Скачать или смотреть Holst Centre | imec | True competitiveness of printed electronics

Is it really more sustainable than PCBs?

Stephan Harkema | Maarten Cauwe

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Printed Electronics has many advantages compared to traditional printed circuit board (PCB) technology. The simplified process flow and additive nature of the technology also make it a good candidate for more sustainable electronics. One aspect that is often overlooked when comparing the environmental impact of printed electronics to PCBs, is the dependency on the application and its inherent demands related to functionality and reliability. Moreover, the lifetime of a product is determined by the environment it is operating in and the reliability of a technology directly relates to that lifetime. Some applications may exhibit a mismatch of product lifetime and PCB lifetime, resulting in more complex technology being used than needed or vice versa, the PCB lifetime limiting the lifetime of the product. A second challenge in the comparison of printed electronics and PCB technology is the lack of data on both sides to perform an accurate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). While volume production of PE is occurring, it is not at the same level as PCB manufacturing. In addition to the data collection, the definition of the functional unit and scope of the LCA need to be aligned. A number of cases will be presented to illustrate this challenge. Finally, the sustainability of PCB manufacturing is not set in stone. Many developments are ongoing to reduce the environmental impact of the process, the materials and the generated waste. These developments address some of the inherent disadvantages of the technology and may surprisingly tip the balance back in favour of the PCBs.