Twenty participants attended The Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics at Clemson University’s inaugural Printed Electronics 101 Seminar May 18-19, 2010. Over the last 5 years, The Sonoco Institute, Department of Graphic Communications and the Advanced Materials Center has been actively engaged with Printed Electronics technology, practices and markets.

“We developed this new seminar to offer our industry and academic network an introduction to the field of printed electronics,” says Jay Sperry, research associate at The Sonoco Institute. “Best of all, attendees get to actually produce working devices. They made lighted Clemson tiger paws!”

Leading experts in the field and seminar presenters, Bruce Kahn, printed electronics consultant, and Bill Ray, chief scientist at NthDegree, discussed markets, technology, practices, manufacturing and growth opportunities in printed electronics. “This seminar gave participants a unique opportunity to both learn about the printing processes used for PE, then actually go into a state-of-the-art printing facility and make samples to take away,” says Kahn. “I don’t know of any workshop, anywhere in the world, that can offer this to participants.”

“The lectures presented potential benefits of printing electronic materials, balanced with a realistic view of the very demanding limitations and impediments to be resolved before effective commercial application,” adds seminar attendee Jim Sutton, department head of Kodak Research Lab.

Greg Markiewicz, VP of AZ Electronic Materials and seminar attendee, says, “The course was a very informative tutorial of the opportunities and challenges in the printed electronic sector. The hands-on lab session was an outstanding introduction to manufacturing approaches.”

The hands-on workshops include flexo imaging and lab printing, multi-layer/ high-volume production and lighting with flat-bed screen printing. This hands-on approach is designed to reinforce the material and develop key application areas. Attendees left with an overview of markets and opportunities for printed electronics, as well as an understanding of print processes and the ability to recognize where business strategies and supply chain will integrate.

The Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics will host this seminar again in October. For more information or to register for this event, visit www.clemson.edu/sonoco_institute.