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After three years of research, the 3DELECPRINT R&D project, led by CT in collaboration with Eurecat and AXTER, has successfully developed a flexible robotic platform integrated for printing electronic sensors and/or wiring on complex rigid 3D geometries.
The final demonstration of the system was conducted by printing sensors and tracks on parts and components selected by CT and AXTER, respectively.
CT, the leading engineering company in technological innovation throughout the product lifecycle, has successfully concluded the 3DELECPRINT R&D project, which aimed to develop a flexible integrated robotic platform for printing electronic sensors and/or wiring on complex rigid 3D geometries. The resulting pieces are made of various materials such as metal, composite, or ceramic, among others.
During the project, a printing system based on an ultrasonic spray nozzle head was used, a versatile technique that allows the use of a wide range of inks, perfect adaptability to the substrate’s geometry, and efficient use of resources, as it works with very low flow rates.
This initiative marks a milestone in 3D printing by achieving the following technical objectives:
- Select and mature a spray nozzle system for the target application capable of printing sensors and electrical tracks with precision equivalent to that obtained with dedicated machines.
- Define the types of inks to be used, for example, for printing temperature sensors, to suit the printing technology.
- Conduct relevant ink tests against some demonstration substrates to determine the surface engineering necessary to improve ink adhesion to the substrate (e.g., the application of atmospheric plasma).
- Define and select the sensors to be incorporated into the robot’s arm that will maintain the robot’s position and trajectory according to the electronic design (whether sensors or electrical tracks).
- Define the curing strategy for the printed inks on the substrates to keep the process fully automated.
- Define and implement the integration of the various system components, particularly: Mechanical and functional integration of the nozzle subsystem to the robot subsystem, mechanical and functional integration of position and trajectory sensors in the robotic system, mechanical and functional integration of ultraviolet curing to the robot system.
- Program advanced robot and nozzle control algorithms for the required electronic printing target (width, spacing, track thickness, etc.)
- Test and adjust the integrated platform using a defined protocol.
About 3DELEPRINT
The project (RTC-2016-5569-7) has been funded by the MINISTRY OF ECONOMY, INDUSTRY AND COMPETITIVENESS and the European Union, within the framework of the Retos-Colaboración call of the State Research, Development and Innovation Program Oriented to the Challenges of Society, as part of the State Plan for Scientific, Technical, and Innovation Research 2013-2016, with the main goal of promoting technological development, innovation, and quality research.
