As flexible and printed electronics move from prototypes into industrial products, one question is becoming increasingly important: How reliable will the product be under real-world conditions – and over its expected lifetime?
This question is particularly relevant as printed and flexible electronics enter increasingly demanding applications – from automotive interiors and human-machine interfaces to medical wearables, smart textiles, industrial sensors, smart packaging and connected IoT devices.
Experts from research, testing and industry come together in Nuremberg
On 23 November 2026, the Reliability Experience Day at FAPS in Nuremberg will bring together experts from research, testing and industry to explore these challenges from a practical perspective.
Under the motto “Design • Test • Accelerate • Predict”, the half-day workshop will address the reliability of flexible and printed electronic systems throughout the development and qualification process.
Different applications – different reliability challenges
There is no single reliability test that fits every printed or flexible electronic product.
An automotive sensor or HMI component may have to withstand temperature cycling, humidity, vibration and mechanical stress over many years. Smart textiles and wearables experience repeated bending, stretching, compression, perspiration and washing. Medical and healthcare devices can require resistance to liquids, cleaning procedures and continuous mechanical deformation.
Smart packaging, labels and IoT devices, on the other hand, may have shorter expected lifetimes but face completely different combinations of storage, transportation, temperature, humidity and mechanical handling.
Understanding the actual application therefore becomes the starting point for defining a meaningful reliability and qualification strategy.
From mechanical testing to accelerated ageing
The Reliability Experience Day will cover mechanical reliability testing, climate and environmental testing, accelerated aging and lifetime testing, failure analysis, and data- and AI-supported evaluation of test results.
A particular focus will be on translating laboratory testing into meaningful information about product performance and lifetime.
How can bending, folding or stretching tests reproduce real application conditions? How can climate chambers accelerate ageing processes? How can combined mechanical and environmental stresses reveal failure mechanisms? And how can the resulting data help identify weak points before a product reaches industrial production?
Theory meets practice
The Reliability Experience Day is deliberately designed as more than a series of presentations.
Short expert contributions from FAPS, MSWtech/Test Center and Powerlyze will be complemented by live demonstrations of reliability testing and opportunities to discuss real testing challenges with the experts.
Participants will be able to see testing equipment in operation, discuss appropriate test strategies and exchange experience on qualification and lifetime assessment for applications including:
• Automotive – sensors, HMI, displays, lighting and flexible electronic systems
• Healthcare & Wearables – patches, sensors and body-worn electronics
• Smart Textiles – integrated sensors, conductive structures and electronic textiles
• Industrial & IoT – flexible sensors, monitoring systems and connected devices
• Smart Packaging & Labels – printed sensors, indicators and intelligent labels
• Consumer Electronics – flexible interfaces, sensors and integrated electronic functions
The event is aimed at product developers, R&D and quality engineers, materials and technology suppliers, printed electronics manufacturers, OEMs and companies moving flexible electronics technologies from prototype towards industrial application.
Reliability Experience Day
23 November 2026 | 1:00–5:00 p.m.
FAPS | Nuremberg, Germany
Design • Test • Accelerate • Predict
Participation will be limited. Detailed programme and registration information will follow.