Is it a lightbulb moment for printed electronics?

According to md of the Organic and Printed Electronics Association Dr Klaus Hecker, trials by Swedish research institute Acreo found that chocolate bars displayed with consumer-activated luminescent point-of-sale material sold 30% more than those without.

But perhaps the best-known example of on-pack printed electronics was Bacardi’s Bombay Sapphire gin promotional carton launched two and a half years ago. Designed by London agency Webb de Vlam and converted by Karl Knauer in Germany, the pack incorporated an electroluminescent display which lit up in several stages when picked up.

Great resonance​

As Hecker explained, the pack went through the rigours of the supply chain. “The company got great resonance from this and from its visibility in travel retail,”​ he said. Luminescent displays can be activated by touch or proximity.

To demonstrate the scaled-up production of this type of capability, 12 different suppliers of materials and technology were planning to contribute to a demo line at the Lopec printed electronics show at Messe München, Germany, March 35.

“It’s a proven process that will print an electroluminescent display on to film or paper, creating up to nine layers, including an active conductor, the luminescent layer, insulators, and so on,”​ said Hecker.

Complex​

Norwegian company Thin Film Electronics has been working on a number of applications including a ‘time temperature indicator’. “It builds in a battery, data memory and display, and uses near-field communication​ [NFC].” Hecker reported. “It’s pretty complex, and not quite ready for commercialisation.”​

Thin Film’s anti-theft tags are already a commercial reality.

“Brand protection is another area for them, using a tag, NFC and data stored in the cloud to authenticate a product and indicate whether it is being sold in the right location,”​ Hecker said.

“Developments will come stepwise in packaging, starting with more applications for luxury goods,”​ he predicted.