Industrial + Specialty Printing

(June 2011) posted on Fri Jun 24, 2011

Reports on Exhibits from the Show Floor

By Gail Flower

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This year’s 2011 SGIA Printed Electronics and Membrane Switch Symposium (June 14-16, San Jose, CA) conference has representation from 13 countries and all continents except Africa. The show had a record number of exhibitors (25), and almost half of them were at the show for the first time. More than 225 attendees came to the conference this year according to Neil Bolding, quality and technical manager at MacDermid Autotype and chairman of the Printed Electronic and Membrane Switch Council. This year a choice of products and technologies and expanded networking opportunities were presented. On the show floor this year exhibitors introduced the following products:

Mimaki USA Inc. showed the UJF-3042 tabletop UV printer, designed to be a low-cost, small format printer that can accommodate up to 11 x 17” print sizes and uses their flex UV inks.

RH Solutions LLC (Milford, OH) was a first-time exhibitor presenting their special effects products and screen printing know-how expertise. The company specializes in budget-conscious screen printing machinery solutions for membranes, overlays, product labeling, circuitry, solar, dials, decals, medical, nano-particles and other industrial applications.

Bayer Material Science, (Deerfield, MA), also a first timer, presented their engineered films known as Makrolon polycarbonate and Bayfol polycarbonate blended films. According to Bayer, by adding fillers, applying a coating, or co extruding, they can give films additional functions, such as scratch resistance, UV stability and light-diffusion characteristics.

Tekra Corp., (New Berlin, WI), a coater, converter and distributor for engineered plastic films, introduced the Advanced Hardcoated Marnot films on both polycarbonate and polyester bases.

Norcote Int’l Inc., (Crawfordsville, IN), manufacturer of UV ink, showed their new UV-curable graphic ink and a UV-curable conductive silver ink.

Global Society for Contamination Control, (Phoenix, AZ), discussed best practice solutions for contamination control and how this can impact yield and quality in a manufacturing process with attendees.

Nicomatic North America, (Warminster, PA), manufacturers of products for printed electronics, introduced the 1.27 mm CrimpFlex Connector for reduced deflection of substrate for improved assembly.

Gerber Scientific Products, (South Windsor, CT), also a first timer, demonstrated their GERBER EDGE FX digital printing system, a solution for sign makers, screen printers, and other graphic professions seeing to produce customized, fast, short run graphics. The EDGE FX uses heat and pressure to infuse durable resin pigments to ore than 30 different substrates, according to the company.