In the modern era of rapid technological advancement, it's easy to assume that adding functionality to products always demands intricate components. However, improving user experience, enhancing capabilities, and ensuring product authenticity don't necessarily require complexity.
In fact, applications like visual status indicators can be both cost-efficient and exceptionally functional. It's an ideal way to get impressive value and usefulness from your innovation investments.
In this article, we delve into visual status indicators, exploring their diverse applications and essential design and manufacturing considerations.
Visual status indicators are a broad class of components that change appearance in response to specific environmental conditions or other external factors. They can provide an immediate, easy to comprehend status. The status can indicate that an excursion has occurred since the time the indicator was initiated (irreversible), or it can reflect the current status (reversible) in real time. These statuses can be conveyed by LED, electrochromic or OLED display, or a variety of other indication mechanisms.
A subset of visual indicators are printed indicators. These are often colorimetric materials that change color or appearance in response to specific chemical, biological, or environmental factors.
Put another way, all printed indicators are visual indicators – but not all visual indicators are printed indicators.
Printed indicators feature functional inks that change color based on changing environmental conditions or the presence of a specific stimulus. The change is typically irreversible, but can also be reversible for some applications. Printed indicators can be designed for a variety of use cases.
The beauty of visual indicators is that they can be used for a nearly endless list of purposes. They can also be designed with varying degrees of complexity. Recent advancements in printed electronics enable visual indicators to be more compact, more powerful, or used on flexible substrates.
When incorporating visual indicators into a product, there are a few areas to consider during the design process.
If you have any questions about visual indicators, reach out to the expert team at Tapecon. We have extensive experience with printed indicators and printed flexible electronics for high-tech visual indicators. Beyond manufacturing capabilities, we also offer design and material selection consulting to improve the quality and functionality of your product and be your trusted manufacturing partner.
With over 100 years of manufacturing experience, Tapecon works with product teams to solve challenges, create products, and enhance lives. Learn more about our custom materials converting services.