Kodak and Kingsbury Announce Agreement on Touch Screen Sensors
Eastman Kodak Company and Kingsbury Corporation have entered into an agreement to produce next-generation touch screen sensors to support the touch sensor module market that is predicted to grow to $32 billion by 2018.
Under the agreement, Kingsbury will open a new manufacturing facility in Bldg. 318 at Eastman Business Park in Rochester later this year to produce touch screen sensors utilizing Kodak’s silver halide technologies. Kingsbury will also work with customers who wish to integrate this technology into their own manufacturing facilities to produce sensors.
Kodak will supply chemicals, substrates and technical support, and assist Kingsbury with the marketing and selling of the sensors.
“In Kingsbury, we have aligned ourselves with a new manufacturing partner who will utilize our silver deposition technologies to pattern and produce touch sensor grid films with a high degree of precision and productivity,” said Terry Taber, Kodak Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President. “Kodak has a range of technologies and experience that allow us to partner with companies such as Kingsbury and broaden Kodak’s participation with multiple solutions for the touch sensor market. This agreement is aligned with previous announcements, and is another major step forward for Kodak’s functional printing initiative, which represents a key growth area for Kodak.”
“The new manufacturing and marketing partnership between Kingsbury and Kodak represents a major milestone in the scale-up, commercialization and roll-out of touch sensor films to meet the growing global demand for these products,” said Bill Pollock, Kingsbury President and Chief Executive Officer.
Kingsbury, a century-old builder of high speed assembly machines, will work in conjunction with Optimation Technology, Inc., a world class designer of roll-to-roll web based manufacturing systems for the design and implementation of the touch sensor manufacturing plant.
Touch sensors manufactured by Kingsbury will be based on a roll-to-roll manufacturing process. Compared to the traditional film-based Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) touch sensor solutions, the advantages of this new process include lower production costs due to fewer manufacturing steps and lower resistance for improved touch response. The attributes of these sensors address the requirements for multiple form factors and compatibility with flexible applications.
“Leveraging Kodak’s silver halide technology for new applications will play a vital role in the rapid scale-up of touch sensor production,” Pollock said. “Kodak’s unparalleled materials science expertise, coupled with its thin film deposition technology, allows us to leverage the materials, facilities and technical support needed to hit the ground running for the production of alternative touch sensor solutions for the printed electronics industry.”
About Kodak
Kodak is transforming into a B2B company focused on its Commercial Imaging business. Kodak will be centered on commercial, packaging and functional printing solutions and enterprise services, markets in which it offers customers advanced technologies that give them a competitive edge. The company also offers leading products and services in Entertainment Imaging and Commercial Films. Its Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging businesses are being spun off to KPP. For additional information on Kodak, visit kodak.com.
About Kingsbury Corporation
Kingsbury Corporation, with 180,000 square-foot manufacturing center on Lexington Ave. adjacent to Eastman Business Park, is a century-old manufacturer of high machining centers and high speed assembly machines. Kingsbury maintains an engineering center in Keene, N.H., where the company was established in 1890. The manufacturing center was relocated to Rochester, N.Y., in 2012. Kingsbury continues to manufacture and support its legacy line of products. With the support of Optimation, Kingsbury is now able to provide extrusion, conveyance and coating solutions for web-based products such as paper, plastic, foils and glass. www.kingsburycorp.com
About Optimation Technology, Inc.
Optimation Technology, Inc. is based in Rochester, N.Y., with an 180,000 square-foot facility adjacent to Eastman Business Park. Optimation provides a full range of project services to deliver industrial solutions for industrial clients. The company specializes in providing complete engineering, automation, construction and maintenance services, from concept through prototyping to full production-scale operations. www.optimation.us |
