INDEX

SERIAL NO. TITLE PAGE NO. REMARK’S

01 INTRODUCTION 03 - 04
02 3-D PRINTED 05 - 06
ELECTRONICS
03 IMPORTANCE 07 - 08
04 CREATING
05 PRACTICAL 09 - 10
APPLICATION
06 ADVANTAGES 11 - 12
07 FUTURE OF 3-D 13 - 14
PRINTING
08 CONCLUSION 15 - 16
3D Print a Custom Project Box (Without CAD!)
 INTRODUCTION

Speeding up innovation is always easier with the right tools. Additive

manufacturing is already revolutionizing various industries from the
automotive sector to the medical field, can this technology disrupt the
electronic industry?
We will see here that 3D printing gives you the flexibility and the speed you need
when building new hardware and electronic products.
In recent years, the industries and researchers have demonstrated a strong interest in
3D (3-dimensional) printed electronics due to their tremendous potentials to deliver
unique features not attainable by traditional manufacturing methods. This latest
technology is potentially revolutionary, and the upcoming research trend is inclining
towards 3D embedded electrical devices, 3D conformal electronics, flexible 3D
printed electronics and stretchable 3D printed electronics applications. A deep
understanding of the advanced functional materials for the fabrication of 3D printing
electronic devices is also important since there are so many different types of
inks that exist.
 WHAT ARE 3D-PRINTED
ELECTRONICS?

Printed electronics and 3D printing form a powerful combination

 WHAT ARE 3D-PRINTED
ELECTRONICS?

 3D-printed electronics are electronic components manufactured using an additive

process via a printer. However, the term “3D-printed electronics” can be easily
misunderstood, as some may see 2D-printed electronics as not being 3D-printed.
 The truth is that most (if not all) 2D-printed electronics are 3D, and this comes down to
the need for multiple layers placed on top of each other. The same applies to transistors
on semiconductors; while transistors are considered 2D, they are, in fact, 3D structures
that require additive and subtractive processes to build up (such as the gate, source, and
insulation layers).
 To date, most printed electronics have little practical application and are seldom used in
the real world. This is because traditional electronics are easier, cheaper, and more
reliable to manufacture. However, there is a significant amount of research being done
to try and create practical devices. Researchers have already created resistors, capacitors,
diodes, and transistors using 3D-printing methods, and while there are many different
materials used, they are generally based either on graphene or an organic polymer.
 Graphene provides researchers with the ability to create narrow gates and channels
while also enabling doping (critical for changing the conduction of graphene). Organic
polymers can be easily dispensed in solution form (thus making it ideal for inkjet
printers) as well as provide flexibility.
 WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF 3-
D PRINTED ELECTRONICS ?

3D printing with ABS plastic (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

 WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF 3-
D PRINTED ELECTRONICS ?

 Of all the major innovations to reshape industry over the past few years,
one of the most important has been 3D printing.
 3D printing provides a valuable alternative to conventional, subtractive
manufacturing techniques.
 The approach, which is typically much faster and easier to retool than
conventional manufacturing setups.
 It’s used in a variety of ways across manufacturing, including for rapid
prototyping and small-batch manufacturing.
 We can create many things now like 3D printed electronics and 3D printed
prosthetics and more.
 Recent innovations in 3D printing tech, however, mean that it’s becoming
easier and easier to print more advanced components with the right printer
— including circuit boards and complex electronics.
 Now, the new technology may be on track to revolutionize the industry
and reshape how electronics get made.
HOW TO CREATE 3D PRINTED
ELECTRONICS?

 Most modern approaches to creating printed circuit

boards, integrated circuits, chips and similar electronic
components are subtractive in nature. With a printed
circuit board, using a combination of techniques and
following a master pattern, the manufacturer strips or
etches material away from the surface of the board or
circuit. This approach often requires serious investment in
both machinery, materials and reagents— like copper-
etching solvent — and can generate significant waste. 3D
printing, as an additive approach to manufacturing,
typically creates less waste — because you’re adding
material as needed. The alternative is starting with more
than you need and cutting away. Then less material tends
to end up unused. The approach is also often more cost-
effective when manufacturing at a smaller scale.3D
printing in the electronics industry emerged from 2D
printing of circuit boards using techniques like inkjet and
aerosol jetting. These techniques apply electronic ink to a
prepared substrate, allowing manufacturers to quickly
fabricate devices and components ranging from
transistors to complete solar panels. By layering these
2D-printed components, it’s possible to create more and
more complex devices.
CREATING ELECTRONIC DEVICES
WITH 3D PRINTING

 It’s also possible to 3D print electronic devices from scratch

by carefully alternating filament types and adding in
components during the printing process to fully encase
electronics in a device. This approach to creating structural
electronics is similar to the process for most 3D printing. A
manufacturer begins by loading the material that the printer
will use for printing, also called the filament. Then, following
a digital model of the object that it will print, the 3D printer
slowly deposits the material in layers. It will stop as needed for
the manufacturing team to swap out materials— or, in the case
of electronics manufacturing, embed pre-manufactured
components.Through the use of recent additive manufacturing
innovations — like new, specialized printing filament that can
act as electronic wiring — the 3D surfaces of printed devices
themselves can also be functionalized. This enables
manufacturers to take full advantage of the material that
would typically only be used to support or encase electronic
components. A recent case also allowed researchers to 3D
print copper solderable circuits. They can create printed rigid
or flexible printed circuit boards with up to four layers. In
another example, researchers at MIT opened new possibilities
for printing electronics when they used a 3D printer to
integrate breadboards directly onto physical products for
enhanced prototyping. The breadboards are flat platforms
with holes drilled into their surfaces. Electronics engineers can
then put electronic components into the holes while choosing
various desired arrangements. The results can help them
determine optimal board layouts.
PRACTICALAPPLICATIONS FOR
3D-PRINTED ELECTRONICS
PRACTICALAPPLICATIONS FOR
3D-PRINTED ELECTRONICS

3D Printing for Model Engineers

 PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR
3D-PRINTED ELECTRONICS

To understand what applications 3D-printed electronics would provide, we first need to recognize their
advantages:
 Enable fast prototyping of circuits• Enable complete customization of the final design• Potentially allow
for designs to be stacked (i.e., creating active parts in all dimensions)
 Remove the need for highly complex processes. Potentially fully recyclable The first potential application
for 3D-printed electronics is the ability to create custom designs in remote locations. For example, 3D
printers could be key to future space missions that aim to colonize extraterrestrial bodies such as Mars
and the moon. Such systems would enable colonizers to create their own electronic products without the
need to rely on Earth to produce ICs and other components.
 The ability to rapidly create designs may make 3D-printed electronics ideal for emergency repairs and
replacements. For example, naval vessels and military base camps may utilize 3D printer systems for
replacing and repairing defects in key equipment. As military environments can be both hostile and
difficult to reach, the ability to send in replacement parts may be compromised; thus, any military
installation or platform equipped with 3D printers could have an advantage over hostile environments.As
technology advances, older electronic components that are no longer in widespread use are discontinued
by their manufacturers. While this does not affect modern designs, aging systems that are still needed
(such as power plants and critical infrastructure) can be vulnerable to the discontinuation of components.
 The use of 3D-printed electronics could allow the printing of such parts, thereby ensuring that aging
systems can continue their operation while alternatives are sourced.One major potential that printed
electronics has is the ability to combine with typical 3D printers. A multi-nozzle design could
simultaneously print structural plastic and components at the same time, essentially allowing for an entire
design to be built in a single step.
 Electronics could be easily integrated into any part of a 3D-printed structure, including components and
wires, creating designs that are currently too difficult to manufacture. This could also lead to the
possibility of printing components vertically on walls and allowing engineers to utilize all three dimensions
instead of just two on a PCB.
KEYBENEFITS OF 3D PRINTED
ELECTRONICS
 KEY BENEFITS OF 3D PRINTED
ELECTRONICS

These 3D printing approaches offer a few key benefits for manufacturers that adopt them. Here
are some of them:
 Better Agility As in other industries, additive manufacturing will primarily help to enable more
agile manufacturing, and provide manufacturers with an approach better-suited to on-demand
and small batch fabrication.
 Improved Efficiency at Better Prices In general, 3D printing can do a lot to speed up the
manufacturing process and make it much, much cheaper.
 3D printing also tends to be much more cost-effective than conventional manufacturing
techniques at smaller scales. This makes small-batch runs of a particular device or product
much more affordable than it would be with subtractive manufacturing. With a lower per-unit
manufacturing cost, you won’t have to produce and sell as many devices to make the
manufacturing process worth it More Customization Capabilities The low cost of
manufacturing means that customization may also be more cost-effective.
 With some devices, like medical electronics, it’s often not practical to manufacture a device
for each patient, even if it would make the device more effective.
 3D- printing can help manufacturers offer customized items like these to customers. It also
may make specialty medical devices more affordable.
 Enhanced Sustainability The 3D printing process can also make manufacturing more
sustainable overall. In one instance, researchers developed a way to make Internet of Things
(Iot) sensors with a 3D printer using a substance derived from wood cellulose. The primary
benefit is that end users could dispose of the sensors without contributing to environmental
contamination.
WHATABOUT THE FUTURE OF 3D
PRINTING IN THE ELECTRONICS
INDUSTRY?
 WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF 3D
PRINTING IN THE ELECTRONICS
INDUSTRY?

What if in a few years, we could be able to create fully-functional smartphones or

multi-material products using additive manufacturing?
If these ideas are still dreams today, the innovations related to conductive 3D printing and
electronic devices are now showing new opportunities. It might be time to rethink the way we
conceive enclosures, circuit boards, and electronic components. From your prototyping process
to the production and the management of your supply-chain, additive manufacturing could help
you go through new challenges. As you can see additive manufacturing has a lot to offer for
electronics. It could become quite common to 3D print electrical elements. If you have an
electronic project, but you don’t know what software you could use to start it: here is our selection
of the best CAD software for electronics. Then, don’t hesitate to try out our online 3D printing
service. You will just have to upload your 3D file, we will take care of it and send you your 3D
printed objects in a few days. In the future, an even wider range of applications of 3D printing
tech may be possible. For example, one of the more unique possibilities of 3D printing tech is in
stretchable electronics, which may be on track to disrupt the growing wearable's industry. With
stretchable electronics, it’s possible to print electronic devices — like sensors and circuits — that
can be stretched or compressed without being damaged. These could act as an alternative to
mass-produced wearable devices, which can often fail to conform to the particular physiology of
a consumer or patient — making the wearable uncomfortable or hard to wear. With affordable
3D printing tech, it may be possible to print new wearable devices on-demand that are tailor-fit to
a particular patient’s body, helping to ensure maximum comfort and ease of use.
High-Resolution 3D Printing for Electronics
 CONCLUSION

 3D-printed electronics are still in their infancy, but there is no doubt that
what researchers have been developing is anything less than exciting.
However, it is unlikely for such technology to begin replacing electronics
commercially for the next decade or two.
 It is more likely that 3D-printed electronics will be used in niche
applications such as printed antennas in smartphones or RFID tags on
products, as these applications are far less demanding than processors or
memory.
 3D printing, like modeling or three dimensional scanning, is a creation tool
among other things, but what most distinguishes it is its potential to create
an almost unlimited number of shapes. As with every tool, you need to
master it, to take advantage of its abilities, but also know its limits.
Prototyping is not the ultimate solution for every manufacturing need.
Techniques that are hundreds, or even thousands, of years old such as
casting, machining, and blowing, will still stay in our industrial landscape for
a long time.
 Credits
PPT made by : Vishesh and Sweta

Text browsing and filtering: Shahzeb

(contributor : Sundaram for providing
information and Yash for appropriate
advice )

Images : Shruti and Sweta