Thermoformable and lightweight dielectric materials for use in 3D additive manufacturing

Novel dielectric materials that are polymer-nanocomposite based are now available for use in additive manufacturing products. Lightweight and thermoformable, the Wave-Pro material is the next generation dielectric material for a variety of different antenna and space applications. Using the Micropen to direct write patterns on thermoformed shapes has opened the door to a wide range of technology options where bare alumina was unable to compete. The direct printing system, Micropen, is a CAD/CAM driven capillary dispensing tool akin to an ultra- precise micro-dispense gun. If a material is flowable and can be loaded into a syringe, the Micropen can print it onto virtually any surface. It’s a non-contact, additive printing technique that dispenses the precise amount of material needed. This makes it beneficial when using novel, expensive or rare inks. The efficient use of materials and the ease of changing them provides product designers with increased prototype control as well as reducing time-to-market. Direct printing is an ideal way to form many different patterns on 2D substrates giving them superior electrical characteristics. However, the capabilities of the Micropen don’t stop at 2D substrates. Printers have been designed with 5-axis of movement. This allows many different medical device form factors to be printed such as thin, flexible, irregular, and highly three-dimensional shapes. This talk will provide an overview of the Micropen additive dispense integration of the new Wave-Pro material set and custom CMI formulated ink system.