3D Printing

Sohail Iqbal

ABSTRACT In new product development, time to market (TTM) is critical for the success and profitability of next generation products.
When these products include sophisticated electronics encased in 3D packaging with complex geometries and intricate detail, TTM can be
compromisedresulting in lost opportunity. The use of advanced 3D printing technology enhanced with component placement and
electrical interconnect deposition can provide electronic prototypes that now can be rapidly fabricated in comparable time frames as
traditional 2D bread-boarded prototypes; however, these 3D prototypes include the advantage of being embedded within more appropriate
shapes in order to authentically prototype products earlier in the development cycle. The fabrication freedom offered by 3D printing
techniques, such as stereo lithography and fused deposition modeling have recently been explored in the context of 3D electronics
integration referred to as 3D structural electronics or 3D printed electronics. Enhanced 3D printing may eventually be employed to
manufacture end-use parts and thus offer unit-level customization with local manufacturing; however, until the materials and dimensional
accuracies improve (an eventuality), 3D printing technologies can be employed to reduce development times by providing advanced
geometrically appropriate electronic prototypes. This paper describes the development process used to design a novelty six-sided gaming
die. The die includes a microprocessor and accelerometer, which together detect motion and upon halting, identify the top surface through
gravity and illuminate light-emitting diodes for a striking effect. By applying 3D printing of structural electronics to expedite prototyping,
the development cycle was reduced from weeks to hours.

INDEX TERMS 3D printed electronics, additive manufacturing, direct-print, electronic gaming die, hybrid manufacturing, rapid
prototyping, structural electronics, three-dimensional electronics.

I. INTRODUCTION features sizes, the technology until recently has remained best
A new product typically undergoes several transformations suited for manufacturing prototypes for conceptual modeling
before becoming available for sale to the general public. A relegated to only satisfying the need for evaluation of form
new device idea is initially prototyped in order to evaluate the and fit of the device casing or structural features.
fit and finish of the final part as well as to optimize the Until now, no option has existed for validation of both
fabrication process to identify difficulties in manufacture. form and functionality simultaneously where functionality
These steps can be time-consuming and expensive, creating includes electronics, energy sources, sensors and displays
a significant obstacle for new product introductions all of which require additional lead times for bread-boarding,
especially for startups that may not have the appropriate, debugging and integration. This paper describes a project
usually expensive, machining equipment required for showcasing an enhanced 3D printing technology that
prototyping. dramatically reduced the full design cycle of an example
Additive Manufacturing (AM) was introduced in the late electronic device: a novelty six-sided gaming die. The
1980s in order to rapidly prototype structures and allow process - from concept, through prototyping, to the final
manufacturers to circumvent the lengthy process of manufactured part is described noting the significant
traditional prototyping by providing either a scaled-down or advantages of employing AM. In this example, form, fit,
full-scale mechanical replica of the designed product. These aesthetics and functionality were explored by 3D printing
devices were typically only conceptual models due to several versions of electronic devices as rapid, high-fidelity
limitations of the AM technologies in which compromises prototypes prior to committing to traditional production. The
were made in terms of material choices, surface finish and eventual goal, is for 3D printing to become the preferred
dimensional accuracies. For instance, stereo lithography (SL) manufacturing method for industries where the use of AM
provided high-accuracy and superior surface finish but with structures provides a real advantage, such as in the production
photo-curable materials that suffer from poor mechanical of novelty toys, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), satellites,
strength or durability and degrade or discolor with prolonged and other low volume high value applications.
UV exposure, or alternatively, with fused deposition
modeling (FDM) which offers robust thermoplastic materials II. PREVIOUS WORK
but at the expense of reduced spatial resolution and AM techniques, since inception, have been extensively used
anisotropic mechanical strength with a loss of performance in for successful rapid prototyping of mechanical structures.
the build direction. While AM technology continues to These technologies were exceptionally well suited for the
advance in terms of material properties and minimum fabrication of complex geometries, which allowed designers
to verify the fit and form of a product within a few hours of multiple layers of components and interconnect was now
completing the CAD design [1]. However due to the possible. An example included a functional circuit with a
limitations resulting from the distinct material requirements 555-timer oscillator and thermistor in order to illuminate a
for AM processing, the designer was unable to fabricate the Light-emitting diode (LED) at a rate based on the measured
prototype in the material required for the end-use final temperature [22].
product [2]. AM has also been used to improve TTM through In 2007 [23] utilized a tabletop AM system - the
rapid tooling in which molds could be fabricated more Fab@Home - to create simple, yet functional circuits.
quickly and then subsequently used in a traditional Utilizing a conductive silicone to form the electrical
manufacturing process [3] in this case, proving vital in cost interconnects, a 555 flashing circuit in both two and three
and time-savings for the development process. Further, AM dimensions, a flashlight and a toy character with eyes that
technologies have also been used to produce end-use parts in illuminated upon pressing the belly were fabricated. Printing
low volumes through rapid manufacturing techniques that vertical interconnects was identified as a challenge. A similar
proved to be economic because there was no need for tooling LM555 timer circuit was independently demonstrated by [24]
and logistics costs were decreased [4]. However, in the on a polythermide substrate using a different process called
context of prototyping electronic circuits, which are laser direct write (LDW) in which a laser was used for
increasingly encased in 3D forms, rapid prototyping only micromachining (subtractive) as well as controlling the
provided fit and form verification of the housing. In order to amount of conductive material transferred to the substrate
verify functionality, a separate bread boarding activity was (additive). In other work, the Direct Write approach was
required that did not integrate the verification of form with integrated with Ultrasonic Consolidation (UC) technology
function two separate activities. and FDM to fabricate embedded electronic components
Recently, these deficiencies have begun to be addressed within solid metal structures. The process required
through enhanced 3D printing, such as SL or FDM, in subtractive technologies to carve out a cavity to house the
combination with both conductor embedding and robotic electronic components, the deposition of a layer of thermoset
pick-andplace. The AM technology can fabricate a dielectric insulator to prevent the base metal from shorting the circuit,
substrate in any arbitrary form, while either micro-dispensing and the careful application of ultrasonic energy to prevent the
or wire embedding can be used to deposit electrical horn from damaging the electronic components, but was
interconnects through the precise printing of conductive inks ultimately successful in building a functional circuit in a
or wires to realize traces between components. With this metal protective housing [25]. In order for any of these hybrid
integrated manufacturing capability along with the insertion systems to become functionalized, significant work is
of electronic components (i.e. chips, passives, batteries, necessary in terms of process planning [26] and material
antennas, sensors, etc.) fully functional 3D structural development [27]. All of these collective efforts have led to
electronic devices can be achieved [5][13]. the fabrication of ever more intricate devices up to and
The seminal concept of printing multi-functionality can be including the research presented in this paper - possibly the
traced back at least two decades to the experiments described most complicated example of 3D printed electronics. Each
in [14], where a two-part polyurethane foam was cast to form serves as a testament to the importance and interest in the
a preferred packaging for existing electronic components. capability to in-situ embed electronics and electrical
This process was patented in 1994 [15] and in 1996 with interconnect within AM structures during fabrication for - at
funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects a minimum - prototyping purposes as described in this paper,
Agency (DARPA) and demonstrated the repackaging of the but eventually for the manufacturing of final, end-use, high-
components of a personal computer for divers into a case value, customized 3D products.
conformal to the leg of a diver and waterproof to 100 feet
[16]. Subsequently, the research led to the creation of III. 3D PRINTED ELECTRONICS PROTOTYPING
improved algorithms for optimization of these integrated Though typical methodologies like clay models, one-off
processes [17]. samples handmade by skilled craftsmen, and more recently
In 2004, [18][20] developed a dual process that included AM technologies have largely addressed the need for
the high accuracy capabilities of SL with the material prototypes, these types of parts have been exclusively made
dispensing capabilities and precision of Direct Write to test appearance and fit of the completed part. When the
technologies to deposit silver loaded inks, which provided the device
electrical interconnects between components to enable true includedsophisticatedelectronics,thesemethodologiescould
electronic functionality. This methodology was patented in not address the need for prototyping a fully functional part.
2008 [21]. The research was further enhanced with the When required, the traditional procedure to prototype
creation of a custom-built machine that integrated an SL electronics was to implement bread board prototypes and to
system with a dispensing pump to automate the process. accept the inherent delays that come with the normal process
Fabrication of of electronics manufacturing, possibly weeks or even
complex,intricatelydetaileddielectricsubstratescreatedwith months. A newly developed 3D printing process of
VOLUME 2, 2014 235
fabricating structural electronics provides an appealing
alternative. This novel manufacturing, a hybrid of AM
complemented with component placement robotics and
embedding of conductors can create prototypes that can
perform practically the same function within the same form
as the final product although possibly not fulfilling some of
the other end-use characteristics such as reliability, surface
finish, color, or texture. However, in products outside of the
consumer markets, such as in the aerospace or biomedical
industries, reliability may stand as the only significant barrier
between the prototype becoming an end-use final product or
not. Improvements in the area of reliability are inevitable
with substantial research in materials and AM processing
already in progress. Until these end-use requirements can be
fulfilled, the proposed hybrid AM process can fabricate
prototypes that will enable at least a comprehensive
evaluation of the final design, not only for form and
appearance, but also for electronics functionality FIGURE 1. 3D printed signal conditioning circuit.

simultaneously.
The use of existing electronics CAD design software for
A. 3D PRINTED ELECTRONICS CHALLENGES layout and routing of 3D printed electronic devices is possible
Although this new manufacturing technology allows for more when the 3D shape can be represented initially as a flat
complete evaluations with high fidelity prototypes, 2Dsurfaceandthendeformedtoafinalintended3Dshape;
substantial challenges remain. The area of electronics design such cases include a volume that can be represented as an
(e.g. schematic capture, simulation, and physical unfolded outer surface (e.g. six sides of a cube) or a
implementation of printed circuit boards PCBs) includes curved surface that has been wrapped about an axis of
mature, commercially available software packages that allow revolution (curved side of a cylinder). Mechanical CAD
for component placement and routing of wires to create software can later deform 2D circuits generated from
electrical interconnects on a PCB. These programs however, electrical CAD software with curved and folded edges.
operate under the assumption of the workspace being a However, limiting routing to 2D planes foregoes the
predefined, two-dimensional surface for the circuit based on capability of realizing interconnects between layers -
traditional PCB manufacturing. As a result, the component relegating the circuits to simple networks without the use of
placement and routing for 3D printed designs has been done cross-over points. Utilizing more than one surface as well as
manually in 3D space using mechanical engineering CAD connections between multiple surfaces (similar to vias in
software like SolidWorks without the inherent features for PCBs) are necessary to provide complex circuit networks
electronics functionality. This lack of software support has regardless of the underlying deformation geometry.
relegated 3D printing of electronic devices to relatively Fig. 2(a) shows the application of the above-described
simple circuits as routing and placement has been done by methodology for a battery charge protection circuit that can
hand; however, the circuit designs that have been completed be implemented on a 2D surface without cross-over points
have achieved greater utilization of the available volume and thus only required a single surface of interconnect. The
given the fabrication freedom offered by the manufacturing circuit was first placed and routed in electrical CAD software
technology with complex geometries easily fabricated in and subsequently imported into mechanical CAD software to
3D. As an example, Fig. 1 shows a circuit design that utilizes be deformed around a cylinder, which in this example
all available surfaces of a pre-defined volume to accomplish contains a lithium polymer battery. Fig. 2(b) illustrates the
layout of components. The routing has likewise utilized all final representation from both sides. Cavities are formed to
available surfaces as well as the internal volume of the place components and UV curable material is used as
device. The original device was a signal conditioning circuit adhesive to hold the devices in place. Each interconnect trace
the schematic of which was provided by engineers at was designed into the surface with a trench to allow for
NASAs Johnson Space Center as a benchmark circuit in depositing ink without the concern of the conductive inks
order to demonstrate the volumetric efficiencies of 3D spreading and resulting in electrical shorts prior to thermal
printed electronics. The circuit volume was reduced to a curing. With the trenches, the SL process dictates the routing
volume of 0.5 by 0.5 by 0.125 as shown with a density based on the laser resolution rather than the resolution
component and trace density of 27% significantly reduced of the micro-dispensing system or the viscosity of the inks. In
from the original design. this example, line pitches (e.g. center to center minimum
distances) were 560 microns.
 optimization versions, each of which was quickly
implemented, improved and iterated owing to the availability
of the enhanced AM process. A final prototype version was
implemented using traditional manufacturing techniques for
commercial viability analysis and used for cost and
manufacturing time comparison.

1) VERSION 1: NON-RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES

The first prototype was made to test the feasibility of the
concept; the overall design began by defining the functional
requirements. The electronic circuit was developed to
provide
thestatedoperation.Theconstraintsofcost,functionality,and
availability were evaluated in turn. The major priority was
given to the availability of components that would allow for
the fabrication of a dice within normal physical dimensions,
FIGURE 2. A) Battery charging circuit to be deformed and B) both sides of the final
mechanical representation.
(17mm or 19mm per side based on a measured commercial
die), while still providing the desired functionality. After the
circuit was finalized, the number of components increased to
Fig. 3 illustrates a more complex design with a 25 (Table 1) and the layout and routing was implemented
microcontrollerandaccelerometerinsurfacemountpackagingte manually using mechanical CAD software.
chnol-
TABLE 1. List of required components.

For the first version, cost and component availability did

not carry a high priority as the initial devices served as
prototypes, and consequently higher cost was considered
acceptable. Fig. 4 shows the design of the dice constructed
FIGURE 3. Electronic circuit mechanically designed into substrate. from two parts, to allow access to a cavity where two silver
oxide batteries would be placed connected in series. The
ogy that provides fine pin pitch (0.56 mm) and miniaturized
cavities for each of the components were designed into the
footprints. Although the design included circuits on flat 2D
volume of the die itself. The channels, to provide
planes, two additional challenges were present: (1) the planes
interconnects between
were connected with 90 degree connections around the
corners which needed to be physically protected and (2) the
2D circuits required several cross-over points due to the
complexity of the circuit network. These can be seen as
tubular channels that tunnel underneath other traces to avoid
shorting. This base design represents the outer shell of the
gaming dice, which housed the cylindrical battery circuit
shown in Fig. 2.

B. GAMING DIE VERSIONS

The concept to be prototyped in both form and function was
a typical gaming die in terms of size with additional
electronic functionality that provided for (1) the
determination of the die coming to rest after a roll; (2)
detection of final orientation; and (3) flashing of the LEDs on
the top surface. The design underwent three prototype
VOLUME 2, 2014 237
 volume increase allowed for a physical design change, the
introduction of significant rounding of the dice corners

FIGURE 4. Design of prototype version 1.

eachofthecomponents,werelikewisemechanicallybuiltinto
the design of the dice. FIGURE 5. Design of prototype version 2.
This prototype demonstrated the feasibility of the concept
as well as the availability of components sufficiently small to
allow for the desired operation within the target volume. The provide the dice with less inhibited rolling. A power module
first version prototype also revealed shortcomings that would was designed to include a lithium polymer cell and the
be addressed in future iterations of the design: (1) the use of required safety and charging circuits. A cap was used to seal
disposable, replaceable batteries was seen as an undesirable the assembly.
complication. These would be later replaced with Though this iteration was a significant improvement over
rechargeable batteries to avoid requiring a structure that could the previous version, shortcomings were also identified in
be opened repeatedly. (2) The use of individual LED control this device: The need for a custom made charging station,
was also deemed unnecessary. Instead, LEDs for each side which would require additional external components and
could be grouped together for simplicity, allowing for the likewise would introduce further complexity and cost. The
reduction induction charging system was subsequently abandoned.
ofI/Oportsusedonthemicrocontrollerandprovidingsmaller
overall dimensions of the largest chip component. 3) VERSION 3: USING RECHARGEABLE LITHIUM POLYMER
BATTERY WITH A STANDARD USB CHARGING PORT
2) VERSION 2: LITHIUM POLYMER BATTERY WITH A WIRELESS The third prototype stage addressed the shortcoming
CHARGING SYSTEM identified in version 2. The overall design remained largely
The second prototype improved on the shortcomings unchanged; however the induction charging was eliminated
observed on the first iteration and is shown in Fig. 5. In this and replaced with a simple micro USB-b charging port.
version, the LEDs were not individually controlled by a Through this charging port, a simple USB to micro USB-b
corresponding micro-controller I/O port; instead, there were cable can be utilized to directly charge the lithium polymer
up to two groups per face that would flash separately. This battery from any computer USB port. This modification was
modification allowed for a physically smaller intended to improve the appeal from a commercial
microcontroller with a smaller pin count. The disposable perspective, by providing as simple user interface and
batteries were replaced by a lithium polymer cell; meaning reducing the sale price by eliminating the separate charging
that the case could be sealed upon assembly for additional station. The power module cylinder was modified by merging
structural robustness. the power circuit with the sealing cap used in version 2. The
However, the modification also necessitated a safety and a final design, both in CAD and actual fabrication, is shown in
charging circuit inside the device and a special methodology Fig. 6.
to be developed to charge the batteries. An induction charge
system was developed to allow non-contact charging. IV. TRADITIONAL 3D ELECTRONICS
Finally, ease of manufacturability due to conductive trace The design of traditionally manufactured electronics (e.g. cell
spacing was also improved by switching to an overall dice phones, laptops, defense and space systems, etc.) has been
dimension of 19mm per side. Simultaneously, the overall driven towards better volume utilization without abandoning
the flat printed circuit board paradigm. Limited success has
been achieved by layering planar circuit boards and housing; (2) a flexible circuit board designed as a flat
interconnecting the boards through flat ribbon cables or unfolded cube and folded into the cube cavity and (3) the
through battery.
FIGURE 6. Version 3 design. The flex circuit was a cross shape prior to being folded into
the cube was created using layout and routing software. The
final physical implementation is shown in Fig. 7. A handful
connectors which allow one circuit board to be mounted of manual interventions were still required. Any vias
directly onto another with a motherboard/daughterboard connecting the top and bottom layers were manually moved
configuration. The traditional 3D electronics methodology away from the flexing points in the circuit. The LEDs were
can be more accurately described as 2D-layered or 2-1/2 D. manually laid out to match the natural location of the die pips
An alternative approach used in traditional 3D electronics is on each of the six sides of the dice and the remaining
to implement flexible printed circuit boards or flex circuits components were laid out on the opposite side from the LEDs
that allow some freedom to conform to an irregular volume to remain hidden on an internal surface. As required for this
by bending the circuit into the final volume. methodology, the flexible circuit was then sent to an outside
The next step in proposed development process of the vendor for quote and fabrication.
design of the six-sided gaming die was to leverage the work
previously done and to finalize the design using a traditional
flexible circuit approach in order to produce a product with
as low a cost point as possible. This step was necessary to
advance the device into a more high volume, commercially
viable product (for a low-cost novelty toy market, for
example although as will be described later, a higher cost
market, say for a Las Vegas casino to provide gifts to its high
rollers, may exist for the AM-fabricated die because of its
unique touch and feel including the electronics integrated on
the surfaces of the die) including full design consideration for
(1) the final cost of the end-use product, which is paramount
for consumer electronics and (2) product reliability which is
compromised with the use of conductive inks for electrical
FIGURE 7. Automated design for flexible circuit.
interconnect as used in the 3D printed methodology.

B. PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDED 3D CASE

A. FLEXIBLE PCB DESIGN Though the advantages of AM techniques have been
For this final traditionally manufactured version of the smart discussed at length, the current state of development of these
dice, three main components included: (1) a hollow plastic technologies still makes them a costly alternative for mass
cube built from plastic injection molding providing the production. Consequently, a more conventional technique for
VOLUME 2, 2014 239
manufacture of the housing was chosen: a plastic injection presumably result in a less reliable final product [9], [28].
molded case. In order to produce a plastic case, care must be Alternatively, version 4 was fabricated using traditional
taken to address some design constraints particular to this manufacturing, and consequently could be fabricated for
technology. While designing a part to be fabricated through significantly less cost per device better for high volume
injection molding, the parting line, where the two mold production - but with the trade-off of extended lead times due
halves will meet, must be determined so that once solidified, to the required tooling and therefore, would not be well suited
the part will allow the mold halves to separate and the for the development cycle.
completed part to be extracted. Likewise each part must be In order to compare and contrast these differences, it is
designed with a small draft angle to allow proper separation important to note that (1) the research and development of a
from the mold. The draft angle ensures that the solidified fully automated 3D printing system with complete integration
material is released from the mold without distortion or of the component and conductor embedding technology is
damage. Additionally, care must be taken to ensure a smooth currently underway and (2) the work described here included
path for the plastic material to flow through the cavity to form significant amounts of manual intervention. However,
the part; this is achieved by, as much as possible, keeping realistic assumptions can be made and conclusions can be
wall thickness the same throughout the structure and drawn regarding the time required to fabricate a device of
eliminating sharp corners in the design. As the material cools, related complexity to the gaming die using a fully automated,
regions with greater mass typically cool at a slower rate, and integrated 3D printing technique. Furthermore, even with
uneven cooling may cause thermal stress in the part. This different forms of 3D printing possible (e.g. material
stress can result in deformation and other defects and design extrusion versus vat photo polymerization used in this
guidelines were observed in the construction of the final die example), as well as different forms of embedding conductors
housing which would ultimately contain the flex circuit and (ink-jetting, micro-dispensing, embedding of solid wires,
battery. The final design is shown in Fig. 8. etc.), and a wide range of different materials, the assumptions
of fabrication time remain reasonable and can be applied
generally to other enhanced AM technologies. In fact, a new
system based on FDM, which extrudes production-grade
thermoplastics, is the current focus of the research group, and
furthermore, this system avoids conductive inks by
submerging wires directly into the thermoplastic without
disrupting planarization of the substrate to allow for
subsequent continuation of the fabrication. The following
fabrication time analysis would be similar and applicable to
this next generation system as well.
In terms of time from design of part to first part fabrication,
version3(SLfabricatedsubstratewithelectricalcomponents)
required 6 hours for the stereolithography and then 24 hours
to populate the substrate with components and deposit and
cure ink in the channels for a total of 30 hours. Version 4
FIGURE 8. Final version with traditional manufacturing. (plastic injection molded shell with electrical components on
a flex PCB) required a minimum of 120 hours to build, which
V. COMPARISON OF MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES ON TIME resulted from either of two critical paths: (1) the time to order
TO MARKET (TTM) the injection mold and build the molded shell (which could
Of the various prototype fabrication techniques available for possibly be equivalent to the time for the previous example if
the proposed gaming die, two of which have been discussed a 3D printed alternative were available), or, more critically,
at length here: 1) an enhanced 3D printing with the (2) the time to fabricate the flexible printed circuit board and
integration of conductor and component embedding, and 2) populate the board with electrical components. Many
traditional flexible circuit fabrication embedded within a assumptions can be made about the range of time that these
plastic case fabricated with injection molding. It is important two processes can take but a reasonable estimation for either
to note that in this application example, bread boarding the is 5 workdays based on the experience of this project
circuit was not sufficient to test the functionality as the (yielding the minimum 120 hour estimate). For a contract
electronics were required to be rolled (using the six-sided die) company to build and populate a flex circuit would require
to understand the impact of the corresponding settling time that all components were in stock and generally lead times
before the top surface could be illuminated. Versions 1 can be much longer than a week without sufficient upfront
through 3 were fabricated using the SL technique which, planning. Based on this simple analysis, the new
without requiring tooling, allowed for faster turn-around time breadboardingapproachusingSLwithembeddedelectronics,
and were therefore, better suited for prototyping in early stage provided a minimum of 4:1 improvement in time to test the
development. However, the reduced durability of the prototype. This translates into significant time savings in time
conductive inks and photo curable polymers would to market.
 To compare the two existing cases to a hypothetical REFERENCES
automated system, if one were to build the same SL substrate [1] D. Pham and R. Gault, A comparison of rapid prototyping technologies,
Int. J. Mach. Tools Manuf., vol. 38, nos. 1011, pp. 12571287, 1998.
without any of the components, the build time would only be [2] C. Chua, K. Hong, and S. Ho, Rapid tooling technology. Part 1. A
about 6 hours. This provides a base line for an automated comparative study, Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol., vol. 15, no. 8, pp. 604
system, which would require integrating additional 608, 1999.
manufacturing activities for the placement and routing of [3] S. Rahmati and P. Dickens, Rapid tooling analysis of stereolithography
injection mold tooling, Int. J. Mach. Tools Manuf., vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 740
components. The build time would increase by some amount 747, Apr. 2007.
required to integrate the electronics and this time would be [4] M. Ruffo, C. Tuck, and R. Hague, Make or buy analysis for rapid
design dependent where designs with complex substrates manufacturing, Rapid Prototyping J., vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 2329, 2007.
[5] M. Navarrete et al., Integrated layered manufacturing of a novel wireless
and simple electronics (e.g. button and LED in a large
motion sensor system with GPS, in Proc. Solid Freeform Fabrication
structure) would spend a larger fraction of time fabricating Symp., 2007, pp. 575585.
the dielectric, while other designs that had complex [6] R. Olivas, R. Salas, D. Muse, E. MacDonald, and R. Wicker, Structural
electronics and simple substrates would be reversed. If the electronics through additive manufacturing and micro-dispensing, in
Proc. IMAPS Nat. Conf., 2010, pp. 940946.
first case added 25% to the manufacturing time and the [7] A. J. Lopes, E. MacDonald, and R. B. Wicker, Integrating
second case tripled the time (300%), then the time to part stereolithography and direct print technologies for 3D structural electronics
would range from 7.5 hours to 18 hours depending on the fabrication, Rapid Prototyping J., vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 129143, 2012.
design complexity significantly less in either case - than [8] J. A. Palmer et al., Realizing 3D interconnected direct write electronics
within smart stereolithography structures, in Proc. ASME Int. Mech. Eng.
the traditional approach at a minimum of 120 hours. Congr. Exposit., 2005, pp. 287293.
Finally, as an anecdotal comment, the 3D printed version [9] D. Espalin, D. W. Muse, F. Medina, E. MacDonald, and R. B. Wicker,
was overwhelmingly received more favorably than the 3D Printing multi-functionality: Structures with electronics, Int. J. Adv.
Manuf. Technol., Mar. 2014.
traditionally manufactured version possibly due to the
[10] R. B. Wicker and E. W. MacDonald, Multi-material, multitechnology
color, or the surface finish, or the modern appearance of the stereo-lithography, Virtual Phys. Prototyping, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 181194,
electronics flush to the external surface. Without a doubt, 3D 2012.
printing currently has captured the imagination of popular [11] R. B. Wicker, E. MacDonald, F. Medina, D. Espalin, and D. W. Muse,
Extrusion-based additive manufacturing system for 3D structural
culture today ,and consequently,the 3D printed dieversion has electronics, electromagnetic and electro mechanical
a more intangible attractive quality (e.g. je ne sais quoi). components/devices,U.S. Patent 20130170171, Jul. 4, 2013.
[12] R. B. Wicker, F. Medina, E. MacDonald, D. W. Muse, and D. Espalin,
VI. CONCLUSION Methods and systems for embedding filaments in 3D structures, structural
components, and structural electronic, electromagnetic and
This paper describes an enhanced 3D printing technology that electromechanical components/devices, U.S. Patent, 2013.
by printing multifunctional prototypes can dramatically [13] R. B. Wicker, F. Medina, E.
reduce the total time of the design cycle for an electronic MacDonald, D. W. Muse, and
D. Espalin, Methods and systems for connecting inter-layer conductors
device. An example case study is provided of four and components in 3D structures, structural components, and structural
generations of a novelty electronic gaming die. The process, electronic electromagnetic and electromechanical components/devices,
which includes building dielectric substrates using 3D U.S. Patent, 2013.
printing, is enhanced with other complementary [14] J. Beck, F. Prinz, D. Siewiorek, and L. E. Weiss, Manufacturing
mechatronics using thermal spray shape deposition, in Proc. Solid
manufacturing technologies such as conductor embedding Freeform Fabrication Symp., 1992, pp. 272279.
and component pick and place. By interrupting the 3D [15] F. Prinz, L. Weiss, and D. Siewiorek, Electronic packages and smart
printing process and integrating electronics functionality into structures formed by thermal spray deposition, U.S. Patent 5278442, Jan.
11, 1994.
the structure, rapidly-developed, high-fidelity prototypes can
[16] L. Weiss, F. Prinz, G. Neplotnik, K. Padmanabhan, L. Schultz, and R. Merz,
be fabricated in order to capture and evaluate form, fit and Shape deposition manufacturing of wearable computers, in Proc. Solid
functionality simultaneously. Freeform Fabrication Symp., 1996, pp. 3138.
[17] J. Cham, B. Pruitt, M. Cutkosky, M. Binnard, L. Weiss, and G. Neplotnik,
Layered manufacturing with embedded components: Process planning
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
considerations, in Proc. ASME DETC, 1999, pp. 1215.
The research presented here was conducted at The University [18] J. Palmer et al., Rapid prototyping of high density circuitry, in Proc.
of Texas at El Paso within the W. M. Keck Center for 3D Rapid Prototyping Manuf. Conf., 2004.
Innovation (Keck Center). Through funding from the State of [19] A. Lopes, M. Navarrete, F. Medina, J. Palmer, E. MacDonald, and R.
Wicker, Expanding rapid prototyping for electronic systems integration
Texas Emerging Technology Fund, the Keck Center recently of arbitrary form, in Proc. Solid Freeform Fabrication Symp., 2006, pp.
expanded to over 13,000 sq. ft., housing state-of-the-art 112.
facilities and equipment for additive manufacturing [20] M. Navarrete et al., Integrated layered manufacturing of a novel wireless
motion sensor system with GPS, in Proc. Solid Freeform Fabrication
processes, materials, and applications. The authors are
Symp., 2007, pp. 575585.
grateful to Elaine [21] J. Palmer, D. Davis, B. Chavez, P. Gallegos, R. Wicker, and F. Medina,
Maestas,CesarSoto,andLuisBauelosfortheirparticipation Methods and systems for rapid prototyping of high density circuits, U.S.
and contribution. The findings and opinions presented in this Patent 7419630, Sep. 2, 2008.
[22] A. Lopes, M. Navarrete, F. Medina, J. Palmer, E. MacDonald, and R.
paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect Wicker, Expanding rapid prototyping for electronic systems integration
those of the sponsors of this research.
VOLUME 2, 2014 241
 of arbitrary form, in Proc. Solid Freeform Fabrication Symp., 2007, pp.
644655.
[23] D. Periard, E. Malone, and H. Lipson. Printing embedded circuits, in
Proc. Solid Freeform Fabrication Symp., 2007, pp. 503512.
[24] C. Arnold, P. Serra, and A. Piqu, Laser direct-write techniques for
printing of complex materials, MRS Bull., vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 2936, 2007.
[25] E. Siggard, A. Madhusoodanan, B. Stucker, and B. Eames, Structurally
embedded electrical systems using ultrasonic consolidation(UC),in Proc.
Solid Freeform Fabrication Symp., 2006, pp. 114.
[26] H. C. Kim, J. W. Choi, E. MacDonald, and R. Wicker, Slice over lap
detection algorithm for process planning in multiple-material stereo
lithography, Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol., vol. 46, nos. 912, pp. 1161
1170, 2010.
[27] D. Roberson, R. Wicker, L. Murr, K. Church, and E. MacDonald,
Microstructural and process characterization of conductive traces printed
from Ag particulate inks, Materials, vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 963979, 2011.
[28] D. Roberson, R. Wicker, and E. MacDonald, Microstructural
characterization of electrically failed conductive traces printed from Ag
nanoparticles, Mater. Lett., vol. 76, pp. 5154, Jun. 2012.