Sensor Films Reports Agreement with Xerox

Published: February 24, 2015

ROCHESTER, NY | Sensor Films (SFI) and Xerox report an agreement to develop and bring to market advanced manufacturing solutions for the high-volume production of touch sensors using polymer-based transparent conductive films.

Under the agreement, Sensor Films will develop and market scalable manufacturing process equipment utilizing Xerox’s proprietary solid ink technology. SFI announced that in the near future it will unveil a family of equipment that provides a means for mass production of the next generation of flexible, low-cost devices.

Current plans call for the delivery to customers of a sheet-fed digital deposition system configurable to customer production demands during the second half of this year. In addition, officials says a high-volume, in-line, roll-to-roll digital deposition system is under development and will be available in 2016.

In doing so, SFI says it hopes to solve the current production challenge of processing transparent conductive polymer-based films to make low-cost touch sensor circuits in a high volume production environment.

“The technology solution from [our company] could be a game-changing development,” says Peter Hessney, president of Sensor Films. “By using conductive polymers as a low-cost alternative to the current Indium Tin Oxide [ITO] process, [we] will help enable the mass production of simple electronic devices necessary to support the so-called ‘Internet of Things.’”

“We are very pleased to see a major corporation like Xerox enter into an exclusive agreement with Sensor Films,” says Rami Katz, COO at Excell Partners. “Excell has been an early investor in Sensor Films and remains committed to its successful growth and expansion. Sensor Films’ equipment solutions offer the printable electronics industry a viable, low-cost manufacturing process approach to make touch sensors and will enable new flexible electronic applications where ITO simply cannot.

Hessney says, “We are very excited about our long term, joint development agreement with Xerox Corporation. Clearly, the Xerox name represents one of the most highly recognized and trusted brands for bringing innovative technologies and quality equipment solutions to a market. We chose to work with Xerox for many reasons—one being the technology advantages offered by integrating its high throughput, digital printing, and patterning capabilities into the Sensor Films product family. In addition, working closely with Xerox’s world-class engineering services team brings credibility and assures our customers that we have a financially strong and proven delivery partner working with us.”

Brendan Casey, VP of Engineering Services for Xerox, says, “With this agreement, Xerox continues its long-term strategy to leverage significant technology platform investments in our solid ink printing capabilities. Our teams are working closely together to provide a robust, scalable solution to the market to solve an industry problem.”

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