Flexible, printed and hybrid electronics are making major inroads in numerous markets, and the automotive segment is one of the most promising. Whether it is sensors, OLED displays and lighting, in-mold electronics, printed heaters or other applications, there are plenty of opportunities ahead for flexible electronics.
 
There are a number of interesting advances already. Printed heaters have long been a staple of cars; Henkel is among the leaders there. OLED lighting appears on rear taillights for a few high-end Audi and BMW models. They give designers the freedom to come up with new, creative looks. Osram-Continental, a JV between Osram and Continental, is the key player in that field.
 
“By launching our joint venture, we are generating confidence that the market for intelligent automotive lighting will continue to grow and be viable,” said Harald Renner, CFO and member of the general management of OSRAM Continental GmbH, at the time of the launch. 
 
Inside the car, displays also play a key role. Canatu is working with DENSO, a leading automotive interior specialist, on heaters. DENSO will be using Canatu’s CNB film manufacturing for heaters used in autonomous cars. DENSO has also invested $270 million in JOLED, which is working on printed OLED displays for cars.
 
Canatu is also collaborating with Continental on display consoles. With Continental, Canatu developed a transparent, 3D touch surfaces in automotive interiors utilizing conductive Canatu CNB films and sensors. It was selected as one of CES 2018 Best of Innovation Awards Honoree in the “In-Vehicle Audio/Video” category and the Display Component of the Year 2018 Award of the Society for Information Display (SID).
 
“The tactile sensing of our 3D shaped surfaces, such as buttons, sliders and switches – integrated to displays – decrease driver distraction, that is, the driver can use the controls effortlessly while keeping his focus on driving,” said Juha Kokkonen, Canatu CEO. “Meanwhile interiors are stylish and functional.”
 
In-mold electronics is another promising area. Faurecia, another leader in automotive interiors, is developing consoles with TactoTek and is also investing in the company.
 
“Integrating electronics into 3D plastic structures, plastronics is transforming vehicle interior design. Faurecia is investing in an ecosystem of plastronic companies, and TactoTek integrates those technologies into light, thin, functional solutions,” said David Weill, VP marketing and business development at Faurecia.
 
Chris Booher, chief marketing officer for ChemCubed, said that he is seeing several applications in automotive that are using silver conductive inks.
 
“Through advanced manufacturing research, there are several applications that are utilizing additive manufacturing with silver conductive inks,” Booher noted. “Digital inkjet printing for conductive circuitry provides not only prototypes but also the benefits of conductive trace printing directly on plastic parts and a multitude of other substrates. There are also uses for improved component packaging that benefits from the reliability and near bulk conductive performance of our silver conductive inks.”
 
Sebastian Kraneis, communication and marketing manager, Meyer Burger (Germany) GmbH, said he is seeing opportunities for inkjet in automotive.
 
“The capability of inkjet being digital, flexible and scalable, allowing quick and easy product adaption and changes, are of high interest in the automotive industry, especially the application of features in the automobile interior such as decoration and displays, but also for lighting, sensors and even for tires there is much inkjet development activity ongoing,” Kraneis reported.
 
Nick Skelton, marketing manager, Brewer Science, Inc., sees the cost and design benefits for automotive companies.
 
“Manufacturers are looking for lower-cost integrated solutions that incorporate solid-state components for the traditional button and switch technologies,” Skelton said. “Printed electronics are well positioned for automotive solutions. For example, the switching mechanisms can be printed directly into molded panels, thereby reducing component count. An added benefit of printed electronics is integrating discrete components and wiring harnesses into a single printed solution. This not only decreases component cost and count but also reduces labor cost in the assembly process.”

Continental’s 3D-formed touch surface. (Source: Canatu)