Ink transfer simulation of gravure printing process for the preparation of printed flexible electronic devices

With the rapid development of printed flexible electronics in recent years, significant achievements have been made in various fields such as humanoid robots, sensors, biomedical applications, and flexible energy storage devices. Among the fabrication processes for printed flexible electronic devices, gravure printing stands out for its high resolution and adjustable printing thickness, making it a promising technique for widespread future applications. The printing performance significantly impacts device functionality, with the transfer efficiency of electronic ink being a critical factor affecting the final printed quality. This study employs a combined approach of two-phase flow-phase field and fluid-structure interaction simulations to investigate the electronic ink transfer process in gravure printing. Through systematic analysis, the optimal printing parameters were identified as a viscosity of 50 Cp, printing speed of 5 m/min, and an engraving mesh count of 200. To ensure reliability, each set of experimental data was validated through at least three repeated trials.