Conductive inks and paste: everything is
changing
by Dr Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, Head of
Consulting, IDTechEx
changing
by Dr Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, Head of
Consulting, IDTechEx
The conductive inks and paste
business will generate a demand of 1800 tonnes. IDTechEx
Research forecasts that this will grow to2200 by
2026. This business has come alive again and is now a business
where literally everything is changing. The traditional marketsare
experiencing upheaval in terms of requirements and
product leadership, whilst various emerging markets are opening up
newfrontiers.
business will generate a demand of 1800 tonnes. IDTechEx
Research forecasts that this will grow to2200 by
2026. This business has come alive again and is now a business
where literally everything is changing. The traditional marketsare
experiencing upheaval in terms of requirements and
product leadership, whilst various emerging markets are opening up
newfrontiers.
The new IDTechEx Research report
‘Conductive Inks 2016-2026: Forecasts, Technologies, Players’ provides
the most comprehensive and authoritative view of the conductive inks and paste
market, giving detailed ten-year market forecasts segmented by application and
material/ink type. The market forecasts are given in tonnage and value at the
ink level.
‘Conductive Inks 2016-2026: Forecasts, Technologies, Players’ provides
the most comprehensive and authoritative view of the conductive inks and paste
market, giving detailed ten-year market forecasts segmented by application and
material/ink type. The market forecasts are given in tonnage and value at the
ink level.
We provide a detailed analysis of at
least 17 existing and emerging application sectors including silicon solar
cells, UF/UHF RFID tags, touch screen edge electrodes, automotive, in-mould
electronics, e-textiles, 3D antennas, 3D printed electronics, desktop PCB
printers, ITO replacement, OLED lighting and others.
least 17 existing and emerging application sectors including silicon solar
cells, UF/UHF RFID tags, touch screen edge electrodes, automotive, in-mould
electronics, e-textiles, 3D antennas, 3D printed electronics, desktop PCB
printers, ITO replacement, OLED lighting and others.
This report is based upon years of
research. Our analysts have many years of hands-on prior experience
and were at the forefront of the conductive inks/paste business,
playing an important role in creating a multi-billion dollar industry. In
the past five years alone, our team has interviewed and profiled more than 50
users and producers of various types of conductive inks and pastes. Each year
we have learned more about the market and fine-tuned our analysis, insight and
forecasts.
research. Our analysts have many years of hands-on prior experience
and were at the forefront of the conductive inks/paste business,
playing an important role in creating a multi-billion dollar industry. In
the past five years alone, our team has interviewed and profiled more than 50
users and producers of various types of conductive inks and pastes. Each year
we have learned more about the market and fine-tuned our analysis, insight and
forecasts.
Ten-year market projections split by application. Full
figures in the IDTechEx Research report‘Conductive Inks 2016-2026: Forecasts, Technologies, Players’. Note that ink selling prices havedeclined thanks to a decline in raw metal prices but also pressured margins, resulting in a decrease in our revenue forecasts. Source: IDTechEx |
Photovoltaics
Everything in
this sector is changing. At paste level, the initial group of
suppliers that came to dominate the market are losing their leading position to
those who were once low-cost and low-quality. This trend will
continue in the short term, whilst in the long term we anticipate that this
will become a Chinese business entirely. At the powder level, recent factory
interruptions have convinced the end users to force through a more diversified supplier
base despite the dominant supplier having a distinct quality advantage.
this sector is changing. At paste level, the initial group of
suppliers that came to dominate the market are losing their leading position to
those who were once low-cost and low-quality. This trend will
continue in the short term, whilst in the long term we anticipate that this
will become a Chinese business entirely. At the powder level, recent factory
interruptions have convinced the end users to force through a more diversified supplier
base despite the dominant supplier having a distinct quality advantage.
Touch screens
This is a changing and declining
market. The adoption of narrow bezel designs in premium phones has pushed the
performance requirements beyond the limits of standard PTF and screen
printing thereby opening the market to photo-curable pastes.
This trend will continue and will in the long term favour
competing approaches to printing. Standard PTFs will
continue losing share but willremain substantial thanks to their cost
advantage and the rise of low-cost devices. Intense cost competition will
continue in this end of the market, eroding the margins even further.
market. The adoption of narrow bezel designs in premium phones has pushed the
performance requirements beyond the limits of standard PTF and screen
printing thereby opening the market to photo-curable pastes.
This trend will continue and will in the long term favour
competing approaches to printing. Standard PTFs will
continue losing share but willremain substantial thanks to their cost
advantage and the rise of low-cost devices. Intense cost competition will
continue in this end of the market, eroding the margins even further.
3D antennas
Aerosol deposition for 3D antenna is
gaining traction. This technique enables antennas to be directly deposited
on 3D surfaces, thus helping save space. In addition, it accommodates a change
in design by a change in software. It now competes with LDS even on
cost. We anticipate that aerosol will establish itself as a major process for
creating antennas in consumer electronic devices, thus creating a
market opportunity for silver nanoparticle inks.
gaining traction. This technique enables antennas to be directly deposited
on 3D surfaces, thus helping save space. In addition, it accommodates a change
in design by a change in software. It now competes with LDS even on
cost. We anticipate that aerosol will establish itself as a major process for
creating antennas in consumer electronic devices, thus creating a
market opportunity for silver nanoparticle inks.
In-mould electronics (IME)
IME will make a comeback after the
Ford setback. This process combines electronic and graphical printing on a
2D sheet which is then formed or moulded into a 3D shape. IME offers an
elegant and attractive way to structurally integrate simple electronics into
3D-shaped objects, particularly for high-volume production. It will find use
both in the automotive and consumer electronic segments.There is still
room for product improvement and optimisation. The value chain is also not
well-established yet.
Ford setback. This process combines electronic and graphical printing on a
2D sheet which is then formed or moulded into a 3D shape. IME offers an
elegant and attractive way to structurally integrate simple electronics into
3D-shaped objects, particularly for high-volume production. It will find use
both in the automotive and consumer electronic segments.There is still
room for product improvement and optimisation. The value chain is also not
well-established yet.
Stretchable electronics
Electronic textiles (e-textiles) are
on the cusp of growth. IDTechEx Research forecasts that it will grow
from nearly $100m in 2015 to nearly $3.2bn in 2026 at the final
product level. The interconnects and sensors are critical
elements of all emerging e-textile products. Printing here can deliver value as
it is a post-production process familiar to the textile industry. This is why
the number of e-textile products and prototypes
with printed conductive lines
is rapidly increasing. There is room for innovation as current
inks fail to meet all the required performance targets. This is because
technical requirement in terms of
adhesion, washability and stretchability are stringent.
on the cusp of growth. IDTechEx Research forecasts that it will grow
from nearly $100m in 2015 to nearly $3.2bn in 2026 at the final
product level. The interconnects and sensors are critical
elements of all emerging e-textile products. Printing here can deliver value as
it is a post-production process familiar to the textile industry. This is why
the number of e-textile products and prototypes
with printed conductive lines
is rapidly increasing. There is room for innovation as current
inks fail to meet all the required performance targets. This is because
technical requirement in terms of
adhesion, washability and stretchability are stringent.
3D printed electronics
3D printed electronics can become a
platform technology for creating arbitrarily-shaped and customized smart and
electronic objects. This can transform standard plastic-based 3D printing.
The interest is rising as evidenced by the recent increase in the numbers
of approaches, machines, ink supplier and prototypes. There
are, however, some technical challenges: the printed embedded lines
must provide high conductivity even at low (
platform technology for creating arbitrarily-shaped and customized smart and
electronic objects. This can transform standard plastic-based 3D printing.
The interest is rising as evidenced by the recent increase in the numbers
of approaches, machines, ink supplier and prototypes. There
are, however, some technical challenges: the printed embedded lines
must provide high conductivity even at low (
Desktop PCB printing
Printed electronics wants to bring
back ‘printing’ to the printed circuit board (PCB)
industry. The recent trend has seen a rise in desktop PCB printers,
aimed both at the hobbyist and professional ends of the market. The
hobbyist machines are simple systems capable of creating crude wide-track
single or double-sided PCBs. They compete with, and will ultimately lose
to, simple CNC milling machines. In contrast, professional desktop printers
target complex multi-layer PCBs boards. They seek to cut down the prototyping
time and to enable designers to keep circuit IP in house, whilst also becoming
cost competitive with standards process at low volumes. This will be
growing opportunity for silver nanoparticle inks since inkjet-printed
conductive lines must be highly conducting and narrow.
back ‘printing’ to the printed circuit board (PCB)
industry. The recent trend has seen a rise in desktop PCB printers,
aimed both at the hobbyist and professional ends of the market. The
hobbyist machines are simple systems capable of creating crude wide-track
single or double-sided PCBs. They compete with, and will ultimately lose
to, simple CNC milling machines. In contrast, professional desktop printers
target complex multi-layer PCBs boards. They seek to cut down the prototyping
time and to enable designers to keep circuit IP in house, whilst also becoming
cost competitive with standards process at low volumes. This will be
growing opportunity for silver nanoparticle inks since inkjet-printed
conductive lines must be highly conducting and narrow.
RFID
RFIDs will become a business greater
than $7bn in 2026 at the tag level. Printing is once again becoming a real
contender for manufacturing RFID antennas. Silver prices have fallen, bringing
down the BoM whilst the industry is projected to near full capacity utilisation
soon, opening way for investment in new industrial process. UHF and HF
RFID firms have already started adopting RFID antenna
printing en masse, and IDTechEx forecasts that this trend will
continue.
than $7bn in 2026 at the tag level. Printing is once again becoming a real
contender for manufacturing RFID antennas. Silver prices have fallen, bringing
down the BoM whilst the industry is projected to near full capacity utilisation
soon, opening way for investment in new industrial process. UHF and HF
RFID firms have already started adopting RFID antenna
printing en masse, and IDTechEx forecasts that this trend will
continue.
For more see the IDTechEx Research
report ‘Conductive Inks 2016-2026: Forecasts, Technologies, Players’.
report ‘Conductive Inks 2016-2026: Forecasts, Technologies, Players’.
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