Haydale has developed a range of printing inks utilising its functionalised graphene for the development of advanced wearable technology. © Haydale

Haydale, a leading advanced materials group, is working alongside Swansea University, GTS Flexibles, Alliance Labels, Tectonic International, ScreenTec, Alliance Labels, Malvern Panalytical and the English Institute of Sport on a Welsh Government SMART Expertise Programme.

The programme, funded by the Welsh Government as part of its European Development Fund, is intended to benefit industry in Wales through the development of new concepts and advanced functionalised inks using Haydale’s advanced materials.

Combining expertise from across the consortium, the programme will see the creation of a product pipeline for the scale up to volume production of Applications of Functionalised Micro & Nano Materials, also known as the AFM2 Product Pipeline. This is designed to speed up the process required to take products from proof of concept into volume and profitable products. With a focus on market pull, the AFM2 Product Pipeline will turn a demand driven idea into a bench prototype followed by pilot production for market and customer evaluation.

The first examples to shape this pipeline development will be provided by the English Institute of Sport (EIS), Tectonic and GTS Flexibles, with an intention to generate a steady feed of new concepts into the pipeline to ensure its sustainability beyond the project.

Haydale, in collaboration with WCPC, has developed and refined a range of proprietary printing inks utilising its functionalised graphene for the development of advanced wearable technology to be embedded into a range of apparel for elite athletes in training for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The functionalised inks fulfil a range of functions in sensing and conditioning, combined with ease of printing for use in the rapidly growing wearable technology market.

“The close relationship with our colleagues at WCPC is now bearing fruit with a range of robust, stable, high performing functionalised inks and coatings emerging from extensive development work and finding applications in wearable technology, printed sensors and thermal management,” commented Keith Broadbent, Haydale COO.

“This is a really exciting project which will take innovative concepts manufactured by printing of advanced functional materials and rapidly transitioned them from proof of concept into volume, profitable products. It will drive more applications for inks containing the unique functionalised nano carbons created by the Haydale Plasma Functionalisation process,” said Professor Tim Claypole MBE, Director, the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating, Swansea University.

www.haydale.com

Further reading

Printable coatings for elite athlete apparel