In the development process of a product, speed is crucial. Those who achieve a short time to market often have greater market success. For example: it is important to be able to produce prototypes quickly and at relatively low cost or to implement improvement ideas quickly. 3D printing processes guarantee precisely that. In concrete terms, they are ideal for producing individual tools and add-ons quickly and easily, for checking the fit in housings, for visualizing and testing housingprototypes, and also for producing small series.
3D printing can be used to avoid high initial costs in product development and tool making. It accelerates a reliable development process for series production as well as for one-off productions – with out the expensive, classic special tool making. Various 3D printing technologies are available for the many different applications. The most common ones are SLS (selective laser sintering), FDM (fused deposition modelling) and stereo lithography:
Selective Laser Sinteringis a method in which a thermal energy source selectively melts powder particles within the build area, allowing the solid to be manufactured. This process is commonly used for printing functional parts as well as complex cable routing (hollow designs) and low volume part manufacturing.
InFused Deposition Modeling, a filament of solid thermoplastic material is forced through a heated extruder nozzle and melts. The printer then deposits the material over a predetermined path on the building platform. There, the filament cools and hardens into a solid. Common applications for the FDM process include toolmaking, electronic housings, form and fit verification, and tacking and clamping devices.
Flexibility, fast implementation and geometric design freedom are just some of the reasons for the triumphal march of additive manufacturing
Stereolithography is used primarily for the creation of injection-moulded polymer prototypes, for investment casting objects, and in dental technology and hearing aid production. It is a 3D printing manufacturing process in which a light source selectively cures a photopolymer resin in a container.
Rapid prototyping for faster product development
The fastest way from the idea to the first models is via 3D printing. In the electronics industry, new products are now usually developed in an agile manner. This means that after a sprint – a period of around six weeks – the next steps are discussed based on the first prototype. Additive manufacturing of samples is about visualizing and trying out ideas at relatively low cost. 3D printing – especially using the FDM process – allows prototypes to be built quickly. This makes it possible to experience all aspects of a solution in a practical way and to test the results. Rapid prototyping has become indispensable in product development, as it not only accelerates the development process, but also provides insights and security for series production.
Rapid Tooling – additive tool making
Rapid tooling brings several advantages of 3D printing to the table. The aim here is to realize individual tools and attachments quickly and easily. For example, one-off productions can be realized without the need for expensive conventional special tool making, and extremely complex, individual shapes can also be implemented. There are therefore virtually no limits to the areas of application. Possibilities arise, for example, in the final assembly of products: whether holders, clamping devices, templates, material slides or press-fit devices. This is because conventional tool making is not necessary for these production aids. Nor do they always have to be made of metal. It is often worthwhile to print them from a single casting instead of several individual parts that then must be assembled.
More flexibility thanks to rapid manufacturing
When 3D printing is used in series production, it is referred to as additive manufacturing. Thanks to it, completely new technical and economic possibilities arise – for example in customer-specific individualization. Particularly when it comes to small series, additive manufacturing not only ensures a great deal of flexibility, but also cost savings compared to classic processes such as injection moulding. In the electronics industry, it is mostly used to produce housings.
New fields of application in electronics manufacturing
Currently, the application fields of additive manufacturing are developing rapidly. An interesting new example is the production of 3D printed circuit boards. The process is based on the inkjet printing method, in which metals and dielectric polymers are applied simultaneously to a printing plate. Thus, multilayer PCBs (printed circuit boards) including through holes (vias) can be produced. An electrical engineer designing a new PCB for the next product must first figure out how the product will work and what components are needed to make it work. This is done with the help of electronic design automation (EDA) software. This sophisticated design software allows the design to be tested using various simulations before it is sent to the third-party manufacturer.
Electrical engineers can use this new technology to design a physical board, additively manufacture it, and thus ensure that it is correct or otherwise identify errors or opportunities for improvement. This technology opens up the possibility of printing an idea within a day, as no third-party PCB manufacturing is required, which could take several weeks depending on the complexity of the design and availability.
((box)) Additive manufacturing: the advantages at a glance
• Fast and cost-effective realization from the idea to the model
• Faster development process and more reliability for series production
• Extensive application possibilities (rapid prototyping, rapid tooling and additive small-batch production) with all common 3D printing processes
• Customized tools, even for complex geometries
• Significant cost savings compared to classic manufacturing processes for special tools or for small batches.
