Key Automation manufactures and exports printed electronics (German: gedruckte Elektronik) for customers in Germany. Printed electronics are increasingly adopted because they are cost-effective, lightweight and flexible. We supply solutions designed with modern production methods for electronic devices and many other industries.

Printed electronics is a branch of electronics manufacturing that creates circuits and components with printing methods such as inkjet printing, screen printing and flexography. Conductive and semi-conductive inks are printed on substrates such as paper or plastic.

We offer several types of printed electronics for different technical requirements:

• Flexible Printed Circuit Boards (FPCBs): Flexible boards with circuits embedded in flexible substrates. They are commonly used in automotive electronics, wearable devices and consumer electronics.
• Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs): Light-emitting components that use an organic compound as the electroluminescent layer. They offer rich colours and high contrast and are used in smartphone displays, TVs and lighting systems.
• Printed Sensors: Sensors printed with conductive inks on paper, plastic or fabric. They are used in environmental monitoring, medical devices and smart packaging.
• Printed Batteries: Thin batteries made with printing techniques and integrated with other printed components. Demand is growing in IoT, wearable devices and smart cards.

The table gives an overview of the four types and their technical data:

Parameter	Flexible Printed Circuit Boards (FPCBs)	Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)	Printed Sensors	Printed Batteries
Substrate Material	Polyimide (PI), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyester	Glass, PET, Polyimide (PI)	Paper, PET, Polyimide (PI), Fabric	PET, Paper, Metal Foils
Conductive Material	Copper, Silver Nanoparticles, Carbon-Based Inks	Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Organic Semiconductors	Silver Nanoparticles, Carbon-Based Inks, Conductive Polymers	Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Organic Semiconductors
Semiconductor Material	Silicon-Based (Amorphous Silicon), Organic Semiconductors	Organic Semiconductors	Organic Semiconductors	Lithium Cobalt Oxide, Organic Semiconductors
Dielectric Material	Polyimide, Epoxy, Polyvinyl Alcohol	Organic Dielectric, , Metal Oxides	Polymer Dielectrics	Polymer Electrolytes,
Operating Voltage	1V to 50V	3V to 12V	1V to 30V	1V to 5V
Bend Radius	<1 mm	Typically non-bendable in traditional setups	<1 mm	<10 mm
Electrical Resistance	<10 mΩ/sq for copper-based circuits	10 Ω/sq to 1000 Ω/sq (depends on material and structure)	<100 Ω/sq (depends on material)	1 to 1000 Ω/sq
Response Time	Fast (<1 ms)	Fast (<1 ms)	Fast (<10 ms)	Moderate (<1s)

Our printed electronics offer these characteristics:

• High Versatility: Printed electronics can be applied to plastic, glass, paper and textiles. This makes them suitable for wearable technology, flexible displays and smart packaging, and they are used in healthcare, automotive and consumer electronics.
• Lightweight Construction: Printed electronics are thin and light, so they fit into aerospace, portable electronics and wearable devices. Typical substrates include paper, glass, fibre and smooth-coated plastic.
• Transparency and Aesthetics: Transparent designs help where both visual appearance and function matter, such as touchscreens, displays and photovoltaic cells.
• Embedded Intelligence and Connectivity: Sensors, antennas and other components can be integrated and can collect and transmit information wirelessly. This supports Internet of Things (IoT) applications with real-time data.

Printed electronics open up opportunities in many sectors of the German economy, for example in:

Many German companies use printed electronics in prototypes for sensors, smart packaging and wearable products. We start from your requirements and then recommend a suitable substrate, ink and design.

• Development: Samples support early-stage development and testing.
• Substrates: PET, polyimide, paper, fabric and metal foils are used, depending on the product type.
• Integration: Printed sensors, antennas and circuits can be combined in one product.
• Delivery: Export to Germany by air or sea freight, with Incoterms agreed in the quotation.

As a manufacturer of printed electronics for the German market, Key Automation turns traditional printing methods into modern electronic solutions. They are used in advanced electronic devices that need reliable data transfer, are light, and connect easily to other devices. Contact us today for more information about our printed electronics and their types.