Functionalize Shows You How to 3D Print Your Own Arduino Compatible WiFi-Connected Touchscreen Device

IMTS

Share this Article

3dp_functionalize_logoThe endgame for 3D printing has always been the ability to 3D print complete objects regardless of their complexity. While there are already expensive, industrial 3D printers equipped with high-end robotic systems than can pick and place parts and automatically assemble some simple components, the ability to 3D print assembled, functional electronics and circuit boards is still somewhat elusive. The industry is certainly trying, and it has developed several exotic materials that can be used to 3D print circuit boards, as well as 3D printers that print with multiple or composite materials that can fabricate complex structures. There are several companies that are developing new conductive materials that are bringing us closer than ever.

Functionalize F-Electric conductive 3D printing filament.

Functionalize F-Electric conductive 3D printing filament.

Functionalize was one of the first companies to develop a highly conductive 3D printing filament that they call F-Electric that can be used to 3D print circuits, buttons and power connectors. It is also conductive enough to 3D print a working flashlight with power connectors and a battery pack right inside a plastic print. The material will work on just about any standard desktop 3D printer regardless of nozzle size. F-Electric was originally launched on Kickstarter way back in 2014, however it was unable to secure the funding that Functionalize founder Michael Toutonghi was looking for. The idea for a conductive filament was truly ahead of its time, but it didn’t take long for everyone to catch up and Toutonghi to get his Washington-based company off the ground.

Functionalize has already showed off a wide range of uses for their F-Electric filament, including a working LED mini-flashlight kit and a light-up Christmas-themed spaceship ornament. They’ve also used their F-Electric to help 3D print functional lamps, breadboards and even drones, which are all featured on the Functionalize Blog. And they have just posted their most complex and exciting 3D printing project yet, a working Arduino compatible, WiFi-connected 320×240 color touchscreen device with 3D printed circuits. The device can be used for almost anything, including to automate home functions, a drone or robot controller, as the brains of a WiFi-enabled device or a sensor display for the Internet of Things.

An Arduino compatible, WiFi-connected color touchscreen device made with 3D printed circuits.

An Arduino compatible, WiFi-connected color touchscreen device made with 3D printed circuits.

In comparison to manufacturing your own touchscreen device using traditional materials, the 3D printed version seems surprisingly easy. But don’t let it fool you, despite the ease of 3D printing working circuit boards, this isn’t a project for beginners. However the Functionalize team has including an extremely detailed set of step by step build instructions that are pretty easy to follow. Once the 3D printed components are complete the total assembly time should be about an hour, and the project required no wires and no soldering of any kind. The device only requires about twenty dollars in materials and about six grams of F-Electric conductive filament.

The 3D printed curcuit board before conductive paint.

The 3D printed curcuit board before conductive paint.

“When we first invented F-Electric, we wanted to get the breakthrough into your hands quickly, and enable you to start making amazing things. As we’ve learned through your projects and questions, any new material, while enabling new ways or things to make, also brings with it a new learning curve, especially when dealing with a large variety of 3D printers and ideas. We hope this tutorial will provide you with tools to 3D print the electronics you imagine using F-Electric,” wrote the Functionalize team on their blog post.

Among the small list of parts that are needed for the project is a NodeMCU board V1, a 2.4 inch TFT Touchscreen Module and a small amount of silver conductive paint. While the Functionalize team says that copper conductive paint may work, it isn’t as conductive as the silver paint and anyone looking to make their own device should stay away from carbon paints.

“This project actually started as an internal effort to improve our production through automation. Recently, we decided to build some factory control equipment, and thought ‘what a great opportunity to put F-Electric to the test and maybe make an example in the process’. I started working on this design a little over a week ago, and am now ready to share the first rev of a component we will use along with what new things I’ve learned about 3D printing circuits with F-Electric. I hope you will find this write-up helpful,” the Functionalize team continued.

The 3D printed circuit boards after conductive paint is applied.

The 3D printed circuit boards after conductive paint is applied.

There are two different STL options of the 3D printable circuit boards depending on the types of 3D printing that will be used to 3D print the parts. The first STL file was optimized for a single head 3D printer [link opens download] that will pause the printer to allow a quick change of the insulator filament to the conductive filament. The second STL file was optimized for dual head 3D printers and for slicers that will allow users to assemble multiple STL files into one printable part.

Here is a video demonstration of 3D printing with conduction filament using a single head printer:

I highly recommend that anyone attempting this project have at least a passing familiarity with programming Arduino devices. And don’t worry, you won’t have to hunt drivers or anything down, as the Functionalize team included a full list of downloads on their tutorial. They also included a bunch of 3D printing, assembly and finishing tips and tricks in case anyone building their own touchscreen device runs into any problems. This project is ideal for anyone looking to build a homebrewed connected home or sensor network or for educational purposes in a school setting. You can read the entire tutorial over on the Functionalize blog here. And you can learn more about the Functionalize F-Electric conductive 3D printing filament and purchase a spool here. Discuss in the 3D Printed Arduino Device forum over at 3DPB.com.3dp_functionalize_touchscreen_assembled

Share this Article


Recent News

Will There Be a Desktop Manufacturing Revolution outside of 3D Printing?

Know Your Würth: CEO AJ Strandquist on How Würth Additive Can Change 3D Printing



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

Featured

Pressing Refresh: What CEO Brad Kreger and Velo3D Have Learned About Running a 3D Printing Company

To whatever extent a business is successful thanks to specialization, businesses will nonetheless always be holistic entities. A company isn’t a bunch of compartments that all happen to share the...

Würth Additive Launches Digital Inventory Services Platform Driven by 3D Printing

Last week, at the Additive Manufacturing Users’ Group (AMUG) Conference in Chicago (March 10-14), Würth Additive Group (WAG) launched its new inventory management platform, Digital Inventory Services (DIS). WAG is...

Featured

Hypersonic Heats Up: CEO Joe Laurienti on the Success of Ursa Major’s 3D Printed Engine

“It’s only been about 24 hours now, so I’m still digesting it,” Joe Laurienti said. But even via Zoom, it was easy to notice that the CEO was satisfied. The...

Featured

3D Printing’s Next Generation of Leadership: A Conversation with Additive Minds’ Dr. Gregory Hayes

It’s easy to forget sometimes that social media isn’t reality. So, at the end of 2023, when a burst of doom and gloom started to spread across the Western world’s...