Contemporary Printing Applications: Learning More about Resistive Inks
Regardless of whether you happen to work in the medical sector, automotive trade, electronics industry, aerospace niche, or with technological appliances, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of modernised resistive ink and how it allows you to perform sophisticated electrical tasks on a daily basis.
What Is Resistive Ink?
In its simplest form, resistive ink is a unique type of coating that can be intricately applied to a myriad of substrates to provide electrical conductivity – a novel advancement that has allowed us to create precise, ultra-responsive electrical components with unprecedented ease and efficiency. This substance is typically created by infusing a durable, conductive material – such as graphene – into the formula of a particular paint, ink, or custom coating.
Resistive ink is very economical when compared side-by-side with traditional modes of laying down conductive traces – such as copper etching, for instance – because it is essentially an additive process and produces almost zero waste during the manufacturing phase.
What Are its Applications?
Resistive inks can be applied by dipping, spraying, or coating a particular substrate with the pre-formulated solution, but they can also be adhered via screen printing, gravure printing, or even flexographic printing, which means that resistive inks are able to fulfil a wide range of contemporary electrical needs, some of which are listed below:
- EMI/RFI shielding provisions
- Circuits and circuit boards
- Windshield defrosters
- Radio antennas
- Flex circuits
- Medical sensors
- Membrane switches
- Overprint provisions
- RFID tags
- Printed heater implements
- Touch panels
- Digitisers
- Countless other modern appliances
In this regard, graphene is the most operative form of carbon used to create electrical conductivity, primarily because it is approximately 200 times stronger than steel and can be stretched without shattering. As such, graphene allows pigment specialists to manufacture some of the most intricate implements without having to sacrifice strength, conductivity, or resistivity during the production process.
Understanding the Manufacturing Matrix
If you happen to be interested in procuring modernised resistive inks in Manchester, it’s important to note that you’ll have to gain access to a vast array of nuanced laboratory instruments, especially if your in-house production process revolves around accuracy, affordability, and timely fulfilment. Shown below are some of the apparatuses and devices required to fabricate complex, electrically conductive components:
- A wide range of grind gauges to account for varied particle sizes
- Tack-O-Scope to provide comparative tack measurements
- Laboratory-grade mill and oven
- Light cabinets and drying gauges
- Inclusive screen printing equipment
- High-volume mixers
- UV curing rigs to expedite post-production
As you might imagine, regardless of whether you have to procure small batches or large orders, you’ll have to partner with a versatile manufacturer that specialises in producing resistive ink products, especially if you don’t have the necessary tools, equipment, and in-house expertise required to supplant your products with electrical conductivity.
However, with the increasing popularity of resistive ink and the growing need for dedicated component fabricators, it’s become relatively easy to outsource this integral part of the production process to a local factory and increase the overall quality of your products.
