Printed electronics with copper: conductive, flexible, and integrable everywhere

RFID chips and NFC products, which could previously only be manufactured in large quantities, can now also be directly integrated into the final product for even the smallest needs.

With the RFID Inside membrane keypad, customers are offered a significant added value: your applications are directly prepared for Industry 4.0.

Heated keyboards and much more: Kundisch GmbH now also manufactures NFC tags and large-area flexible printed sensors using printed electronics on copper substrates, and integrates RFID chips into their products. The manufacturer of membrane keyboards can better meet the needs of its customers.

The renowned manufacturer of membrane keyboards and touch systems has expanded its manufacturing processes to include printed electronics. This process is used, for example, in the Kundisch keyboards themselves, where RFID functions can already be integrated from small batch sizes. But it is also used for heating in keyboards, to produce large-area sensors for medical applications, or in standalone elements such as NFC tags, which Kundisch offers with printed electronics.

Kundisch relies on copper materials in its printing technology, which are characterized by higher electrical conductivity than printed silver. The copper used is also more stable both climatically and mechanically than printed silver, which is commonly used for printing electronics. Additionally, copper allows for tighter tolerances.

RFID and NFC also in small batch sizes

The NFC tag that the company from Villingen-Schwenningen has recently started offering to its customers enables, on the one hand, the digital protection of products and, on the other hand, can detect unauthorized opening. It is based on Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, which allows a sensor to be read via a smartphone. The advantage: no app is required, and it is compatible with Apple products as well. The tag is equipped with a powered loop with an integrated break seal. For example, if an electrical cabinet is opened without authorization, this current loop sustains physical and irreversible damage. Manipulation can be read by tapping the tag with an NFC-enabled smartphone and is, for example, relevant for warranty or maintenance claims.

With the RFID Inside membrane keyboard, products can be prepared for Industry 4.0 applications. Using the RFID antenna printed directly into the keyboard, data can be stored that is relevant, for example, for the supply chain. Each individual product becomes controllable and digitally identifiable. Production is cost-efficient even at the smallest batch sizes. Such keyboards are used, for example, in medical devices where cleaning or usage needs to be tracked. At the same time, an RFID interface to the machine can also be implemented directly to read machine data.