Printed Electronics Development Update
Printed Electronics is considered a platform for manufacturing innovation. This paper is an overview of the I.P.C. Standards initiative.
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Authored By:
Daniel Gamota
Printovate Technologies, Inc.
Palatine, IL
Summary
Printed Electronics is considered by many international technologists to be a platform for manufacturing innovation. Its rich portfolio of advanced multi-functional nano-designed materials, scalable ambient processes, and high volume manufacturing technologies lends itself to offer an opportunity for sustained manufacturing innovation.
The success of introducing a new manufacturing technology is strongly dependent on the ability to achieve high final product yields at current or reduced cost. In the past, standards have been the critical vehicles to enable manufacturing success.
During the past few years the Printed Electronics Field has seen an increase in the number of companies attempting to scale-up their manufacturing processes for new product introduction. A key operations-related activity during this exercise is the establishment of a robust supply chain. Many of the printed electronics companies have negotiated unique quality conformance documents (i.e., Certificates of Compliance) with each individual supply chain member. Also, these companies have made significant investments to develop internal standard operating procedures.
Historically, the adoption of standards has shown that it facilitates the growth of an emerging field and reduces the burden placed on individual companies to invest significant resources in the development of company specific compliance documentation. This paper provides an overview of the recently established IPC Printed Electronics Standards initiative.
Conclusions
IPC has been able to establish a robust standards development initiative by implementing a strategy based on 1) partnering with leading organizations within the PE industry and 2) reaching out to subject matter experts from the different technical fields that have nurtured PE innovations.
The IPC PE Standards Committee and Standards Project Subcommittees have been established to provide the greatest support to the emerging field of PE by maintaining a level of discipline that does not impede creativity and sustained innovation
Initially Published in the IPC Proceedings
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