3D Structural Electronics Via Multi-Directional Robot 3D Printing

Multi-material 3D printing is an innovative technology that sparks a revolution in combined structural 3D printing with different functional materials. However, current multi-material printing systems work alone and cannot take full advantage of each printing, and the limited freedom of existing 3D printers confines diversity of structural designs. Here, a double-arm robotic 3D printing system combined with paste-based direct ink writing (DIW) and filament-based fused filament fabrication (FFF) is reported as a new fabrication solution for customized 3D structural electronics. Collaboration between two robot arms brings about a spontaneous sintering effect of metal nano-particles (minimum resistance = 14.5 ohm per 10 mm) by addition of the following extruded layer through FFF for the fabrication of embedded sensors, which reduces the post-processing steps and saves energy for sintering compared with the conventional parallel multi-material 3D printing processes. The extra freedom of motions from two robot-arm 3D printing enables multi-directional curvilinear printing for 3D structural electronics, such as a double-helix-shaped embedded sensor. In addition, precise robot motion enables the electrical registration and vertical integration of multi-layered printed circuit boards. Establishment of new double-robot 3D printing system expands design freedom and realization of 3D structural electronics.