The world of semiconductors, displays, computers, printers, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), circuit boards, and many other electronic devices may soon experience a paradigm shift away from silicon chips, according to Glenn Sanders, VP of development at Rolltronics. The company has pioneered a new approach to electronics manufacturing by producing thin-film electronic devices on flexible substrates using roll-to-roll manufacturing techniques. "The first applications will probably involve flexible back planes for IT and PDA devices," says Sanders. Using roll-to-roll manufacturing, Rolltronics plans to work with private companies developing Internet devices, medical imaging equipment, electronic ID tags, electronic books and paper, and a variety of other "transformational" products. Other potential applications include logic, wireless, power, memory, and display components. The devices are constructed as a "sandwich" of five or six thin layers (such as the plastic used in overhead transparencies) laminated into a single unit. "We're still in the prototyping phase, but we expect to have test units in a year and small production quantities in 18 months," says Sanders. For more information, visit the Rolltronics web site at www.rolltronics.com.
UK-based Plastic Logic and French company ISORG have created what the pair tout as a first in flexible printed electronics: a large area, conformable, organic image sensor printed on plastic.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
