Webinar recap: Printing In-Mold Electronic Prototypes

In a recent webinar, we demonstrated the process of dispensing in-mold electronics (IME) ink onto a polycarbonate substrate. This was achieved using NOVA, our direct-ink write printer designed for high-resolution materials dispensing and flexible hybrid electronics prototyping.

Webinar highlights

Overview of the industry

Our Support Lead, Nathan Shinkar, kicked off the webinar with a brief overview of the in-mold electronics industry, discussing its market size, typical applications, and ink property requirements.

Overview of the project and best practices

Nathan then walked through the steps to complete the final product — an automotive console — including:

1. Preparing the circuit design and ink
2. Calibrating the ink
3. Printing the ink on polycarbonate
4. Curing the circuit in an oven
5. Post-processing
6. Injection molding

Once the process was explained, Nathan shared best practices for printing similar IME projects to ensure durability and functionality.

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Dispensing thermoformable conductive ink on polycarbonate

Since we covered the calibration workflow in previous webinars, such as Printing Wearable Electronics, we instead focused on a live demonstration of dispensing Bectron® CP 6680 thermoformable conductive silver ink, made by Elantas. 

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The process began with generating a height map for the polycarbonate substrate, followed by a flow check to ensure proper ink flow and confirm the nozzle was unclogged. NOVA then took care of dispensing the ink. After printing the circuit, Nathan inspected the print quality using NOVA’s high-resolution camera and was pleased with the precise quality.

Conclusion

This webinar highlighted the immense potential of IME applications in the automotive industry, but their possibilities extend far beyond. IME technology can also be applied to consumer electronics, home appliances, industrial equipment, and more. NOVA’s capability to dispense IME inks on flexible and thermoformable substrates opens the door to even more innovative opportunities.

Special thanks to Philipp and Ben, Technical Sales Managers at ELANTAS, and Benjamin Redford, Founder and CPO at Mayku, for answering questions throughout the webinar! Last but not least, thank you to everyone who participated and asked thought-provoking questions.

Didn’t make it to the webinar? Watch it here:

Interested to learn more about IME? Check out the following resources:

• Blog: What Is In-Mold Electronics?
• Video: Other Voltera webinars on additive electronics
• Market report: In-Mold Electronics Market Size and Forecast

We offer printing as a service, where we can create flexible hybrid electronics prototypes for you. To discuss your in-mold electronics prototyping needs, contact us at sales@voltera.io or book a meeting. To stay informed on upcoming webinars, subscribe to our newsletter!