scope:

This standard provides terms and definitions for the design and manufacture of printed electronics.

Purpose

The purpose of this standard is to provide common terminology regarding printed electronics.

The reader is encouraged to also reference IPC-2291, IPC-2292, IPC-4591, IPC-4592, IPC-6901, IPC-6902, IPC-9204 and IPC-9257, which have additional industry-approved terms and definitions.

Printed Electronics Types

It is the understanding of the IPC Printed Electronics Committee that electronics manufacturers have several definitions for 3D Printed Electronics. Because these descriptions are the result of years of time and investment by various market segments, the IPC Printed Electronics Committee will not define one term for 3D printed electronics.

To better help industry identify and describe the various processes for producing 3D printed electronics, the IPC Printed Electronics Committee has established three initial types for 3D printed electronics.

Type 1 - Using printed electronics processes on a planar substrate

Type 2 - Using printed electronics processes on a nonplanar substrate

Type 3 - Using printed electronics processes to fully build and functionalize a device in a 3D space

As additional 3D printed electronics types are described by industry, they will be added to the 3D Printed Electronics Types.