In-Mold Electronics is on the Brink of Large Scale Adoption Says New Global IDTechEx Research Report

BOSTON, Jan. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The new global market report from IDTechEx Research, In-Mold Electronics 2019-2029: Technology, Market Forecasts, Players, provides technical assessment of manufacturing process and material requirements, market outlook for applications and players, study of competitive routes to 3D electronics and more.

In-mold electronics (IME) is a process of integrating printed decorations and electronic circuitry with thermoforming and molding. The results are 3D-shaped objects with embedded circuits of differing degrees of complexity. This is part of the global emerging trend to 3D structural electronics and the progression away from the rudimentary solution of components encased in a box.

The capacity to print electronic circuitry on a 2D substrate prior to converting this into a functional 3D part has many manufacturing and material challenges. In-Mold Electronics 2019-2029: Technology, Market Forecasts, Players covers the commercial and emerging solutions from the key players as this technology progresses from R&D to gaining high-volume end-user success.

IDTechEx has a long legacy in the field of printed electronics and has been analyzing the forefront of this field. The information for this new report is obtained through extensive interview-based technical primary research.

The advantages of IME are numerous and include: lightweighting, space-saving, robustness, accelerated time-to-market, and high throughput capabilities. However, the technology does not come without its drawbacks in: shape limitations, yield, software immaturity, environmental stability, and post-processing. These merits and hurdles are detailed within the report with upcoming solutions in the material-space for the functional inks, substrates, and adhesives facilitating this.

The prototypes have been diverse, ranging from simple devices for wearable technology, automotive light heating, antennas, and white goods touchpads to more complex sensors, actuators, and displays.

The commercial uptake of IME has a complex history with Ford embracing this technology for an automotive interior device, but the product had to be recalled. Despite this setback, the market is on the cusp of large adoption. Very large addressable markets are at different stages of adopting this technology with automotive interiors and touchpads for white goods providing the most significant volumes. IDTechEx forecast the market for IME devices to exceed $1.11bn by 2029.

IME is not the only technological solution to 3D electronics. Aerosol jet printing, Mold Interconnected Devices (including laser direct structuring, two-shot molding, and film inserting), and 3D printing electronics are all rapidly emerging and gaining traction. This report benchmarks these technologies and looks at some of the key players and latest advancements.

For more information, contact the IDTechEx Research team on research@IDTechEx.com or see www.IDTechEx.com/ime.

Table of Contents for In-Mold Electronics 2019-2029: Technology, Market Forecasts, Players


     1.     
     EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



     1.1.   
     Introduction to in-mold electronics (IME)?



     1.2.   
     Commercial advantages and challenges of IME



     1.3.   
     The route to commercialisation



     1.4.   
     Overview of key players across the supply chain



     1.5.   
     IME market forecast - application



     1.6.   
     Benchmarking competitive processes to 3D electronics



     2.     
     MANUFACTURING IN-MOLD ELECTRONICS



     2.1.   
     What is in-mold electronics (IME)?



     2.2.   
     IME: 3D friendly process for circuit making



     2.3.   
     What is the in-mold electronic process?



     2.4.   
     Comments on requirements



     3.     
     CONDUCTIVE INK REQUIREMENTS FOR IN-MOLD ELECTRONICS



     3.1.   
     New ink requirements: stretchability



     3.2.     Evolution and improvements in performance of stretchable
                conductive inks



     3.3.   
     Performance of stretchable conductive inks



     3.4.   
     Performance of stretchable conductive inks



     3.5.   
     The role of particle size in stretchable inks



     3.6.   
     The role of resin in stretchable inks



     3.7.   
     New ink requirements: portfolio approach



     3.8.   
     Diversity of material portfolio



     3.9.     All materials in the stack must be compatible: conductivity
                perspective



     3.10.    All materials in the stack must be compatible: forming
                perspective



     3.11.  
     New ink requirements: surviving heat stress



     3.12.  
     New ink requirements: stability



     3.13.  
     All materials in the stack must be reliable



     3.14.  
     Design: general observations



     3.15.  
     SMD assembly: before or after forming



     3.16.  
     The need for formable conductive adhesives



     4.     
     EXPANDING RANGE OF FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS



     4.1.   
     Stretchable carbon nanotube transparent conducting films



     4.2.     Prototype examples of carbon nanotube in-mold transparent
                conductive films



     4.3.     Prototype examples of in-mold and stretchable PEDOT:PSS
                transparent conductive films



     4.4.     In-mold and stretchable metal mesh transparent conductive films



     4.5.   
     Other in-mold transparent conductive film technologies



     4.6.   
     Beyond IME conductive inks: adhesives



     5.       TOWARDS MORE COMPLEX DEVICES SUCH AS SENSORS, ACTUATORS AND
                DISPLAYS



     5.1.   
     Beyond conductive inks: thermoformed polymeric actuator?



     5.2.   
     Thermoformed 3D shaped reflective LCD display



     5.3.   
     Thermoformed 3D shaped RGD AMOLED with LTPS



     5.4.   
     Molding electronics in 3D shaped composites



     6.       OVERVIEW OF APPLICATIONS, COMMERCIALIZATION PROGRESS, AND
                PROTOTYPES



     6.1.   
     In-mold electronic application: automotive



     6.2.   
     White goods, medical and industrial control (HMI)



     6.3.   
     Is IME commercial yet?



     6.4.   
     First (ALMOST) success story: overhead console in cars



     6.5.   
     Commercial products: wearable technology



     6.6.   
     Automotive: direct heating of headlamp plastic covers



     6.7.   
     Automotive: human machine interfaces



     6.8.   
     Automotive: human machine interfaces



     6.9.   
     White goods: human machine interfaces



     6.10.  
     Antennas



     6.11.  
     Consumer electronics and home automation



     7.     
     FUNCTIONAL MATERIAL SUPPLIERS



     7.1.   
     In-mold electronics: emerging value chain



     7.2.   
     Stretchable conductive ink suppliers multiply



     7.3.   
     Stretchable conductive ink suppliers multiply



     7.4.   
     IME conductive ink suppliers multiply



     8.     
     COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES



     9.     
     AEROSOL



     9.1.   
     Printing directly on a 3D surface?



     9.2.   
     Aerosol: how does it work?



     9.3.   
     Aerosol deposition can go 3D



     9.4.   
     Applications of aerosol



     9.5.   
     Optomec: update on market leader



     9.6.   
     Aerosol deposition is already in commercial use



     9.7.     Nano ink challenges and directions of development for aerosol



     10.    
     MOLDED INTERCONNECT DEVICES



     10.1.  
     Three approaches to molded interconnect devices



     11.    
     LASER DIRECT STRUCTURING



     11.1.  
     Moulded Interconnect Devices: Laser Direct Structuring



     11.2.  
     Applications of laser direct structuring



     11.3.  
     LDS MID: characteristics



     11.4.  
     LDS MID: material considerations



     11.5.  
     LDS MID: Material considerations (II)



     11.6.  
     LDS MID: Laser roughing



     11.7.  
     Galvanic plating to the rescue?



     11.8.    LDS MID: Ease of prototyping and combining 3D printing with LDS?



     11.9.  
     Mass manufacturing the all-plastic-substrate paint?



     11.10. 
     LDS MID application examples: antenna



     11.11.   LDS MID application examples: insulin pump and diagnostic laser
                pen



     11.12. 
     LDS MID application examples: automotive HMI



     11.13. 
     LDS MID application examples: automotive HMI



     11.14. 
     LDS MID in LED implementation



     11.15. 
     MID challenges for LED integration



     11.16. 
     Expanding LDS MID to non-plastic substrates?



     11.17. 
     LDS MID 3D LED retrofit



     11.18. 
     LDS MID in LED with improved heat dissipation



     11.19. 
     LDS MID in sensors



     11.20. 
     LDS MID: fine pitch capability



     12.    
     TWO SHOT MOLDING



     12.1.  
     Two shot molding: process description



     12.2.  
     LDS MID application examples: insulin pump



     12.3.  
     Comparing LDS and Two-Shot MID



     13.    
     FILM INSERTION



     13.1.    Transfer printing: printing test strips & using lamination to
                compete with IME



     13.2.  
     IME with functional films made with evaporated lines



     14.    
     'PRINTING' PCBS



     14.1.  
     Printing PCBs: various approaches



     14.2.  
     Single-/double-sided printed PCB



     14.3.  
     Multi-layer printed PCB (NanoDimension)



     14.4.  
     Multi-layer printed PCB (ChemBud)



     15.    
     3D PRINTED ELECTRONICS



     15.1.  
     The premise of 3D printed electronics



     15.2.  
     Routes to 3D printing of structural electronics



     15.3.  
     Approaches to 3D printed electronics



     15.4.  
     Extrude conductive filament



     15.5.  
     Extrude sensing filament



     15.6.  
     Conductive plastics using graphene additives



     15.7.  
     Conductive plastics using carbon nanotube additives



     15.8.  
     Extrude molten solder



     15.9.    Paste extrusion, dispensing or printing during 3D printing



     15.10. 
     Ink requirements for 3D printed electronics



     15.11. 
     3D printed with embedded metallization



     15.12.   Benchmarking different processes (IME, MID, 3DP, aerosol)



     16.    
     FORECASTS



     16.1.  
     Forecast Methodology



     16.2.  
     Ten-year in-mold-electronics market forecast in value



     16.3.  
     Ten-year in-mold-electronics market forecast in area



     16.4.    Estimate of value capture by different elements in an IME product



     16.5.    Ten-year market forecasts for functional inks in in-mold-
                electronics



     16.6.  
     Ten-year market forecasts for plastic substrates in IME



     16.7.  
     Key observations from the MID market



     17.    
     COMPANY PROFILES



     17.1.  
     BotFactory



     17.2.  
     Butler Technologies, Inc.



     17.3.  
     Canatu



     17.4.  
     CERADROP



     17.5.  
     Dupont - In-mold electronics



     17.6.  
     Lite-On Mobile



     17.7.  
     MesoScribe Technologies



     17.8.  
     Nagase America Corporation



     17.9.  
     Nascent Objects, Inc



     17.10. 
     nScrypt Inc



     17.11. 
     Optomec



     17.12. 
     Pulse Electronics



     17.13. 
     TactoTek



     17.14. 
     Tangio Printed Electronics



     17.15. 
     Teijin Ltd



     17.16. 
     Voxel8



     18.    
     APPENDIX



     18.1.  
     In-Mold Electronic market forecast data



     18.2.    Functional ink and substrate for IME market forecast data


Media Contact:
Charlotte Martin
Marketing & Research Coordinator
c.martin@IDTechEx.com
+44(0)1223 812300

Related Links

Further IDTechEx Research

Printed Electronics Europe 2019

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/in-mold-electronics-is-on-the-brink-of-large-scale-adoption-says-new-global-idtechex-research-report-300774667.html

SOURCE IDTechEx