The ITA (Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University) has published a study evaluating a selection of production technologies for the manufacture of smart textiles. In this study, the state of the art in the various production processes is explained and in their comparison, key processes (upscalability, sustainability and economic efficiency) were given special consideration.
The following processes were selected:
Direct soldering
Robot-assisted ultrasonic soldering
Nd: YAG laser soldering
Ultrasonic plastic welding
3D printing process
Liquid metal printing
Vapor deposition
Nanocoating
Screen printing process
Transfer screen printing process
Integration of fiber-based electronics
Seamless integration
Among the selected processes, the 3D printing process showed the highest potential for efficient and resource-saving production with multiple applications and with the best result in the combination of scalability, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
To date, 3D printing has been used more selectively for joining components or producing printed brackets. Therefore, there is greater need to develop 3D printing processes, use for small electronics and upscaling. The aspect of washability of the hybrid structures has also been ignored so far. Further studies are needed to map the various aspects of fabrication.
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