What are flexible electronics?
Flexible electronics are electronic circuits built on substrates that can bend without breaking or losing electrical function. Unlike conventional rigid PCBs made on FR-4 fiberglass board, flexible electronics use polymer substrates like PET (polyethylene terephthalate), polyimide, or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) that allow the circuit to curve, twist, and conform to non-flat surfaces.
The applications are everywhere conventional rigid electronics cannot go: wearable devices that move with the body, sensors that wrap around pipes, antennas that conform to helmets, and heaters that follow curved surfaces.
Flexible vs stretchable vs conformal
These three terms describe different degrees of mechanical adaptability. Understanding the distinction matters when choosing the right technology for an application.
How Suryudey manufactures
We use screen printing as the primary deposition method. Conductive silver and resistive carbon inks are printed through precision mesh screens onto flexible substrates. The process is additive, meaning material is deposited only where needed, eliminating the chemical etching waste of conventional PCB manufacturing.
Our primary substrates are TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) at 100 micron film thickness for stretchable and wearable applications, and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) for flexible but non-stretchable applications requiring higher dimensional stability.
The printed circuit layer is ultra-thin. Combined with the substrate, the total stack is thin enough to laminate into textiles, wrap around curved medical devices, or embed into consumer products without adding bulk.
Applications
Conformal antennas for defence and IoT
Silver nanowire and silver paste antennas screen-printed onto flexible PET, operating from NFC to 5G frequencies. Our conformal helmet antennas were developed under the iDEX Defence Innovation Startup Challenge in co-creation with Bharat Electronics Limited. Design patents registered with the Indian Patent Office for flexible IoT smart meter antennas.
Stretchable heaters for wearables
Silver-carbon heaters on TPU that stretch with the body. Used in our iðoona heated apparel line (jackets, vests, t-shirts, gloves). USB-C powered, NTC + PID controlled, breathable TPU construction.
Flexible biosensors for medical devices
Batteryless NFC sensors on skin-friendly TPU for neonatal monitoring, developed with St. Johns Research Institute. Flexible printed electrodes for continuous health monitoring. The thin, soft form factor enables extended wear without skin irritation.
Industrial flexible heaters and sensors
Custom heater geometries for pipe tracing, battery pre-conditioning, equipment heating. Flexible temperature sensors that wrap around curved industrial surfaces. Transparent heaters on PET for defrosting and defogging applications.
Flexible electronics in India
India's demand for flexible electronics is growing across defence (conformal antennas, flexible sensors for soldiers), healthcare (low-cost wearable diagnostics for rural deployment), consumer electronics (wearable devices, heated garments for export markets), and industrial IoT (flexible sensors for manufacturing and infrastructure monitoring).
Suryudey Plastic Electronics (SPEZL) is building India's flexible electronics manufacturing capability from Mumbai. We serve B2B customers through SPEZL for custom flexible and stretchable electronics, and demonstrate the technology through our consumer brand iðoona.