RK Print announces collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
UK-based RK PrintCoat Instruments is now collaborating with the National Centre of Flexible Electronics (FlexE Centre) at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur (IITK) to design, manufacture and supply a bespoke roll-to-roll pilot line for their latest R&D and prototyping projects in the field of printed and flexible electronics.
RK Print was founded in the early 1960s; a family-run business with over 60 years’ experience in the surface coating industry. Designed and manufactured in the UK, RK equipment has one common theme: the production of repeatable samples; to be used for the purposes of research and development, as well as quality control. Building on its developed knowledge and experience of web handling, gained from the supply of over 300 ROKO units, together with ongoing advances in application techniques, RK invested in the design of a more sophisticated machine. The Versatile Converting Machine (VCM) is bespoke in design and is optimised to the specific requirements of each process. Since 2004, VCM equipment has been installed at many locations worldwide, involved in the development of high tech coatings such as printed/plastic electronics, e.g. VTT, Finland.
Darren Ellis, project manager at RK Print is managing and overseeing the design and build of the machine for FlexE Centre: “This long-term project is an exciting one for RK Print to be involved with, developing and adding to our knowledge of the emerging printed electronics market. I am looking forward to working with Juliane and her colleagues at FlexE Centre over the coming months”.
The R2R pilot coating line will have applications such as flexo, rotary screen, slot die, inkjet and direct gravure as well as the integration of plasma treatment and flash sintering. Prof Monica Katiyar, coordinator of FlexE Centre, says: "Access to an R-2-R processing facility in India will provide a boost to development of domestic industry in the field of printable electronics."
Dr Juliane Tripathi, team leader at FlexE Centre oversees the project from FlexE Centre’s site. She explains: “Industrial and even many R&D roll-to-roll printing lines are custom designed for one specific process and cannot be altered easily. However, the FlexE Centre’s line has been designed to be extremely versatile and modular with state-of-the-art printing and sintering technologies that can be combined for broad range of applications in the field of printed electronics. The line will mimic industrial scale processing on R&D level. It will be the first of its kind in India and possibly even worldwide.”