Comparison of control strategies for roll-to-roll printing presses

Abstract

Flexible printed electronics is touted to be a significant part of the future of the roll-to-roll (R2R) printing industry. Electronic devices, such as RFID tags, low-cost displays and lighting devices, polymer solar cells, sensors, etc., can be manufactured on a flexible substrate using roll-to-roll machines. In recent years there has been a significant focus towards printing electronics on a flexible substrate using R2R printing methods. These studies have primarily dealt with the feasibility of printing electronic components such as thin metal lines, electrodes, capacitors, thin film transistors, etc., on the flexible substrate. In order to realize the goal of low cost printing of electronics on a flexible substrate using R2R techniques, the web handling aspects related to R2R printing have to be addressed adequately. This paper focuses on the web handling aspects related to R2R printing by analyzing the print registration process using mathematical models and by studying control schemes to improve print registration.