Rapid prototyping of 3D electronics using direct ink writing and 6-axis robots

Over the last decade the integration of printed electronic boards and conductive paths on the surface of 3D structural parts triggered an ever-increasing interest and new manufacturing processes such as Lased Direct Structuring (LDS) and 2-shots molding (2SM) have been developed. More recently, direct ink writing using poly-articulated robots has been proposed as an alternative process to overcome the intrinsic limitations of LDS and 2SM (i.e. the use of specific materials and processes for both substrate and circuits) since it unlocks the combined use of commercial electronic inks, conventional digital printing technologies and generic 3D plastic substrates. The aim of this presentation is to provide an overview of a rapid prototyping process recently developed in our Lab using piezo jetting and a 6-axis robot with a specific focus on the control of the printhead motion and the printing accuracy of conductive paths.