Electronics meets Production: Focus on Plastic Solutions and Systems

Plastics are indispensable in the electronics industry – as Part 1 of our series has already shown. Whether housings, insulators, or conductive components – modern plastics make many applications possible in the first place. But it's not just the materials that count, it's also their precise processing. In the second part of the series, we show how plastics technologies are shaping the production of electronic components – from material selection to machine solutions. And, of course, we highlight the role of K 2025 as a showcase for these developments.

Depending on requirements—from quantity to geometry—different processing techniques are used. Injection molding enables the efficient mass production of precise components, while 3D printing offers high flexibility for customized designs. Processes such as thermoforming or roll-to-roll printing (R2R) are used for films and special applications.

The electronics industry demands plastics with special properties: electrical insulation or conductivity, flame resistance, mechanical strength, UV and chemical resistance, and sustainability through recyclability. Color, feel, and durability also play a role, especially for micro and precision parts, such as those used in game controllers.

Modern electronics production would be unthinkable today without automation and digitalization. Devices manufactured in their millions, such as smartphones, require maximum precision, fast cycle times, and consistent quality. These are requirements that only automated processes can meet.

Digitalization is revolutionizing processes

The digital transformation has fundamentally changed plastics processing. Inline quality control is particularly valuable: high-resolution camera systems and measurement technology check every part produced in real time. Defective components are automatically sorted out before they even leave the production line. These systems can detect surface defects in the micrometer range, ensuring consistently high product quality.

Digital twins now make it possible to simulate and optimize complex injection molding processes before actual production begins. Parameters can be tested and adjusted virtually before the first mold is built. In ongoing production, AI-supported systems ensure continuous process optimization, with parameters being adjusted in real time to achieve the best possible quality.

Printed electronics are fundamentally changing the manufacture of electronic circuits. Conductive inks are printed directly onto plastic substrates such as PET or polyamide – similar to inkjet printing. This creates ultra-thin, flexible circuits that can be bent or stretched.

The advantages: lower costs, fewer chemicals, new application possibilities, e.g., in smart packaging, medical wearables, or smart textiles. K exhibitor Covestro has already presented an example of the application in wearables at MEDICA.

The Colibri demonstrator from Covestro and Cicor also shows how electronics can be integrated directly into plastic surfaces – with translucent Makrolon® and finely printed conductor tracks using aerosol jet printing. The resulting surfaces are decorative, functional, and recyclable. This is a strong impetus for sustainable product design and future-proof technologies, as this quote from Karl-Heinz Fritz, Vice President of Development & Technology at the Cicor Group, clearly illustrates:

“Printed electronics will be utilized in many new application areas. The use of printing technologies will help to make manufacturing processes more efficient and miniaturize electronic systems. Covestro offers in its product portfolio polycarbonate grades whose properties make them ideally suited for printing with the aerosol jet printing process used by Cicor.”

The quote was taken from the news page on this topic under Covestro Solutions, which you can find here.

The INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials – develops functional inks based on tailor-made plastics that are specially optimized for use in printed electronics. Polyurethanes and other polymeric binders provide properties such as elasticity, flexibility, and adaptability to mechanical stress. Combining these with conductive fillers creates inks that are both elastic and electrically conductive. This makes it possible to create heating systems or sensors, for example, that work reliably even under severe deformation. A particular focus is also on the development of sustainable polymer formulations that facilitate recycling processes and thus enable more environmentally friendly use of printed electronics.

A visionary application of printed electronics was presented at K 2010 in the form of a solar laptop bag: thin, flexible, and lightweight, it enabled mobile devices to be charged using integrated plastic solar cells. The bag symbolizes the potential of polymer-based electronics—functional, cost-effective, and ready to print. An idea that was ahead of its time and shows how early plastic innovations paved the way for “electronics everywhere.”

Whether it's sensor technology, energy storage, or smart surfaces, plastics are driving the development of electronics. K 2025 showcases innovations along the entire value chain: from high-performance polymers and machine solutions to networked systems for electronics production. An overview of exhibitors specializing in plastic components and systems for electronics production can be found here in the exhibitor database.