Molex's custom Soligie flexible printed sensor solutions combine art and science

     Molex Corporation completes acquisition of Minnesota-based business Soligie, Inc. To further expand its portfolio of printed electronic components. Custom Soligie solutions provide a robust, cost-effective alternative to rigid printed circuit boards (PCBS) or flexible copper circuits for sensor applications in medical, industrial, consumer, defense, and other industries.

      "Smart sensor products require a smart manufacturing approach," said Todd Hester, vice president and general manager of printed circuit products at Molex. At the same time as the size of electronic product packaging continues to shrink and the degree of precision is increasing, customers need highly functional and cost-effective circuits. We can provide a clear way to achieve mass manufacturing for early Soligie technology development."

     Soligie sensor solutions are ideal for sensors that measure temperature, shock and humidity, physiological monitoring, environmental and biochemical sensors, and virtually any sensor product that requires a thin, flexible electronic form factor. Soligie's design starts with a low-cost substrate on which various functional components are added to make up the circuit through conductive silver glue. Soligie's manufacturing process is suitable for integrating a wide range of sensors, batteries, RFID, ultra-thin displays, leds and other passive devices to provide small, flexible, all-in-one sensor solutions at a lower total cost than traditional circuits.

     Molex's manufacturing capabilities include the binding of electronic devices using high-precision roll-to-roll (R2R) and chip to chip technologies. Multi-station printing systems combine flexible printing and rotating screen capabilities with multi-layer printing capabilities to improve manufacturing efficiency. Soligie solutions' R2R high-speed printing process can produce functions equivalent to copper circuits in sensor applications while reducing the use of manufacturing processes, materials, and costs.

     Molex works closely with customers and strategic partners to ensure Soligie's materials and processes meet functional requirements. Services include Soligie's sensor design and process development, prototyping, product development, commercialization, and manufacturing. Compliance with regulations is ensured by a rigorous quality system framework, which is certified to ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003, and which consistently meets FDA requirements for current good manufacturing practices.

     Hester added, "Our customers can now discover that their unique product innovations enable manufacturing faster than ever before. Whether the goal is to make products lighter, thinner, more flexible, or to enable a completely new concept, Soligie's flexible printable technology can provide the right sensor solution."