Electroninks Expands Japanese Presence with EMI Shielding Partnership

Austin-based Electroninks, a manufacturer of conductive inks for 3D printed electronics, has announced an expansion of its presence in Japan through an enhanced partnership with SIIX Corporation, a prominent Japanese Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider. This collaboration will focus on developing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding solutions.

SIIX Corporation will not only distribute Electroninks' materials and processes within Japan but will also contribute a specialized ultrasonic spray coating environment. This integration aims to offer more flexible alternatives to conventional methods for producing EMI shielding enclosures, including the potential for conformal designs. The partners intend to target a variety of industry-specific applications, with automotive electronics identified as an initial area of focus.

Electroninks and SIIX plan to adopt a tailored approach, working directly with customers on a case-by-case basis to define both production methods and material formulations. This strategy involves initial prototyping with each client, with the goal of scaling up to higher volumes once an optimal workflow is established. Electroninks has also been refining its internal spray-coating capabilities to support this initiative.

Takashi Mochizuki, director of sales and business development at Electroninks, stated that as electronics become denser and operate at higher frequencies across various industries, EMI shielding is shifting from a component-level concern to a system-level engineering challenge. He highlighted that the collaboration combines advanced conductive materials, specialized coating technology, and global manufacturing expertise to develop custom coating processes for products ranging from automotive electronics to other applications.

This partnership follows recent developments for Electroninks, including a new Air Force contract for on-demand PCB manufacturing and an agreement to enter the Indian market. These strategic moves align with global manufacturing diversification trends and the evolving semiconductor capital equipment market, where the lines between service providers and equipment suppliers are blurring due to advancements in chip packaging.