Printed electronics is a growing industry with new techniques and applications being continuously developed. Despite this, the traditional quality assurance procedures being conducted often lead to decreased production efficiency through press stoppages or wasted material. By combining the ease-of-use of an optical camera system and the sensitivity of probe methods, TRAQC has created a system that can continuously measure the accuracy of electronics printing. Through a process inspired by graphic printing, patented quality control patterns are printed alongside products, which are measured by a in-line laser system to assure parameters such as conductivity, line thickness, and print geometry are within specification. Critically, this process can be done directly after printing, preventing large material losses due to discovering print issues at the end of the line. This in-line process also requires no physical contact with the print, further reducing losses by removing the need for potentially damaging contact testing methods. The TRAQC system can work with any conductive ink, and its small footprint allows it to be easily mounted in many places along the print line. Speaking with future clients, it is estimated that TRAQC could save manufacturers up to US$400,000 per press per year through prevented waste and press stoppages.
