A time-strain monitoring system fabricated via offset lithographic printing

This paper reports progress in the development of strain sensors fabricated using the conductive lithographic film (CLF) printing process. Strain sensitive structures printed via an unmodified offset lithographic printing press using a silver-loaded conductive ink have been deposited concurrently with circuit interconnect, to form an electronic smart packaging system. A system populated with surface mount technology (SMT) components has proven successful in interpreting and logging deformation incidences subjected to a package during testing. It is proposed that with further development such a system could be printed synchronously with packaging graphics using a single printing process to form an integrated time–strain monitoring system.