Welcome!

Welcome to the official website of T-PAPER – the mass printed ultra-thin, flexible, light-weight piezoelectric loudspeaker paper developed by the Institute for Print and Media Technology at Technische Universität Chemnitz, Germany.

T-PAPER development gets funding from the following projects:

Running project:

AudioBAHN² – Printed Audio Infotainment Systems for Innovative Railway Vehicles by means of multi-channel Loudspeaker Webs

  • The project is part of the Smart Rail Connectivity Campus
  • Main aim: development and demonstration of printed multi-channel loudspeaker webs for railway vehicle applications
  • Funding scheme: WIR! by BMBF
  • Duration: 01/10/2021 – 31/03/2024

Completed projects:

New market validation project T-PAPER4SOUND

  • Main aim: evaluation of the potential commercialisation and acquisition of the pilot customers. T-PAPER demonstrators will be transferred to prototypes ready for market applications
  • Funding scheme: RL Validierungsförderung by SMWA
  • Duration: 01/05/2021 – 30/10/2022
  • Budget: 250.000 EUR

Technological validation project T-PAPER

  • Main aim: roll-to-roll printed loudspeaker paper
  • Funding scheme: VIP+ by Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
  • Duration: 01/05/2017 – 30/04/2020
  • Budget: 1.37 Mio. EUR

News

Veröffentlicht am

T-PAPER installation for MuMa-Forum in Bielefeld

pmTUC provided two T-PAPER based posters for the new special exhibition „Als die Bilder sprechen lernten – 100 Jahre Tonfilm“ at MuMa-Forum in Bielefeld, Germany. The exhibition showcases the most important steps and pioneers having brought sound to movies. Additionally, new technology achievements are presented and future outlook is given including our paper-based flexible printed poster …

„T-PAPER installation for MuMa-Forum in Bielefeld“ weiterlesen

Veröffentlicht am

T-PAPER on Galileo TV-Show

The Galileo team visited  the Institute for Print- and Media Technology and filmed a great report about T-PAPER loudspeakers. To find out more about the T-RING prototype check the Galileo report on Prosieben channel. Photo: Jacob Müller / TU Chemnitz

T-PAPER

pmTUC has developed a technology which allows the manufacturing of loudspeakers solely by means of conventional mass printing technologies on flexible substrates like foil or even paper. More precisely, we are talking about printed piezoelectric loudspeakers, i.e. a piezoelectric crystal transfers an applied AC voltage to a mechanical deformation and a vibration of the whole substrate. If the frequency of the AC signal is in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, audible sound is generated.

In our case a piezoelectric polymer is sandwiched between two organic electrodes, i.e. we have truly fully plastic speakers without magnets. All layers can be printed step by step on a substrate but thanks to new developments during the technological validation project VIP+, we are now able to integrate all electronic layers within a special paper – the tone paper – or shorter T-PAPER – was born making it possible to print on both sides of the paper color pictures or whatever you are used to print (or write) on paper. The printed electronics part keeps hidden and invisible.

At the starting point of the VIP+ project, the realisation of the T-PAPER was based on a semi-automatic sheetfed process with low efficiency and throughput. However, first applications could be successfully demonstrated like the T-BOOK in 2015 – a unique photo book with speaking images.

The main aim of the VIP+ project T-PAPER was to transfer the inefficient sheetfed manufacturing to a high-throughput roll-to-roll pilot line at one of pmTUC’s R2R printing presses. This included the development and validation of a stable R2R printing process of all functional layers, the inline polarisation of the piezoelectric material but also post-press technologies like lamination and folding. At the end of the VIP+ project the surround-sound loudspeaker T-RING has been presented.

In May 2021 the new market validation project T-PAPER4SOUND was started. The main aim is to evaluate the potential commercialisation, to get pilot customers as well as to transfer the T-PAPER demonstrators to ready-for-market applications.

pmTUC

Based on a long tradition in conventional printing press engineering, the Institute for Print and Media Technology at Chemnitz University of Technology (pmTUC) has established itself as a research and teaching institution which combines traditional paper-based media and new digital technologies. Cooperation and scientific partnerships with many well-known companies of the national and international media, electronics and chemicals industry prove the esteem for the scientific work of the pmTUC, headed by Prof. Dr. Arved C. Hübler. Webpage: http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/pm