Making RFID tags affordable is one of the key drivers in the rapid development of Printed Electronics (PE).
With traditional RFID tags being considered expensive, fragile and open to questions about security and performance, the concept that you can print 100 PE tags for the price of one 'old' tag is appealing to those retailers who are looking at Item Level Tagging across their product ranges. Printing presses already exist to 'layer' these tiny printed circuits onto substrates, usually plastic. But will these presses get 'hot' or remain stubbornly cold? I think 'hot' is almost inevitable.
Of course affordability is just one of the issues, l believe, which still holds back investment decisions on PE, but other concerns continue about the printability, performance and security. I think these concerns are groundless and recent advances have been tackling all of the issues head on, leading to some breakthroughs in more rapid implementation of this technology.
Let's knock down a few of the myths.
One myth is that PE is limited to certain forms of 'expensive' plastic films. No! Arjowiggins Creative Papers recently launched a new, paper-based product for printed electronics called Powercoat. The sustainable substrate has polymer-like smoothness (as low as 10 nanometers) that offers excellent printability and ink adhesion properties without any plastic content.
The company claims that the new product is suitable for the integration of intelligent functionality in disposable labelling and packaging. Its surface allows high-resolution fine patterning (down to 5μm) of any solution-based electronic layer. Its structure can withstand the high temperatures required for low-resistance silver ink and significantly reduces the consumption of these inks, claims the company. And, for the ecowarrioirs its 100% degradable and recyclable. So lets take printability of the list.
Next, let's counter the view that security is an issue.
Norway-based Thin Film Electronics (www.thinfilm.no) has received its first order, from a major global consumer goods company, for the use of Thinfilm Memory? for brand protection of packaged goods. The system utilises special electronic labels to fight counterfeiting. The product has an electronic signature that is virtually impossible to replicate, claims the company. In addition this signature can be' deliberately and predictably modified' to create one which is unique to a product line or manufacturer.
The brand protection device includes custom-designed memory labels and a hand-held reader that tests the label on each product and verifies its authenticity. The labels can be applied to any product using conventional application methods. So, if l get this correctly, the new PE tags are uniquely programmable and infinitely harder to hack! And that is just one example.
Finally, let's deal with performance.
A team at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University has developed a printing process called FLUENCE—fluid-enhanced crystal engineering—that, for some materials, results in thin films capable of conducting electricity 10 times more efficiently than those created using conventional methods. A series of cleverly designed chemical patterns on the substrate suppress the formation of unruly crystals that would otherwise grow out of alignment with the printing direction. The result is a film of large, well-aligned crystals through which the electrical charge can flow easily.
While this is 'techy' stuff and probably not commercially available for a while there are plenty of PE producers out there making enhanced performance claims in comparison to standard tags. But, to be fair to the latter, some huge advances have been made in their overall performance and robustness too!
To re-enforce this wider acceptance of PE, one of the USA's major packaging, printing and communications providers RR Donnelley has announced it is to produce integrated RFID and near field communication (NFC) products in a new line of printed electronics. The company expects production of the tags to begin in Q3 2013.
So those who are hesitating about PE in packaging had better think again.
Andrew Manly is the communications director of the Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA) www.aipia.info. Many of the issues discussed here will also be topics at the AIPIA Congress in September.
