3d printers in antennas & electronics · 2015-07-23 · 3d printers—two types...
TRANSCRIPT
The Radio Club of America, Inc.
Technical Symposium
New York, NY
3D Printers in
Antennas &
Electronics
Presentation by
Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems
November 22, 2014
What’s Ahead
• What is 3D printing
• Method Comparisons
• Good and the‘Meh’
• Antennas/Electronics showcase
• Prospects/Lessons Learned
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 2
3D ‘printer’…Familiar?
• 1940: Cavity Magnetron built out of ‘2D’
punched parts for mass production RADAR
• Percy Spencer
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 3
3D—what’s Different
• Layers or ‘lamination’ done from
liquids to solids in real-time
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 4
Key to 3D Printing
• Patterning a flowing raw material in
layers
• Quick phase transition to make
non-flowing solid
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 5
Hoover Dam– 3D printer…
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 6
3D Printers—Two Types
• Stereolithography(1984)— UV laser
cures liquid resin (polymers)or metal
to build up layers of solid via surface
tension
• Fused Deposition(1987)– melted
(liquid) plastic deposited as threads
to build up a solid 3D structure
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 7
3D ‘FDM’ Printing
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 8
Scott Crump’s Cool Invention
• One thread at a Time…
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 9
Maker Processes
• Casting 1
• Vacuform 2
• Injection molding 3
• Additive/stereolithography 4
• Subtractive ( CNC/machining) 5
• Stamping/cutout deformation 6
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 10
Problems
• MOLDS required: 1,2,3,6
• Setup/equipment costs:1,2,3,5,6
• Energy requirements: 1,2,3,5,6
• Toxic/waste byproducts: 1,2,3,4,5,6
• CPU large: 1,5,6
• Poor for Customizing: 1,2,3,5,6
• Reliability: 1,4
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 11
Specs : a Typical 3D Printer
• Price: $2K ($400- $400,000)
• Materials: PLA, ABS (silicone/metals)
• Precision: 5 microns (1-20 microns)
• Sizes: 6 x 6 x 10 in (4 “ to 10 ‘)
• Build times: hour (1 min to days)
• Reliability: MTBF 10 hrs (1 hr-> days)
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 12
3D Plays Best..
• One-offs
• Prototyping
• Complexity of detail
• Moderate-Sized Lot manufacturing
• Customized
• Replacements / simple components
• Real-Time
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 13
Where 3D is ‘Meh’
• Versatility of material choice
• Strength
• Speed of production
• Reliability: Breaks down!
• Resolution/smooth surfaces
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 14
Antennas & Electronics
• Most antennas ARE 3D--accept and
Exploit the Reality
• On-the Fly customization
• Real Time Shot-Gun optimization
• Complex structure
• Simple mechanical parts cheap
• First 3D parts in 2010 November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 15
FOLDED FRACTAL…(why?)
• Example: Fractal Advantage in gain and
bandwidth over conic discone…same base
size (top) same height (Note: copper coated)
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 16
Comparison..
• FRACTAL has better SWR •
• FRACTAL has higher omni gain •
• No harder or easier to print than the
conic….’complexity’ welcome in 3D
printers!
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 17
Data: Gains(top (5 dB))
300-1300MHz SWRs (bottom)
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 18
Antenna Parts(no L’s or C’s!)
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 19
Antenna Mechanicals
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 20
Filter Research
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 21
FRACTAL METAMATERIALS
(Electronics)
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 22
Prospects/Lesson learned
• 3D Printers enabler for boutique
manufacturing, variety of components
• 3D printers lower costs
• 3D printers are unreliable, but some
are cheap enough that backups ok
• 3D printers bring back antenna
experimentation in HARDWARE!
November 22, 2014 Nathan Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems 23