Crosslink , a privately held company in the USA has developed a extreme flexible electroluminescent (EL) technology that can be applied to fabrics and remains lit when crushed, twisted or pierced.

 The extreme flexibility of Crosslink's SuperFlex™ panels make them a good candidate for application in the apparel and soft goods (like bag) design.

 SuperFlex is a customizable set of inks based on conductive polymers, it can be integrated with a variety of materials. From textiles and composites to plastics and metals—no other alternative technology is this adaptable. SuperFlex inks are applied to substrates as  coatings through traditional printing processes, such as screen printing.

 

Key Benefits

Durable. SuperFlex is crushable, able to withstand more than 100 crush cycles (see this video of the test). Panels will remain lit in abusive environments, withstanding piercing, abrasion, twisting and compression. SuperFlex often outlasts the substrates or material it is applied to.

Variety. SuperFlex can be customized to fit any color and size. Specific colors, including white, blue, and green, can be engineered for function, safety, style and integration with graphical overlays.  Crosslink can coat materials as small as a cell phone button or as large as a billboard or point-of-purchase display.

Light. SuperFlex can be used to create soft white, solid-state lighting bright enough for use in a variety of areas that are not exposed to full bright daylight and sunlight like in the living rooms, bars and evening function in or outdoors and of course at night.  EL panels create a uniform diffused light rather than 'point sources' of light like in incandescent and LED bulbs. But again, EL technologies light emitting values are much lower than solid state light sources like the LEDs.

Cool. EL light sources are cool to the touch and flame resistant. EL technology has zero heat emissions, LEDs on the other hand create quite a bit of heat.