Pilot Line for Laser Enabled Printed Electronics and Biosystems
The Pilot line for laser enabled printed electronics and biosystems is a bespoke equipment set designed to incorporate key functionalities of advanced subtractive and additive manufacturing. The system enables the realisation of both bio-fabricated and electronically fabricated components using integrated scalable digital manufacturing methods. Microfluidics, printed electronics and printed biomaterials can all be incorporated, using this system, on a single device.
The three-module glove box combines both precision additive and precision subtractive processes to realise next generation thermally, electrically and optically activated smart devices or tissue engineered lab-on-a-chip devices.
This facility, located in the NCLA Laser Laboratory at NUI Galway, provides the opportunity to efficiently produce prototypes using scalable pilot production, significantly enhancing the translation of R&D concepts into product prototypes.
Multi-functional, multi-material, smart devices can be manufactured, leveraging ultra-short and laser and low temperature materials processing. The pilot line is capable of processing metals, ceramics, organics, nano-materials and biodegradable electronics. The system is reconfigurable through utilisation of the latest CAD/CAM packages for tool control and simulates high-throughput scalable processes on either cylindrical or planar geometries.

Fast Facts for Pilot Line for Laser Enabled Printed Electronics and Biosystems
Market Segment
- Range of sectors interested in flexible electronics.
- Medical devices: new therapeutic and diagnostic devices, such as smart wound care or lab-on-a-chip.
Challenges:
- To demonstrate a cost-effective end-to-end process for smart device manufacturing using advanced subtractive and additive manufacturing technologies.
- To facilitate the development of prototypes for printed electronics and printed biomaterial components.
Solution:
- Bespoke Pilot line solution that incorporates state-of-the-art technology solutions to develop laser-enabled printed electronics and biosystems
Commercial Benefit:
- New product development.
- Process development, from concept through to simulation of scaled-up system.
Specifications
- M-Solv scanned mask imaging (SMI) system using Lumentum DPSS UV laser
- Harder & Steenbeck XL2000 pneumatic spray
- Fujifilm Dimatix Sapphire inkjet printheads
- SPI G4 EP-S IR fibre laser
- Poly-Pico micro-dispenser