Direct metal printing of 3D electrical circuit using rapid prototyping

Rapid prototyping (RP) is a direct-writing technology that offers several advantages over subtractive manufacturing processing, including low material consumption and easy customizability. Recently, this technique has been studied not only manufacture production parts but also electronic manufacturing applications. In this research, the design and manufacture of printed circuits using RP printing of lead-based alloy having low melting temperature were performed. The bonding strength was measured by strength test. Average bonding strength between solder and universal printed circuit board (PCB) was 69.5 kPa. A simple electrical circuit with five crossing points was constructed to reduce the size of the circuit. In the crossing points, polycaprolactone (PCL) was deposited between top and bottom interconnects to insulate the printed line. Through this process, the size of the circuit board can be reduced about 34% and the number of processing steps was decreased.