Technology's Edge

Blue Spark and Novalia Partner for Printed Electronics Products

CLEVELAND and CAMBRIDGE, UK—Blue Spark Technologies, a supplier of thin, flexible printed battery solutions, and Novalia, a designer of printed electronics products, signed a joint marketing agreement to create and launch "Interactive Printed Media" products for publishing, consumer packaging, retail, and other markets.

Novalia's Interactive Printed Media (IPM) vision is based on existing printed electronics technologies. Technologies include programmable chips (ICs) and conductive inks, used along with traditional graphic inks, and thin, flexible "green" batteries as a primary power source. Printed electronics, by design, can be integrated into standard manufacturing processes and printed using traditional print processes, such as screen, offset, gravure, and flexography.

Novalia has developed a compact, self-contained printed electronics control module, that when used in conjunction with conductive inks, enables the printed item to communicate and interact with the end user (consumer) through the senses of touch, sight, and sound. Blue Spark and Novalia's co-development of Interactive Printed Media products will focus initially on items such as children's books; posters for kids and adults; trading cards, novelty games, and toys; specialty consumer packaging; in-store retail merchandising displays; and promotional brochures.

Gallus/Siegwerk/Phoseon Develop LED-UV Printing System

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland—Working in cooperation with partners Siegwerk Switzerland and Phoseon Technology, Gallus has developed an LED-UV drying system for narrow-web rotary presses. The UV drying technology consists of a high-performance UV-LED lamp from Phoseon and newly developed UV flexographic inks.

Inkjet Proofer with White Ink

CHICAGO—At PRINT 09, Epson America previewed its Epson Stylus® Pro WT7900 for both flexographic and gravure color proofing. The 24?-wide inkjet printer is designed specifically for proofing print jobs that require the color white. To accomplish this, Epson has developed an ink technology called Epson UltraChrome® HDR White, an aqeous-based white ink.

This new ink uses Organic Hollow Resin Particles that are clear, forcing light to randomly scatter, creating the illusion of seeing white, even on transparent film. pP