Electroninks and IDS cut printed-heater build time 73% with aerosol process

Austin-based ink maker Electroninks and aerosol-printing specialist Integrated Deposition Solutions say a joint manufacturing program reduced production time per device by 73%. The work is aimed at aerospace electronics, where printed circuitry can be lighter, more flexible and easier to customize.

The process runs entirely on IDS's NanoJet Gen2 system, curing materials in place at 120°C or below with no separate oven step. Electroninks supplied its EI-615 silver conductive ink and a UV-curable polyimide for insulation and encapsulation.

During a three-week qualification run, IDS built more than 100 multilayer printed heaters, and every one met the target resistance tolerance. The devices are now in environmental testing, and the partners plan to try in-line laser curing to shorten cycles further.