GE Global Research, the centralized research organization of General Electric, this week successfully demonstrated the world’s first roll–to–roll manufactured OLED lighting devices. This demonstration culminates a four year, and $13m research project with the intent to devise a cost–effective system for the mass production of organic electronics products. The roll-to-roll manufacturing technique is a step toward overcoming the substantial cost barriers currently making OLEDs impractical for wide use in cars.
Anil Duggal, Manager of GE’s Advanced Technology Program in Organic Electronics, says commercial applications in lighting require low manufacturing costs, and researchers have “long dreamed of making OLEDs using a roll–to–roll process like printing newspaper “.
Michael Petras, GE Consumer & Industrial’s Vice President of Electrical Distribution and Lighting, says “We have more work to do before we can give customers access to quality OLED solutions, but it’s now easier to envision OLEDs” joining other high-technology, high-efficiency commercial light source.