Photo Gallery: Gallery: 3D-printed part roundup

Leland Teschler May 5, 2014

Electrostatic speakers from a 3D printer

Researchers at Disney Research in Pittsburgh devised electrostatic speakers that can take any shape -- so far, they've built speakers in the form of a spiral and even a rubber duck. The speakers reproduce both audible and ultrasonic sound so the speakers themselves can be tracked as they move around in space using common microphones as you might find in laptops. The electrostatic speakers are simpler than common electromagnetic speakers, consisting of thin conductive diaphragms and an electrode plate separated by insulating material, e.g., air. The audio signal is amplified to ~1 kV and applied to the electrode, while the diaphragm is at ground. Electrostatic attraction force develops between the electrode and diaphragm. (Earlier electrostatic speakers connected the high-voltage signal to the diaphragm, not good when speakers are embedded in toys and objects that can be touched.) In one case, researchers printed a speaker in the shape of a duck where the entire 3D printed duck toy is wrapped in a compliant diaphragm, creating one single sound-emitting surface. Researchers used a printer (Objet Eden260V) that couldn't print conductive material, so they simply sprayed on a nickel-based conductive layer. The conductive layer painted on the body of the toy becomes an inner electrode layer. The sound-producing diaphragm is 3D printed and painted with conductive paint as well, then coated with a silicone spray to form an insulator.
3D printing goes on a production line

To automate the process of applying printed electronics to components with flat and three-dimensional surfaces, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials in Germany have set up a robot-assisted production line that combines different printing methods. It includes modules for silk-screen, inkjet, dispenser, and aerosol-jet printing. Aerosol-jet printing, for instance, lets the researchers deposit extremely fine structures with a width of only 10 micrometers. The conductive ink is transformed into an aerosol using compressed air (pneumatic spraying), and then fed to the print head through a fine tube. The print head focuses the aerosol jet on the surface of the substrate, which needn't be flat or smooth. It is also possible to vary the thickness of the printed features and create multilayer structures. The system is capable of printing on substrates up to the size of an A3 sheet of paper and can process components with a height of several centimeters. The inks employed by the IFAM specialists include metals, ceramics, electrically conductive polymers, and even biomaterials such as proteins and enzymes. Depending on the application, these media get deposited on substrates made of glass, textiles, metals, ceramic plates, and many other materials.
A 3D printer for conductors and capacitive pads

Rabbit Proto makes plugins that integrate into your 3D printer so it can print conductive traces within 3D designs. So equipped, a 3D printer can print interactive prototypes with capacitive and conductive features. The project source code, documentation, and example designs are open source and available on GitHub. The $350 Pure Rabbit option plugs into a 3D printer's existing plastic extrusion system. It includes a syringe extruder for 3D printing conductive ink. It comes with a gauge 15 (1.371 mm) nozzle. The $450 Super Rabbit option includes a filament extruder (1.75 mm) and a syringe extruder. It replaces the current extrusion system on your 3D Printer. It is compatible with 1.75-mm ABS, PLA, Nylon, etc. Its max temperature is 260C. The firm also offers a full 3D printer. All options use bare conductive ink. Developers say they have done tests with silver-filled silicone RTV, which gives good conductivity but also is much more expensive.
A 3D printer that sews up soft objects

A new type of 3D printer devised by researchers at Disney Research in Pittsburgh fabricates three-dimensional objects from soft fibers (wool and wool blend yarn). The resulting objects follow the geometric forms specified in the solid models but are soft and flexible – somewhat reminiscent of hand-knitted materials. The printer itself looks a little like a weird sewing machine. It uses needle felting where a barbed needle repeatedly passes through a body of fibers. But the form is still that of repeated thin layers just as with ordinary 3D printing. The felting print head the researchers devised gets powered by a step motor. The print head drives a felting needle up and down through the incoming yarn and into a base of previously printed fibers. The printer bed is felting foam which absorbs needle punches. A sheet of manufactured felt serves as a starter for the first printed layer.

3D printing is being applied to far more than the traditional areas where parts are made of polymers or powder metal. Recent examples of 3D-printed parts include electrostatic loudspeakers, objects knit from yarn, sensors, and printed electronic components.

Discuss this Gallery 2

T. Blohm (not verified)

on May 7, 2014

All that is here is this - 3D printing is being applied to far more than the traditional areas where parts are made of polymers or powder metal. Recent examples of 3D-printed parts include electrostatic loudspeakers, objects knit from yarn, sensors, and printed electronic components.

Anything else?

Elisabeth.Eitel

on May 12, 2014

Hi Blohm. Yes, there's much more. If you want to dig a little deeper on the ideas presented in this photo gallery, please navigate over to http://machinedesign.com/technologies/3d-printing for the full lineup of full-length features on the topic. Thanks for reading and keep the feedback coming.

Gallery: 3D-printed part roundup

Electrostatic speakers from a 3D printer

3D printing goes on a production line

A 3D printer for conductors and capacitive pads

A 3D printer that sews up soft objects

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Gallery: 3D-printed part roundup

Electrostatic speakers from a 3D printer

3D printing goes on a production line

A 3D printer for conductors and capacitive pads

A 3D printer that sews up soft objects

Related Media

Discuss this Gallery 2

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Penton Corporate

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