As the world tuned into the opening ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, viewers saw the US athletes in red, white and blue parkas designed by Ralph Lauren.
 
What they didn’t know was that silver also played a role, in this case conductive silver and carbon inks used for printed electronics heaters designed by Butler Technologies (BTI) to keep the athletes warm in the frigid outdoors.
 
Actually, Butler Technologies had no idea that it was working on the U.S. Olympic jacket when the project first came up.
 
“BTI consistently builds strong relationships with our suppliers and customers,” a Butler Technologies spokesperson said. “As a result of our collaboration with a long-time supplier, DuPont, we were challenged to assist in the design and printing of a flexible, durable garment heater. Only after we were in the final design stages, was the end use, end customer revealed to us.”
 
Founded in 1990 by William Darney and Nadine Tripodi, who is the current CEO, BTI has transformed from developing and manufacturing labels, nameplates and membrane switches into also offering printed electronics. Located near Pittsburgh, PA, Butler Technologies’ key markets include industrial controls, medical instruments and diagnostic equipment, human-machine interfaces (HMI), printed sensors, printed heaters for wearables and other applications.
 
This made BTI an ideal choice for the Olympic jacket project. The jackets provide up three heat settings and up to 11 hours of continuous warmth for the athletes. The conductive carbon and silver inks were printed in the shape of an American flag, which on the back of the jackets.
 
There were challenges. The company spokesperson noted that keeping consistent resistivity readings from the time the product was shipped through the application to the jacket through to the attachment and connector crimping were the biggest challenge Butler faced in producing the jacket.
 
Butler Technologies sees great opportunities ahead for flexible and printed electronics.
 
“I believe flexible, printed electronics have been hovering in the background for the last decades, and are now ready to move into the limelight,” the spokesperson reported. “So much R&D has taken place in this space, and wireless power enhances the opportunities and makes them even more possible and desirable. Printed, flexible sensors continue to be designed for more and more applications …so we are really excited about the next decade.”
 
Without question, Butler Technologies was honored to be chosen to work with Ralph Lauren on the jackets featured at the Winter Olympics.
 
“There are no words to describe that feeling – we are always proud to be an American manufacturer – and this opportunity to work with an iconic clothing company, and the other American companies to produce jackets that are being worn (and warmly received) on a world stage, is a chance of a lifetime,” the spokesperson concluded.