Scientists develop a novel and surprisingly simple method to print 3D structures made of metal and plastic, paving the way for 3D electronics
Scientists develop a novel and surprisingly simple method to print 3D structures made of metal and plastic, paving the way for 3D electronics
Current 3D printers employ either plastic or metal only, and the conventional method to coat 3D plastic structures with metal is not environment-friendly and yields poor results. Now, scientists from Waseda University, Japan, have developed a metal–plastic hybrid 3D printing technique that produces plastic structures with a highly adhesive metal coating on desired areas. This approach extends the use of 3D printers to 3D electronics for future robotics and Internet-of-Things applications.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has evolved tremendously over the last decade to the point where it is now viable for mass production in industrial settings. Also known as “additive manufacturing,” 3D printing allows one to create arbitrarily complex 3D objects directly from their raw materials. In fused filament fabrication, the most popular 3D printing process, a plastic or metal is melted and extruded through a small nozzle by a printer head and then immediately solidifies and fuses with the rest of the piece. However, because the melting points of plastics and metals are very different, this technology has been limited to creating objects of either metal or plastic only—until now.
In a recent study published in Additive Manufacturing, scientists from Waseda University, Japan, developed a new hybrid technique that can produce 3D objects made of both metal and plastic. Professor Shinjiro Umezu, who led the study, explains their motivation: “Even though 3D printers let us create 3D structures from metal and plastic, most of the objects we see around us are a combination of both, including electronic devices. Thus, we thought we’d be able to expand the applications of conventional 3D printers if we managed to use them to create 3D objects made of both metal and plastic.”
Their method is actually a major improvement over the conventional metallization process used to coat 3D plastic structures with metal. In the conventional approach, the plastic object is 3D-printed and then submerged in a solution containing palladium (Pd), which adheres to the object’s surface. Afterwards, the piece is submerged in an electroless plating bath that, using the deposited Pd as a catalyst, causes dissolved metal ions to stick to the object. While technically sound, the conventional approach produces a metallic coating that is non-uniform and adheres poorly to the plastic structure.
In contrast, in the new hybrid method, a printer with a dual nozzle is used; one nozzle extrudes standard melted plastic (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS) whereas the other extrudes ABS loaded with PdCl2. By selectively printing layers using one nozzle or the other, specific areas of the 3D object are loaded with Pd. Then, through electroless plating, one finally obtains a plastic structure with a metallic coating over selected areas only.
The scientists found the adhesion of the metal coating to be much higher when using their approach. What’s more, because Pd is loaded in the raw material, their technique does not require any type of roughening or etching of the ABS structure to promote the deposition of the catalyst, unlike the conventional method. This is especially important when considering that these extra steps cause damage not only to the 3D object itself, but to the environment as well, owing to the use of toxic chemicals like chromic acid. Lastly, their approach is entirely compatible with existing fused filament fabrication 3D printers.
Umezu believes that metal–plastic hybrid 3D printing could become very relevant in the near future considering its potential use in 3D electronics, which is the focus of upcoming Internet-of-Things and artificial intelligence applications. In this regard, he adds: “Our hybrid 3D printing method has opened up the possibility of fabricating 3D electronics so that devices and robots used in healthcare and nursing care could become significantly better than what we have today.”
This study hopefully paves the way for hybrid 3D printing technology that will enable us to get the best of both worlds—metal and plastic combined.
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Hybrid 3D printing technology
- Top 5 Videos: The Czinger 21C and Other Pioneering Supercars
Discover this week's 3D printing highlights - the Czinger 21C, a 3D printed band saw, 3D printing technology in housing, and more.
- Boston Micro Fabrication launches hybrid micro-precision 3D printer series
Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF) is launching the hybrid printing solutions for micro-scale and ultra high-resolution applications.
- Boston Micro Fabrication Unveils Hybrid Resolution Micro 3D Printer
Boston Micro Fabrication introduced something quite unique: a hybrid resolution micro 3D printer. A new research paper explores the concept of 3D printing using UAVs. Creality announced another new 3D ...
- BMF launches dual-resolution microArch D1025 3D printer at TCT Asia
Boston Micro Fabrication has launched a line of hybrid 3D printing solutions for micro-scale and ultra-high resolution applications, introducing the microArch D1025 at TCT Asia 2024.
- Hong Kong Productivity Council: HKPC and HP Inc. Launch Joint Technology Centre in Hong Kong on Advanced 3D Printing
Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and HP signed a collaboration agreement (agreement) today to establish the HKPC-HP 3D Printing Technology Centre (Centre) ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Hybrid 3D printing technology
[google_news title=”” keyword=”hybrid 3D printing technology” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
3D electronics
- Breaking Boundaries: SUNLU Unveils Diverse 3D Printing Material Innovations at TCT Asia 2024
ZHONGSHAN, China, May 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From May 7th to May 9th, 2024, TCT ASIA 2024 was held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. As a global summit for 3D printing ...
- IDTechEx Explores Printed Electronics in Electrified and Autonomous Mobility
IDTechEx identifies printed heating as a leading application of transparent conductive films. This is attributed to diminishing growth prospects in capacitive touch sensing applications. Innovations ...
- 2D all-organic perovskites: potential use in 2D electronics
Perovskites are among the most researched topics in materials science. Recently, a research team has solved an age-old challenge to synthesize all-organic two-dimensional perovskites, extending the ...
- PolyU researchers create 2D all-organic perovskites and demonstrate potential use in 2D electronics
which finds applications in electronics and capacitors, can be precisely engineered. Traditionally, researchers face challenges in the synthesis of all-organic 3D perovskites due to the restricted ...
- UCIe And Automotive Electronics: Pioneering The Chiplet Revolution
The automotive industry stands at the brink of a profound transformation fueled by the relentless march of technological innovation. Gone are the days of the traditional, one-size-fits-all ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
3D electronics
[google_news title=”” keyword=”3D electronics” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]