ESMA, the Association of European Manufacturers of screen printing equipment and supplies, is organising a masterclass as part of the POLEOT project, offering those interested an opportunity to catch on technology for producing innovative textiles with light-emitting properties.

Various topics will be explained and reviewed during POLEOT’s masterclass that takes place on 23 June at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, in Düsseldorf.

The masterclass presentations cover subjects ranging from printing smart designs of electroluminescent devices, printing and coating with carbon nanotubes, plasmatechnological barrier layers for packaging, and encapsulation to OLEDs as the future of ambient lighting.

Luminescence technology

Electroluminescent and organic light-emitting diodes are efficient, lightweight and environment-friendly light sources that give rise to a new generation of textiles. Luminescent inks will soon be employed by innovative screen and digital inkjet processes.

POLEOT, which stands for Printing of Light Emitting devices on Textile, aims at developing luminescence technology for a wide range of new textile applications.

The project partners represent University of Hasselt, IMEC, Centexbel, University College Ghent, University of Aachen, University of Stuttgart and Forschungskuratorium Textil. Their final product is a textile-based EL/OLED that will be used to manufacture high-visibility products for safety clothing or signalisation, for example. The financial support comes from Cornet programme, Allianz Industrie Forschung and Flemish Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology.

Smart and innovative textiles

“In our project, expertise in textile, printing, coating and light emitting devices is combined to show the involved companies how to develop smart and innovative textiles with light emitting properties,” commented Prof. dr. ir. Wim Deferme, the project leader from UHasselt/IMEC.

“The latest know-how, the transferred technology and the alliances between research partners, industry and designers promise a bright future for light emitting textiles.”

POLEOT technology

POLEOT technology finds its application in various areas, including wearables, lamp shades and light-emitting wallpapers.

Printing of several layers onto a textile substrate and progress in encapsulation are said to deliver solutions to overcome technological bottlenecks, such as water resistance. Simultaneously, smart designs are improved and tested to maintain the excellent properties of textiles such as air permeability, flexibility and drape.

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