More Than Just RFID

The RFID star isn’t shining quite as brightly as it was when Wal-Mart mandated that crates and pallets from its top 100 suppliers carry RFID tags. Once heralded as the next big thing in packaging, RFID usage still has not made it all the way down to the item level on a widespread basis. Still, it incorporates one of the first implementations of printed electronics and comes to mind for many when printed electronics is mentioned. However, printed electronics does not just mean RFID, and package printers may want to educate themselves now about it to become experts before their competition does. While the RFID star does not shine as brightly now, it and many other printed electronics applications, may affect your business in years to come.

Why it is important

Anything that can impact your business for better or worse is important. The technologies involved with printed electronics are now within converters’ grasps. Dr. Peter ­Harrop, chairman, IDTechEx, states that the extent of printed electronics’ impact on package printers relies on the printers themselves. “It depends on what package printers are prepared to do—print with electronic inks, or laminate electronic films? It’s a lot or nothing, depending on how small a corner they paint themselves into.”

Jackie Marolda, senior consultant for AWA Alexander Watson Associates, adds, “The fight for consumer attention in retail environments is fierce. “Printed electronics in packaging is a fairly low-cost, printable component that package printers can offer and glean value from in their operations.”

Applications exist NOW

In its study titled “Printed Electronics—On Track to a Major Industry,” IDTechEx analysts state that “printed electronics will commonly take the form of tape, ‘wallpaper,’ posters, packages, and packaging rather than electronic equipment.” It goes on to declare that, “the biggest opportunity for printed electronics is for versions on flexible paper or polymer substrates because these will become lowest in cost and most suitable physically for the largest volume applications in [the] future such as smart labels, smart packaging, books, newspapers, signage, posters, and billboards.”

These statements are forward-looking, but there are already applications for packaging in what Harrop describes as a small, but fast-growing market.

“For example, time/date stamping can become a ‘real-time’ capability with the use of printed electronics, allowing for greater assurance of quality and freshness on temperature-sensitive goods like foods, pharmaceuticals, photographic materials, and chemicals,” says Marolda.

“The most significant opportunity for package printers exists in smart labels and intelligent packaging for the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and beauty products industries,” says Randall Sherman, senior analyst, Electronic Trend Publications. “With printed electronics, it is possible to create some of the most unique kinds of packages ever seen involving embedded lighting, blinking, colored light OLEDs, cycling text messages, and/or alerts.”

Why you should know about printed electronics

Converters that can offer printed electronics as an option now will differentiate themselves from their competition.

Harrop says printed electronics “provides added value opportunities and provides the means for competitors to win.”

“Package printers need to understand printed electronics ... and how it can add value to their industry,” says Sherman. “Fortunately, printed electronics is inherently low-cost, so the contribution relative to the expense should not be prohibitive or unattractive for package printers. However, printed electronics may be disruptive to those package printers caught unaware.”

Going to the next level

Printed electronics is a relatively new avenue for package printers to travel to offer their customers new solutions. As costs come down and more products become available, more and more converters will jump on board. “As technology developments in conductive inks and print methods continue, the availability of using printed electronics will become more widely used, more reliable, and more cost-efficient,” says Marolda.

“The new electronics will excite and use most of the human senses and do so many things to increase sales, reduce costs, reduce injury and crime, and more. Those printing in today’s manner will gradually be consigned to the dustbin of history. Think of someone today saying they only print words in black and white. How long would they survive?” Translation: take a look at printed electronics now, learn all you can to educate yourselves, and don’t be left behind. pP