sure which nozzle you need? We’ve put together documentation that will help you choose the right nozzle for your project.&nbsp;</p><h5><a href="https://docs.voltera.io/nova/learn-more/working-with-custom-inks#choosing-nozzles">How to choose a nozzle</a></h5><p>If you have questions about material or nozzle compatibility, we can help! Please contact us at <a href="mailto:hello@voltera.io">hello@voltera.io</a>.</p><h5><a href="https://store.voltera.io/collections/consumables?filter.p.m.custom.product_type=Nozzles">Shop nozzles</a></h5>

Nordson EFD: High Performance, Low Cost Nozzles

You can now purchase four different Nordson EFD dispensing nozzles directly from the Voltera store. They are compatible with NOVA and V-One platforms, and provide a cost-effective alternative with excellent dispensing performance for conductive inks.

<p>In the field of printed electronics, researchers are constantly pushing boundaries to discover novel applications for emerging materials and technologies. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10007579" target="_blank">latest research</a> on carbon nanotube field emissions will have lasting impacts in this field, offering vital insights into properties of this material and opening up the opportunity for a wider discussion on its use cases. We're going to synopsize those findings for you; this is a must-read for researchers in printed electronics. </p><p>Let's start with the basics.</p><h2>What are carbon nanotubes?</h2><p>Colloquially called buckytubes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a hollow, cylindrical structure with a diameter in the nanometer range. Their versatility is what makes them so attractive for research. Their structure can adjust slightly to allow for greater functionalization (by slightly shifting the bonded carbon hexagons) and they have great electronegativity, meaning that they have an easy time bonding with other materials. Their cylindrical structure lends them the ability, via ease of covalent bonding, to combine with other materials in order to augment and enhance them. Their predecessors, buckyballs, did not share the same depth of functionality due to the limits of the ball shape.</p><h2><strong>The power of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)</strong></h2><p>Carbon nanotubes have emerged as a significant player in the realm of nanotechnology, owing to their remarkable electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. Composed of carbon atoms in a cylindrical structure, CNTs are at the forefront of innovations in nanotechnology, enabling advancements in fields such as nanoelectronics, energy storage, and sensing. In this context, space propulsion is a key part of MIT’s research.</p><h2><strong>MIT's pioneering research</strong></h2><p>Researchers at MIT’s Velasquez Group have delved into the intricate world of carbon nanotube field emissions, exploring the previously uncharted territories of their potential. Their investigations have focused on understanding the intrinsic properties and behaviors of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) when exposed to external electric fields. Advanced experimentation and comprehensive analysis have enabled the researchers to gain deeper insights into the emission characteristics of CNTs. Their work is shedding light on optimizing the configurations and conditions under which CNTs operate, thereby enhancing their performance and expanding their potential applications in printed electronics.</p><h2><strong>Precision and control: Leveraging NOVA in research</strong></h2><p>The Velasquez Group employed <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a>, a materials dispensing system which utilizes advanced <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-direct-ink-writing-printing-technology">direct ink writing technology</a> to print detailed structures with extreme precision.</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" style="max-width:25%" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="25%"><div><img alt="Spiralized, in-plane gated field emission device design" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6776f822bbde3bc1712aa45d_66703baff8eaacf0224752d5_Carbon-nanotube-field-emitters-device-design.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Spiralized, in-plane gated field emission device design. Red trace is copper (extractor electrode), yellow trace is printed CNT ink (emitting electrode). Vias connect to underlying blue traces leading to a card edge connector away from the device.</figcaption></figure><p>Concentric spirals of copper and CNT ink were printed <strong>with a minimal 15 µm variation</strong> between them.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="Printed CNT traces, a confocal microscope view with overlaid measurement line and profile of measurement line" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/6776f822bbde3bc1712aa457_66703cacc24b09c1e4486591_Carbon-nanotube-field-emitters-CNT-traces.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Printed CNT traces. A) Confocal microscope view with overlaid measurement line. B) Profile of measurement line, showing rough copper traces and rounded CNT traces with roughly 15 µm misalignment.</figcaption></figure><p>This precision is extraordinary and is not commonly achievable with cleanroom equipment available today. Providing crucial control over surface mapping, optical alignment, and pressure control, NOVA was key in realizing such unprecedented results.<br><br></p><blockquote><em>“With NOVA, we can make devices and align them to sub 10 micron precision, which is essential to everything that we do. If we have a 20 micron deviation, our devices explode. So you know, we need a lot of precision, we need to have tuned materials, and NOVA enables both of those.”—Alex Kashkin, Graduate Researcher, Velásquez Group at MIT</em><br></blockquote><h2><strong>Groundbreaking findings: Emission mechanisms and properties</strong></h2><p>The study provides a profound understanding of the emission mechanisms of carbon nanotubes, emphasizing the significance of field enhancement factor (FEF) and emission areas. Researchers have discovered that the emission currents of CNTs are highly dependent on the geometric configuration and alignment of the nanotubes, as well as the applied electric field. By manipulating these variables, it's possible to optimize the emission properties of CNTs to suit various applications in printed electronics.</p><p>One of the key highlights of the research is the revelation that the emission currents are highly localized, occurring predominantly at the tips of the nanotubes, which has crucial implications for designing efficient emission sources. This understanding is pivotal for harnessing the full potential of CNTs in developing advanced electronic devices, sensors, and other nanotechnology applications.</p><h2><strong>Possible real-world applications</strong></h2><p>The exploration of carbon nanotube field emitters is just the tip of the iceberg. MIT's work is opening up new avenues for research and development in printed electronics. We're optimistic about harnessing the wide range of capabilities that CNTs exhibit to help transform the landscape of nanotechnology and printed electronics.</p><p>‍<strong>Medical and scientific instruments:</strong> The devices could prove invaluable in miniaturized mass spectrometers, and even in crafting compact x-ray generators.</p><p>‍<strong>Relaxed vacuum needs:</strong> The compatibility with low-vacuum environments, especially at the 10 mTorr level, synchronizes perfectly with the industry’s move towards easing vacuum preconditions for compact instruments.</p><p>‍<strong>Radiography and materials analysis:</strong> Envision a handheld x-ray source, adept at material analysis through fluorescent spectroscopy. With the required currents being significantly lesser than the bias voltages essential for x-ray production, the feasibility is undeniable.</p><p>‍<strong>Nanosatellite electric propulsion: </strong>The CNT fully-printed electron sources can be the go-to for neutralizers in pico and nanosatellite electric propulsion systems. Given their resilience against oxygen traces in low-Earth orbit (LEO), they could find a role in a plethora of nanosatellite missions, ranging from Earth surveillance and communication to weather prediction.</p><h2><strong>Closing thoughts</strong></h2><p>MIT’s in-depth research on carbon nanotube field emissions is helping to part the veil on the potential of CNTs in printed electronics. The findings of this study are pivotal for fostering advancements and innovations in nanotechnology. Voltera is proud to play a critical role in unlocking research opportunities, with tools like <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a> enabling research advancements through novel printed electronics technologies.&nbsp;</p><p>Our goal has always been to empower scientists and researchers to explore new possibilities, promising a future where the applications and implications of printed electronics are bound only by the limits of human imagination. By bridging the gap between research and <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications">real-world applications</a>, we are stepping into a future with potential for groundbreaking discoveries and developments that could impact daily life from the clothes we wear, to revolutionary medical treatments, and the exploration and understanding of space.</p><p>Stay tuned for more developments in printed electronics research by <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1DG3jeG6BRDOZ6o0OGyVv-g34u2a?">subscribing to our newsletter</a>. Want to explore the world of possibilities opened up by cutting-edge, easy-to-use printing platforms? Want to join the conversations happening at the frontier of scientific discovery and innovation in printed electronics? <a href="https://www.voltera.io/contact">Contact us</a>.</p>

Unlocking the Potential of Carbon Nanotube Field Emitters: A Glimpse into MIT's Revolutionary Research

Additively manufactured CNT electron sources on glass substrates via direct ink writing, yielding 120 μA emission currents and enabling cost-effective applications like mass spectrometry and nanosatellite propulsion.

MIT’s Research on Carbon Nanotube Field Emitters in Printed Electronics

Highlighting research from Alex Kashkin and his team at MIT. Explore the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of the first fully additively manufactured carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission electron sources

<p id="">What if items in a room could "talk" to each other wirelessly — without any configuration, batteries, or contact? What if instead of having to wait in line at the supermarket, you could just checkout by walking out the front door? Or the next time you misplace your keys, they could tell you where they were located? RFID is a technology that can do all this and more.</p><h2 id="">What is RFID?</h2><p id="">Radio Frequency Identification (commonly known as RFID) is a technology that leverages wireless communication over radio waves to both transfer data and locate objects. Many of us use RFID as part of our everyday life without noticing it, whether it be entry keycards, contactless payments, or toll road transponders on vehicles. While RFID has been streamlining processes for decades, there has been an explosion in the <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/printed-batteries">applications of RFID</a> in recent years.</p><p id="">Retail businesses have started using RFID to speed up the checkout process and improve customer experience. Some countries have begun using RFID to augment their passports with additional information to verify an individual’s identity. RFID is even used in healthcare, with the FDA certifying the use of RFID to track donated blood, including using RFID tags to track the origin, type, and date of donation for blood [1].</p><p id="">So what’s the catch?&nbsp;Well, with nearly 28 billion RFID tags sold in 2021 and a yearly growth of 36% [2], the sheer volume of these tags will result in significant environmental challenges, due to the wasteful and resource intensive nature of current production methods. In addition, current RFID tags leverage aging material technology that is quickly being supplanted in performance and cost by novel approaches, namely nano copper inks, like <a href="https://www.copprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TDS-LF-301-Beta-22-08-21.pdf" target="_blank">Copprint LF-301</a>.</p><h2 id="">Materials used to produce RFID&nbsp;tags</h2><p id="">Nano copper inks offer several advantages over existing materials used in RFID production.&nbsp; The most common way tags are made today is by etching aluminum, a subtractive process similar to how PCBs are made. A laminate of aluminum foil and <a href="https://store.voltera.io/products/pet-5-sheets">PET</a> is put through a chemical process where excess aluminum is subtracted to form the final tag pattern. In contrast, nano copper inks use additive processes where conductor material is deposited onto a substrate in the desired pattern. This results in no copper waste, or toxic chemical byproducts from the production process. What’s more, with an ink like Copprint LF-301 the tag can be made right on a paper substrate such that the RFID tag is compostable, a big change compared to non-recyclable and non-compostable etched aluminum tags.</p><h2 id="">How we printed the RFID&nbsp;tag</h2><p id="">We set out to create an RFID tag using an innovative ink by <a id="" href="https://www.copprint.com/" target="_blank">Copprint</a>. Specifically, we designed, printed, assembled and tested a UHF (ultra-high frequency) RFID tag. This sort of tag is commonly used in asset-tracking applications, like logistics and consumer retail. Using industry-standard design and simulation software, a high-performance UHF RFID tag was designed, but as with everything, you don’t know how something really works until you make your first prototype.</p><h3 id="">Using NOVA</h3><p id="">Fortunately, getting up to speed with a new ink and substrate is a breeze with <a id="" href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">NOVA</a>. Using the Smart Dispenser, combined with the built-in ink calibration workflow, we were able to tune an ink profile to use with Copprint LF-301. What’s more, NOVA’s Vacuum Table module made it a breeze working with paper substrates. After placing the paper on the Vacuum Table, it is held in place until the print is complete. Once the ink was dialed in, and paper substrate was in place, we were ready to print — no upfront costs or time waiting for custom screens to print our prototype pattern: just NOVA, Copprint LF-301, and cardstock paper.</p><p id="">With NOVA set up, we printed the RFID antenna pattern which was based on the Modified Half-Dipole antenna topology which is commonly used in this sort of application. From beginning to end, including surface-mapping with the Smart Probe, it took less than 15 minutes to produce one RFID tag antenna print.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p id="">Once printed, we followed the sintering instructions provided by Copprint; sintering is a critical step for nano copper inks as it transforms the structure of the material, from many disconnected microscopic particles of copper to one continuous bulk. This is the magic of Copprint’s ink, as the sintering process transforms the easy-to-print ink into a high performance copper antenna.&nbsp; This is achieved by using a simple oven and heat press, all within our lab.</p><p id="">With the antenna printed and processed, all that was left was to bond the RFID transceiver integrated circuit to the antenna itself. This IC controls the antenna and responds to an incoming RFID signal. While these are often bonded using specialized adhesives known as Anisotropic Conductive Adhesives (ACA), we chose to simply solder the IC to the antenna as the sintered ink behaves just like bulk copper on a PCB. And with that, our tag was complete!</p><h3 id="">Results: How our printed RFID&nbsp;tag performed</h3><p id="">After testing the RFID tag we produced, we were surprised at the performance: this custom tag which was designed and prototyped in-house in a week performed slightly better than the off-the-shelf tag we purchased from a market-volume leader in RFID. This was accomplished with minimal upfront cost, using NOVA to rapidly prototype our design, moreover with the quick production time for each tag, iterations of the design can be rapidly created and tested.</p><h2 id="">Further reading</h2><ul id=""><li>Overview: <a id="" href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/applications/printed-antennas">Printed Antennas</a>‍</li><li>White paper: <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-rfid-tag-copper-ink-paper">Printing an RFID Tag with Copper Ink on Paper</a>‍</li></ul><p>Have questions about how NOVA&nbsp;can help with your application? <a href="mailto:sales@voltera.io">Reach out to our Sales team</a>.<br>‍</p><figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-fullwidth" style="padding-bottom:56.206088992974244%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="fullwidth" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="56.206088992974244%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://youtu.be/2COFihlYVos?feature=shared"><div id=""><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2COFihlYVos" title="" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><p id="">‍<strong id="">‍</strong><br></p><p id="">[1]<a id="" href="https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/fda-approves-rfid-based-blood-tracking" target="_blank"> https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/fda-approves-rfid-based-blood-tracking</a>&nbsp;</p><p id="">[2]<a id="" href="https://rainrfid.org/rain-rfid-market-research-report/" target="_blank"> https://rainrfid.org/rain-rfid-market-research-report/</a>;<a id="" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220414005172/en/RAIN-RFID-Tag-IC-2021-Sales-Volume-Rockets-Up-36" target="_blank"> https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220414005172/en/RAIN-RFID-Tag-IC-2021-Sales-Volume-Rockets-Up-36</a></p>

Making an RFID Tag using Revolutionary Copper Ink on Paper

We explore the benefits of using nano copper inks to print UHF (ultra high frequency) RFID tags on paper using NOVA. In particular, we printed using Copprint's LF-301 nano copper ink.

We explore the benefits of using nano copper inks to print UHF (Ultra High Frequency) RFID tags on paper using NOVA. In particular, we printed using Copprint's LF-301 nano copper ink.

<h2><strong>Comparing inkjet and extrusion printing methods</strong></h2><p>Biomedical electrodes play a crucial role in evaluating the internal processes of the human body by converting biological stimuli into electrical signals. This process is commonly used for <a href="https://www.voltera.io/use-cases/white-papers/printing-ecg-electrodes-biocompatible-gold-ink-tpu">electrocardiograms (ECG/EKG)</a>, electromyography (EMG), and electroencephalogram (EEG) procedures, and almost always uses <a href="http://silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl)">silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl)</a> electrodes with male connector snap closures.&nbsp;</p><p>While there are benefits to using these electrodes, they “are susceptible to motion artifacts, can be uncomfortable for the user, and are unsuitable for long term use,” according to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361717600_Inkjet_and_Extrusion_Printed_Silver_Biomedical_Tattoo_Electrodes" target="_blank">research</a> by York University’s Yoland El-hajj et al.&nbsp;</p><p>In contrast, electrodes printed on tattoo paper offer a promising alternative for monitoring biological activities. In an interview with Voltera, El-hajj noted the best way to acquire signals from the body is to use a sensor that fits seamlessly with the body, rather than a sensor that sits rigidly on the skin.&nbsp;</p><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-center" style="padding-bottom:33.723653395784545%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="center" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="33.723653395784545%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://youtu.be/MEW3q7GKYQA"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MEW3q7GKYQA" title="" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></figure><h2>Extrusion printing with NOVA</h2><p>In <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361717600_Inkjet_and_Extrusion_Printed_Silver_Biomedical_Tattoo_Electrodes" target="_blank"><em>Inkjet and Extrusion Printed Silver Biomedical Tattoo Electrodes</em></a>, El-hajj et al compared two common methods — <a href="https://www.voltera.io/blog/introduction-inkjet-technology">inkjet printing</a> and extrusion printing — to print the electrodes using silver ink.</p><p>According to the study, “Silver-based inks were selected as the printing medium due to their high conductivity, mechanical robustness, biocompatibility, and moderate cost compared to other inks (e.g. gold, graphene).”</p><p>Using <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova">Voltera NOVA</a>, the group studied various shapes to test the performance and signal quality of the printed electrodes. El-hajj noted that, because the tattoo paper is quite thin, it can be used for many functional purposes, such as integration with prosthetic devices.&nbsp;</p><p>“This is a starting point. Once the printing parameters for printing the specific ink on the specific substrate are optimized, you can go further. You can work on different sensors that can be integrated with the body, such as strain sensors, or even potentially explore areas of energy harvesting.”&nbsp;</p><p>When it came to summarizing how NOVA helped her in this study, El-hajj observed that NOVA makes the printing process more efficient, and calibrating materials and aligning patterns is easier than ever. NOVA is more cost effective and reduces the time it takes to print patterns on a substrate compared to other printing methods, including inkjet.</p><h2>Results: Inkjet vs. extrusion printing</h2><p>The research findings indicated that inkjet printed electrodes are ideal for acquiring signals in areas of the body engaged in higher movement (e.g. EMG) due to their ability to better withstand bending strain. However, the extrusion printed electrodes exhibit a lower sheet resistance and impedance, and the ink does not absorb into the paper — a common issue encountered with inkjet printed tattoo electrodes.</p><h3>Inkjet vs. extrusion sheet resistance</h3><ul><li>Extrusion printed electrodes: 9.4 mΩ/sq</li><li>Inkjet printed electrodes: 25.1 kΩ/sq</li></ul><h3>Inkjet vs. extrusion impedance</h3><figure class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="center"><div><img alt="A graph showing impedance over contact area" src="https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/6334888a34bfac03b46aa715/66bfb968b9af844c0d4bab22_66703583a405e353b91ea7e9_Printed-tattoo-electrodes-inkjet-extrusion-impedance.webp" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"></div><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9781535" target="_blank">Inkjet and Extrusion Printed Silver Biomedical Tattoo Electrodes</a> published in 2022 IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems (FLEPS)</figcaption></figure><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Printed silver biomedical tattoo electrodes represent a promising advancement in biomedical monitoring technology. Their potential to offer greater comfort, flexibility, and efficiency, as well as their personalized, non-invasive nature compared to traditional electrode options is paving the way for innovative advancements in healthcare. In fact, El-hajj has gone on to continue her research in biomedical printed electronics, founding her own company called Epictrode Health.&nbsp;</p>

Printed Tattoo Electrodes: Cutting-Edge Biomedical Monitoring

Biomedical electrodes play a crucial role in evaluating the internal processes of the human body by converting biological stimuli into electrical signals. Electrodes printed on tattoo paper offer a promising alternative for monitoring these biological activities

Biomedical electrodes play a crucial role in evaluating the internal processes of the human body by converting biological stimuli into electrical signals. Electrodes printed on tattoo paper offer a promising alternative for monitoring biological activities

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