Augmenting Computer-Aided Design Software With Multi-Functional Capabilities to Automate Multi-Process Additive Manufacturing

The ability to access individual layers of a part as they are being printed has allowed additive manufacturing (AM) researchers to experiment with the in situ placement of components, thereby creating multi-process parts with additional functionality, such as customized printed electronics. As AM has evolved to become an established method for creating end-use parts, this interest in multi-process printing has increased. Although progress has been made in developing multi-process hardware, which can combine AM with other technologies, holistic design software, capable of readily integrating these processes, is developing at a slower rate. In this paper, an integrated software solution capable of supporting multi-process 3D printing from design through manufacture is described, featuring the integration of electronic components and circuits interconnected by copper wires. This solution features automated generation of the cavities that accommodate electronic components as well as toolpath generation for a multi-process 3D printer capable of automated wire embedding. As a case study of the developed technology, a hexagonal 3D printed body, which included a microcontroller, four LEDs, a USB connector, two resistors, and a Zener diode, all interconnected by embedded copper wires, was fabricated within a short cycle time: 5.75 h from design to fabricated part. Short cycle times allow multiple design iterations to be realized and printed within the same day.