Inventor of the conductive transfer process for stretchable printed electronics. Acquired by Interlink Electronics in 2024.
Interlink Technology Platform
Printed Stretchable Electronics
Home of the conductive transfer process: patented printed stretchable electronics for smart textiles, wearable medical devices, and automotive interiors.
Location
Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK
11,000 sq ft facility near Sheffield
Recognition
Medilink UK National Healthcare Innovation Award 2024
Patented Technology
Screen-printed stretchable electronics applied as transfers to fabric
Interlink Electronics has developed a process where screen-printed conductive inks become the substrate itself — this ready-to-use circuitry is then heat-applied as a transfer to the target fabric or material. The result is electronics that are thin, light, stretchable, washable, and cost-effective compared to traditional wired or rigid-circuit approaches.
The platform has manufactured and supplied over 150,000 printed circuits since 2018, supporting medical smart garments, automotive heating elements, and industrial safety applications from its South Yorkshire facility.
Core Capabilities
- Stretchable, washable, durable printed circuits
- Compatible with denim, Lycra, TPU, polycarbonate & more
- Eliminates traditional wires and rigid substrates
- Prototype to full production under one roof
- Technology licensing for in-house production
Product Families
Each product family applies Interlink's patented printing process to a specific functional need, from heating and sensing to medical garments, moisture detection, and wearable circuit integration.
ElastaTherm
Printed textile heaters
Screen-printed heating elements integrated directly into fabric substrates. Positive temperature coefficient (PTC) inks self-regulate temperature for safety and efficiency, with rapid heat-up and thicknesses as low as 0.1 mm.
Applications
- Automotive seat heating
- Heated outdoor clothing
- Medical heated garments
- Personal protective equipment
ElastaTrode
Printed circuits for smart textiles
Printed circuit technology for smart textiles and medical garments, with FDA and CE-approved use cases in wearable therapeutic and sensing programs.
Applications
- Medical garments
- Electrical muscle stimulation
- TENS wearables
- ECG, EMG, and EEG sensing
ElastaSens
Printed textile sensors
A family of printed sensors including capacitive, touch, stretch, and pressure sensing elements designed for integration into fabric. Enables intelligent garments that respond to body position and movement.
Applications
- Pressure-sensing garments
- Biometric monitoring
- Sports performance
- Rehabilitation devices
ElastaMoist
Printed moisture sensors
Advanced moisture-sensing technology for femtech, health monitoring, and medical smart-garment applications.
Applications
- Femtech wearables
- Health monitoring
- Medical smart garments
- Wetness detection products
FES Electrodes
Medical functional electrical stimulation
Stretchable printed electrodes for Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) applications, supporting neuromuscular rehabilitation for stroke patients. Circuits are thin, light, comfortable, and clinically effective.
Applications
- Stroke rehabilitation
- Neuromuscular stimulation
- Physiotherapy garments
- Clinical smart textiles
Markets Served
The conductive transfer process has been deployed across healthcare, automotive, wearables, and consumer apparel programs that need electronics to live inside soft, flexible materials.
Healthcare & Medical
Medical smart garments, FES rehabilitation devices, and body-worn monitoring systems requiring clinical-grade durability and proven biocompatibility.
- FDA & CE-approved electrode circuits (INNOVO)
- FES stroke rehabilitation garments
- Femtech smart textile applications
- Hospital bed and patient monitoring
Automotive
Thin, self-regulating printed heaters for seating and interior surfaces, plus capacitive and resistive sensors for ADAS and hands-on-wheel detection workflows.
- ElastaTherm seat heating elements (0.1 mm thick)
- Capacitive ADAS integration
- Hands-on-wheel detection sensors
- Interior surface and steering column heating
Wearables & Safety
High-performance wearable electronics that stretch and wash with the garment for fitness monitoring, worker safety, and personal protective equipment.
- Performance biometric monitoring
- Worker safety and PPE garments
- Personal environmental monitoring
- Sports science research
Apparel & Consumer
Consumer-facing smart clothing integrations where aesthetics, washability, and comfort are primary constraints alongside electronic function.
- Heated outdoor and leisure clothing
- Interactive and responsive textiles
- Smart casualwear
- Consumer wearable electronics
Why Interlink
What sets CT apart
Patented transfer printing process
CT's proprietary method laminates functional circuitry directly onto a wide range of fabric substrates. The screen-printed inks become the substrate — no wires, no rigid boards.
Stretchable, washable, durable circuits
Printed circuits stretch with the garment, survive repeated washing, and maintain electrical performance across the product lifecycle. Suitable for denim, Lycra, TPU, polycarbonate, and more.
Prototype to full production
An 11,000 sq ft facility near Sheffield supports projects from early prototypes through high-volume production runs, with engineering support at every stage.
Technology licensing available
Companies wanting to produce in-house can license CT's patented technology and know-how, including materials, equipment, and training for UK and overseas production.
Case Study
INNOVO Smart Garment
Interlink manufactured printed electrode circuits for INNOVO®, an FDA and CE-approved smart garment treating stress urinary incontinence — a condition affecting 1 in 3 women globally. CT supplied over 150,000 printed circuits across a four-year partnership with Atlantic Therapeutics, resulting in an exclusive IP licence that enabled worldwide market expansion.
FDA ApprovedCE ApprovedFemtech
Case Study
MyGo® Exoskeleton Garment
Interlink developed and printed the circuits and electrodes integrated into Move4Ward's MyGo® soft garment exoskeleton — a biomechanically inspired device using Functional Electrical Stimulation. The printed electrodes are stretchable, washable, durable, and clinically effective for mobility rehabilitation.
FES TechnologyRehabilitation
Award
Medilink UK National Healthcare Business Award for Innovation 2024
Interlink received the highest national accolade in UK healthcare innovation at the Medilink UK Awards ceremony held on July 11, 2024, at The London Institute for Healthcare Engineering (LIHE).
"It's an honour to be recognised on a national level for our innovative contributions to the healthcare sector."
Technology Position
A fabric-first electronics manufacturing process
This platform is best understood as the origin point for the conductive transfer process: screen-printed circuitry that is transferred directly onto textiles and flexible materials without relying on rigid boards or conventional wire harnesses.
Inside Interlink, this platform expands the group's reach into smart garments, textile heating, wearable sensing, and medical e-textiles while keeping the emphasis on the underlying process innovation rather than the corporate structure.
Technology Licensing
Bring CT's process in-house
Companies that want to produce this printed-electronics platform themselves can license the patented technology and know-how. Licensing packages include materials, equipment, and comprehensive staff training for UK and international production sites.