CPEIA passes high watermark by reaching 80 Members!


The CPEIA has reached a notable milestone in its evolution – growing its membership to 80 Members. In only two years since its launch, the CPEIA has made great strides to fulfill its mandate as the united voice of Canada’s printable, flexible and wearables electronics industry.

Our vision has remained steadfast from the outset. And that is to be the magnet that draws the ecosystem of this emerging sector together. From global companies to Canada’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and public organizations, we work with our membership to accelerate innovation, drive end user adoption and establish Canada on the global stage. Only through a coordinated effort can we generate wealth and employment for the Canadian economy.

Read the full release and learn more about the rich mix of organizations that make up the CPEIA membership.
Read the full release

Be part of the conversation as a contributor to the CPEIA newsletter


In this issue, we feature guest articles from CPEIA Member companies Group Nanoxplore and Automation Alternatives. We are always interested in contributions from our Members that discuss materials, applications and processes or that provide perspective on industry trends and issues and end user applications.

For more information, please contact Leo Valiquette at lvaliquette@cpeia-acei.ca.

Graphene: Short route from discovery to maturity




By Nima Moghimian
Group NanoXplore Inc.

The “wonder material” of the 21st century is graphene. It conducts electricity better than copper and is much stronger and much lighter than steel. Perhaps these traits explain why it has evolved so rapidly. Graphene was discovered in 2004 and first produced in relatively large-scale in 2006. The first-generation of commercial products was released in 2008 and finally won the Nobel Prize for its inventors in 2010.

From the early days of its development, graphene was seen as a promising technology for improving functional inks and contributing to printable and flexible electronics. Some of the earliest commercial graphene products were based upon conductive inks and emerging applications including flexible sensors and antennas.

Graphene, like many other nanomaterials, possesses extraordinary properties but harnessing those properties for use in commercial products has been challenging. In 2013, the European Union created a Graphene Flagship program to promote the development of graphene, committing 1 billion euros in funding over a 10-year time frame. IDTechEx predicts a market value of about US$200 million for graphene in 2026 whereas other market analysts have suggested numbers up to $1 billion.
 
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There is such a thing as eco-friendly subtractive electronics manufacturing


By Mike Streun
Automation Alternatives

Over the years, our market has developed a group of words that have basically defined who we are and what we do. In the mid 1990s, very rarely did we hear the words “additive circuit technology” and “printed electronics,” maybe occasionally in academia.

We started to hear these terms in the 2000s with greater regularity as advancements in this technology promised to redefine both the market and how circuits were made. Being a green(er) technology, eco promotion was huge given that we had the potential to remove most of the chemicals used in processing. Compare that to the subtractive copper removal process used in the conventional circuit industry. The perception was that printed electronics would glean a lot of existing market share as a replacement for conventional copper-based circuits.

While advancements have been made, printed electronics has not offset the worldwide growth of conventional copper-based circuit processing. I want to share some of the processes we developed in house to grow our markets, both as development and production tools. At our core we are an equipment development/manufacturing business with a primary focus on laser processing.
 
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CPEIA and MEMBER NEWS

We have made it easy for you to submit your news to us for the News and Events sections of our website and this newsletter.

Submit your News and Events to CPEIA

CPEIA partners with Business Development Bank of Canada


The CPEIA and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) have signed a sponsorship agreement that will help startup and growth-stage technology companies in printable, flexible and wearable electronics access the financial tools and support they need to achieve global success.

Under this partnership, the CPEIA will broker introductions between BDC and CPEIA Members, to educate our Members about the services and financing options available to them through BDC. Representatives of BDC also have the opportunity to take an active and leading role in CPEIA programming activities, as speakers and exhibitors at key CPEIA events such CPES2017 – Canada’s premier conference and trade show exhibition for printable, flexible and wearable electronics. Through this partnership, BDC has also become a Member of the CPEIA.

Read the full release.

Jones achieves landmark certification for integrating NFC tags with paperboard pharma packaging 


CPEIA Member company Jones Packaging is the first folding carton converter in the world to receive Preferred Converter certification for the application of Thinfilm NFC tags to paperboard pharmaceutical packaging for over-the-counter and prescription products.

Jones qualified for the certification after completing a comprehensive evaluation program during which it demonstrated its ability to establish and automate key production processes, as well as consistently meet designated standards related to carton design, tag application, process control, in-line testing/discrimination, product quality, data management, transfer/security, training and support.

Click here to read the full announcement. For a behind-the-scenes look at Jones’ high-speed production line, check out this two-minute video.

Mario Leclerc wins prestigious Quebec culture and science award


Professor Mario Leclerc, Professor of Chemistry at the Université Laval, has won the Prix Marie-Victorin Natural Sciences and Engineering award from the Prix du Québec. Created in 1977, the Prix du Québec is the highest distinction awarded annually by the Quebec government in culture and science.  Prof. Leclerc is a member of the CPEIA’s Board of Advisors. He is instrumental in helping to build the CPEIA’s university research network.

Read his recipient profile here.

CPEIA Members Xenon, DuPont among those unveiling new products at Printed Electronics USA


Among the many CPEIA members to make the annual trek to IDTechEx’s PE USA conference in Santa Clara CA last week was Xenon Corp. and DuPont through its DuPont Teijin Films (DTF) joint venture.

Xenon unveiled what it calls the lowest cost benchtop high-intensity pulsed light system for printed electronics sintering research. Xenon says the X-1100 is more flexible and configurable than comparable products, and offers far greater capabilities in terms of energy output, all of which make it the best tool for handling the various types of nano inks and heat-sensitive substrates used in the PE industry today. 

Read more at Printed Electronics World.

DTF introduced several super clear ultra violet (UV) stable polyester films that are designed to retain mechanical and optical properties in applications involving UV exposure. These films are specifically designed to block UV transmission, and they are the most recent additions to the MELINEX TCH family of low haze and low oligomer bloom films that are designed for the flexible electronics, displays, photovoltaic, lighting and label markets.

Read more at Printed Electronics World.

MEMBER RESOURCES

Download our newest use case with Unilever


Consumers in the grocery store usually don’t expect shelf talkers to actually talk to them. 

But during a recent in-store trial by global consumer products company Unilever for its venerable Knorr food brand, that’s exactly what they did. 

We’ve all seen shelf talkers – those printed cards or signs clipped on a shelf to draw our attention to specific products and promotions. These have traditionally been static displays – ink and paper with no capacity for interaction. 

Download our latest intelliPACK use case to learn how Unilever levered the capabilities of printable and flexible electronics so shelf talkers can engage with consumers on multiple levels.  

CPEIA seeks compelling case studies


Are you actively bringing to market products, technologies or applications with printable, flexible or wearable electronics?

We are looking to document and promote compelling stories related to product development and commercialization in any industry vertical. We want stories where the product is near to, or in the market. Tell us what problems you are solving for end-users, how your solution is different and unique, what market traction you have already achieved.

We will showcase the best stories on the CPEIA site and consider opportunities where the case study could be placed with an industry publication.

We make the process as painless as possible. To get started, please contact Leo Valiquette at lvaliquette@cpeia-acei.ca.

Would you like to host a tour of your facility?


The CPEIA works with its Members to host tours that provide promotional opportunities for the host venue and give attendees exclusive access to a world-class facility. We want to create a networking forum for like-minded individuals to connect in a non-competitive, non-threatening and education environment.

This is done by educating specific audiences on aspects of the development, prototyping, integration and manufacturing of printable, flexible or wearable electronics products and applications, with inside looks at related companies, production facilities, place of use facilities (e.g. long-term care facility), R&D facilities, materials science labs and process development labs.

To learn more, download the CPEIA Facility Tour Guidelines, or contact Peter Kallai at pkallai@cpeia-acei.ca.

CPEIA and PARTNER EVENTS

Save the date: Power your innovation at CPES2017, May 24-25


CPES2017, Canada’s premier conference and trade show exhibition for printable, flexible and wearable electronics (PE), takes place May 24-25 at Centennial College’s new Conference Centre in Toronto.

We expect over 100 organizations and 200 attendees, with industry-leading speakers and keynotes from around the world. This will of course include many of our 80 CPEIA member organizations. CPES2017 is the place for PE industrial companies, academics and end-users alike to meet and discuss how they can work together to develop new products and applications.

In addition to two days of technical programming, CPES2017 will feature a third day of master classes on May 26 in various technical subjects, as well as mentoring sessions for startup companies.

The CPES2017 website will launch next week. Stay tuned at CPES2017.ca.
 

CABA Intelligent Buildings & Digital Home Forum, April 26-28


This year's CABA Forum will be co-located with CABA Board Member, Intel Corporation at its campus in Santa Clara, CA.

The CABA Forum brings together leading organizations involved in the integration of intelligent building systems and connected home technologies. CABA estimates that over 200 key stakeholders and industry leaders will gather to discuss current trends in the intelligent buildings and connected home sectors.

Learn more and register.

Industry News


IDTechEx Printed Electronics USA 2016 award winners

Engineers have invented an ink made from pulverized magnets that could self-repair torn fabrics and broken devices

NAMAKOR Holdings, the QMF and la Caisse acquire GGI
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CPEIA in the News


The word is getting out about CPES2017

CPEIA adds Brilliant Matters Organic Electronics, Information Mediary Corp.
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