The Girona-based company Tecalum and the Eurecat technology centre (a member of Tecnio) have developed a prototype of a smart device using printed electronics on aluminium. This functioning prototype shows that it is technically feasible to print lights, sensors and switches onto this material in such a way that they are integrated fully into the product.
“This approach to printing electronics onto aluminium, which has been developed by Eurecat, is suitable for industrial production and compatible with the production processes of the company Tecalum, which specializes in the manufacture of products from aluminium. This will give the company a competitive advantage by enabling it to offer products that have never been seen on the market before”, explained Paul Lacharmoise, the Director of Eurecat’s Functional Printing and Embedded Devices Technology Unit.
“By implementing this technology at Tecalum we will be able to expand the range of services we offer, add value to our products and stand out from our competitors”, added Félix Jorba, the Managing Director of Tecalum.
“Normally, printed electronics are printed onto flexible, non-conductive surfaces. As a result, treating the surface of the aluminium and selecting the appropriate types of functional ink posed a real challenge. However, that challenge has now been successfully overcome by Eurecat and Tecalum”, concluded Lacharmoise.
