New Stretchable Flexible Printed Circuits Used as Elastic Wiring Material in Wearable Devices

Press Release Summary:

• Offers elasticity by replacing the polyimide, widely used in existing FPCs with an elastic substrate
• Used as a wearable sensor to help diagnose disease in the chest
• Accommodates complex movements, including the movements of the human body

Original Press Release:

OKI Launches Stretchable Flexible Printed Circuits (Stretchable FPC)

• The product accommodates complex movements, including the movements of the human body

Tokyo, June 14, 2019 -- Oki Electric Cable Co., Ltd., an OKI Group company specializing in electric cables, today announced the launch of its Stretchable Flexible Printed Circuits,(*1) "Stretchable FPC." The product is part of the new Oki Electric Cable product lineup to be introduced in June 2019.

The astonishing technological advances and the growing sophistication of electronic devices in recent years have generated  demand for new characteristics in the flexible printed circuits (FPCs) used as wiring materials.

The requirements for wiring materials found in clothing-type wearable devices include the ability to mount functional parts,  in addition to light weight, thin profile, and the flexibility needed to ensure comfort when worn.

Furthermore, these materials must offer the elasticity needed to accommodate the various movements of the human body.

Existing FPCs offer light weight, thin profile, flexibility, and mountability, but lack elasticity.

The newly launched Stretchable FPC offers elasticity by replacing the polyimide(*2) widely used in existing FPCs with an elastic substrate. This elastic substrate can be stretched repeatedly, like rubber, and is heat-resistant, allowing components to be solder-mounted. Its circuit conductor incorporates the same copper wiring as existing FPCs but the wiring method is specially designed to allow it to work with the stretchable substrate. The use of copper wiring minimizes variations in conductor resistance due to FPC expansion or contraction, allowing use of the FPC as a sensor. Potential applications for the Stretchable FPC include use as a wearable sensor to help diagnose disease in the chest; the Stretchable FPC is wrapped around the chest to measure signal fluctuations in the copper wiring.

By combining elasticity with the existing characteristics of FPCs, the Stretchable FPC can be used as elastic wiring material in wearable devices and will contribute to the ever-growing sophistication of electronic devices. ki Electric Cable will continue to proactively develop new products] to meet constantly diversifying customer needs.

Sales schedule: LaunchJune 2019

Sales target: 100+ million yen in fiscal 2020

Terminology

*1 :Flexible printed circuits (FPCs)

Thin, flexible circuit boards that offer performance free of variations in electrical characteristics even when bent

*2 :Polyimide

A type of engineering plastic characterized by a rigid, robust molecular structure; has the highest levels of thermal,

mechanical, and chemical properties among polymers; widely used as an insulating substrate in FPCs

Press Contact:

Oki Electric Cable Co., Ltd.

Corporate Planning Office

Phone: +81-44-754-4369