The RAPID 2013 Conference & Exposition Directory - Society of ...

Direct Write Printed Materials & Electronics
10 am–3:25 pm
The technology is advancing beyond research and development.
Hear about applications of additive manufacturing for printed
electronics and other related products.
10–10:25 am
Printed Optics: Interactive Objects
and Devices using Optically Clear
Materials and Embedded Components
Eric Brockmeyer, Lab Associate, Disney Research Pittsburgh
Karl D.D. Willis, PhD, Principal Research Engineer, Autodesk
Additive manufacturing technology allows us to create unique,
personalized products for consumers and experiences for guests
of Disney parks, hotels, and resorts. We believe that the next
generation of these products will enable us to integrate interactive
display, sensing, and illumination elements. Our research using
jetted additive manufacturing explores novel techniques for
creating optical components and a variety of applications.
Our library of optical components includes: optical fiber-like
‘light pipes,’ internal light reflectors using enclosed air pockets,
micro lens arrays, and embedded opto-electronic components.
We used an Objet Connex 260 and have developed techniques
for routing light pipes, building overhanging geometry without
support, and smoothing/finishing optical components while
still in the machine. These techniques are used in a range of
applications to guide light from displays onto arbitrarily shaped
objects, to reflect light in 3D displays and lighting elements, and
to embed opto-electronic components for touch sensing. We
believe additive manufacturing of optical components will enable
unique, personalized interactive objects for consumer products
and experiences of the future.
10:30–10:55 am
Complete Electrical Assemblies Made with
Additive Manufacturing: Medical Applications
Mario Urdaneta, PhD, Staff Scientist/Engineer,
Weinberg Medical Physics
Additive manufacturing typically uses a single material type,
whether it is plastic, metal, or ceramic, to make an entire part.
Rapid prototyping parts that combine different materials (e.g.,
conductors and insulators as in an electrical motor) in a single
process are not yet an option. We have developed methods to
make rapid prototype parts that combine electrical conductors
and insulators for making MRI gradient and RF coils. The parts
include wires, insulation, cooling lines, and supporting structures.
Our primary motivation is rapid prototyping MRI wires (i.e., Litz-like
wires), which must be woven in sophisticated patterns to reduce
proximity and skin-effects that produce losses at high frequencies
and currents (patent pending). Our additive manufacturing
approach will bypass the months-long and nearly-artisanal process
of winding a Litz wire. Using additive manufacturing we can make
wires with very tight turns, leading to coils that take less space
and enable the design of MRIs with non-traditional shapes (e.g.,
dental MRI). We anticipate that eventually additive manufacturing
of conductors and insulating structures will revolutionize the
manufacturing of many electromagnetic components, especially in
high-frequency applications (e.g., hybrid cars).
11–11:25 am
Fabrication and Characterization of 3D Printed
Compliant Tactile Sensors
Jae-Won Choi, Assistant Professor, University of Akron
Morteza Vatani, PhD Candidate, University of Akron
Erik Engeberg, Assistant Professor, University of Akron
Additive manufacturing technology with a direct-write
conductive material is one promising approach to produce
compliant tactile sensors. In this work, a multi-layer compliant
tactile sensor was developed using a hybrid manufacturing
process with an existing projection micro-stereolithography
and micro-dispensing process. The sensor was designed to
detect changes in resistance as it is deformed. A compliant
skin structure was built layer-by-layer using a stretchable
photopolymer in the micro-stereolithography system to cover
the conductive elements. These sensing elements were created
within the skin material by the micro-dispensing of a compliant
conductive material during the micro-stereolithography process.
The fabricated tactile sensor consists of two layers of sensing
elements within the skin structure; there are eight stretchable
straight wires in each layer. The wires in the second layer
were orthogonally placed atop the first layer so that the sensor
can detect various external forces/motions in two dimensions.
To introduce conductivity, carbon nanotubes were dispersed
in the stretchable photopolymer. The fabricated sensor was
6/2013 – RAPID 51