If it's possible to 3D print blood vessels, robots, and guns, then why shouldn't you be able to 3D print your own personal electronics? Well, now you can -- in the lab at least.
University of Warwick researchers have developed a conductive plastic composite material that can be used with unmodified, low-cost, hobbyist 3D printers to make functional electronic devices. The devices can even be custom-designed, such as tailoring a game controller to fit the shape of a particular user's hand.
The team, headed by Simon Leigh of the university's School of Engineering, says the inexpensive material, called "carbomorph," makes it possible to print out electronic tracks and sensors as part of a 3D-printed structure.
To date, the researchers have used the material to print objects with embedded flex sensors, such as a mug that can sense how full it is, or those with touch-sensitive buttons, such as a working computer game controller. The results were published in an article in the open-access journal PLOS One.
A conductive thermoplastic can be used with low-cost, hobbyist 3D printers to produce complete, customized electronic devices, such as this computer game controller.
(Source: University of Warwick)
The printer can create touch-sensitive areas in the structure that can be connected to a simple, printed circuit board.
The computer game controller was printed using a Bits from Bytes BFB3000, Leigh told Design News in an email. "It's designed to interface with an Arduino board, then it can be plugged into a PC and used to play any game on your PC," he wrote. "The idea behind it is that you could in theory customize the layout of the controller hardware to your own specification."
Leigh and his team envision the technology being used to 3D print functioning electronic devices, making those devices more individualized. This could, he says, reduce electronic waste by customizing products to make them closer to what users want, and fitting their unique needs. Another application could be embedding sensors in products and monitoring how people use them, so designers could better understand how people tactilely interact with products.
The most immediate, short-term use Leigh envisions is giving the next generation of young engineers the hands-on experience of designing and producing electronic products in the classroom with advanced manufacturing technology like 3D printing. According to Leigh, existing open-source electronics and programming libraries can be used for monitoring the printed sensors.
One of the biggest advantages to 3D printing electronics is the fact that sockets for connecting the devices to equipment, such as interface electronics, could be printed out, rather than using conductive glues or paints. That's the research team's next step: to print more complex structures and electronic components, including the wires and cables that connect the 3D printed devices to computers.
Cadman-LT, I'm just wondering what great innovations and applications will be developed this year for 3D-printers. I had a discussion with my Control Systems class last Friday and explained that manufacturing is slowly coming back and 3D printing is the next evolution in this technology movement. Showed a Makerbot Replicator 2 video to connect the dots. They thought the video was pretty awesome.http://www.makerbot.com/
I guess it's because I just replied to an individual, but I forgot to include the name and what I said seems out of context. Just thinking there might be a better way.
Hey Ann! I was thinking that there might be a better or alternative way for the "reply". I think you should be able to reply to the article or discussion on hand as usual, but I also think that you should be able to reply to someone specifically without having to say it in your response. Just a thought. I think it might make things easier.
I believe that in 20 years, we will be 3D printing organs like the liver, pancreas, etc. I thought robotics would be transformative, and it is in biomechanical medical procedures, but 3D printing is certainly leading the pack.
Good question, Chuck. I, too, had previously heard of conductive plastics used in flex circuits. This is the first time I've seen them combined with 3D printing. 3D printing isn't yet aimed at high volumes, but several efforts are underway to do just that, including this one we wrote about http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1392&doc_id=248401
I'll bet we can look forward to all sorts of electronic hacks in the future with this techology. I can imagine future nerd clubs sharing files (and a 3D electronic printer) that you can interlink to build all sorts of stuff.
Wow, Cabe, you weren't kidding! I remember hearing about MBE a while ago, but didn't realize it was a 3D printing method. Must be insanely expensive. I'd bet a lot of technology has been inspired by Star Trek shows.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
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