Thermoforming of plastic films with electronic components (Smartlab2)

The Smartlab2 project involves the thermoforming of plastic films with pre-applied electronic components. The aim is to develop intelligent consumables with enhanced functionalities for use in diagnostics.

This project aims to produce laboratory consumables made of molded plastic such as 96-well microplates or on-site diagnostic test carriers with integrated sensors as functional samples. The sensors are to be applied to the two-dimensional film substrate and only then formed into a 3D structure, which significantly simplifies the sensor application process. By integrating sensors directly into the laboratory equipment, continuous monitoring of the sample and process steps is achieved with a high degree of accuracy. The fixed arrangement of the sensors replaces manual assembly in the laboratory, which prevents incorrect assembly and increases the reproducibility of measurement results.

The planned extension of the concept to multilayer composites will further increase the functionality of the consumable (e.g. use in harsh environmental conditions, insertion of electrolysis cells). These aspects contribute in particular to the quality assurance of laboratory analyses. In order to be able to pursue the task in a targeted manner, the forming process is considered in advance supported by a new simulation approach, which enables a particularly effective development process. To realize the project, established technologies (direct printing of sensors, microthermoforming of film substrates) are to be combined for the first time in order to make existing processes more efficient and to enable new product classes (smart laboratory consumables).