The MADRAS project, coordinated by the Eurecat technology centre, has spurred high-volume production of printed electronic devices embedded in plastic parts using electronic in-mould technology, also known as plastronics, which helps to cut costs and lessen environmental impact, for use in the automotive, consumer electronics, health and other industries.
The project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, “has paved the way for products with new, lighter, thinner and more flexible features consisting of advanced inks printed on flexible surfaces made of plastic or nanocellulose which have emerged as a viable alternative to traditional semiconductors such as copper and silicon,” says Paul Lacharmoise, Eurecat’s Functional Printing and Embedded Devices Unit director.
“MADRAS has successfully unlocked a suite of new sustainable materials with enhanced optical and electrical properties and put in place a high-speed manufacturing methodology which delivers a scalable and competitive process to ensure widespread uptake of printed electronic devices,” adds Rosa Araujo, MADRAS coordinator and Eurecat project manager.
In the project, “we’ve worked on developing conductor and semiconductor materials to craft fully printed devices with outstanding performance and stability,” notes Laura López, MADRAS technical coordinator and a researcher at Eurecat’s Functional Printing and Embedded Devices Unit. “The electronic devices developed have opened up new possibilities for innovation and marketing in areas including logistics, packaging, photovoltaics and IoT devices.”
The project has leveraged plastronics technology, which blends functional electronics printing and traditional plastic transformation processes such as thermoforming and injection moulding, to enhance the device integration process.
“This cutting-edge technology has not only stepped up resistance to moisture and wear but also made it possible to add bespoke connectors, further extending the capabilities of printed electronic devices,” points out Cristina Casellas, technology developer at Eurecat’s Functional Printing and Embedded Devices Unit.
Validation in three consumer electronics products
The breakthroughs achieved in the MADRAS project have been validated in the rollout of three printed electronic products embedded in plastic parts. They are a flexible battery-free geolocation tag for the packaging industry delivering enhanced tracking and monitoring capabilities; a photosensor-based biometric reader for user identification in electric mobility services; and a flexible photovoltaic module built into an injected plastic part with numerous integration options.
The MADRAS project has been funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme and coordinated by the Eurecat technology centre. It involves 11 other partners from Spain (Eticas Research and Consulting, TECNOPACKAGING, UNE and the Cooltra Group), France (Genesink, Fedrigoni and Paragon ID), Denmark (infinityPV), the Netherlands (TNO) and the Czech Republic (COC and University of Pardubice).
