Printed electronics drive the automotive industry
LOPEC 2017 will take place in Munich, Germany from 28 to 30 March, 2017 and will showcase the latest products, technologies, and trends in printed electronics.
This year, the automotive industry will be one of the focal points of the international exhibition and conference. This will be in all its forms, from curved displays in the dashboard to OLEDs in vehicle lighting; all opening up a wealth of new design options and are increasing driving comfort levels.
Self-driving cars will have an interior to entertain or relax drivers who no longer need to concentrate on the road. LOPEC 2017 will be showcasing opportunities that printed electronics has to offer for car interiors, promises the organiser Messe Munchen, which is working with OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association).
The Automotive and Aerospace session at the LOPEC Conference focuses on printed electronics within the automotive industry. Examples of applications, including flexible sensors for car seats as well as innovative displays and lighting concepts, will also feature in other conference modules.
Developments in the field of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) will be explored during specialist presentations from automotive part supplier Hella, Cambridge Display Technology, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP. Planar light sources are set to light vehicle interiors – they are already used in brake lights – with passengers able to set the brightness and colour of the OLEDs.
Printed touchscreens are an existing feature in vehicles, but at LOPEC, manufacturer PolyIC will be revealing systems that respond to gestures as well as touch. Printed onto transparent film, these components can be incorporated into curved surfaces.
Finnish company, TactoTec will present its patented injection moulding method, which is used to integrate electronic components into plastic products.
LOPEC is aimed at end user industries as well as specialists. Introductory talks are to be held on March 29 and 30 to help representatives of the automotive industry take their first successful steps into the world of printed electronics. These will be followed by industry-specific guided tours of the exhibition. A round-table discussion is scheduled for the LOPEC Forum, where industry experts will discuss the potential of printed electronics within vehicle manufacturing.
