In a paper entitled “Characterization of resistors created by fused filament fabrication using electrically-conductive filament,” a pair of researchers 3D prints resistors using electrically conductive carbon black and graphene-based filament.
“With this novel capability to directly create electrical components integrated into 3D printed physical objects designers can envision and 3D print new and/or improved devices with embedded electronics, which they could not do before,” the researchers explain.
Using biodegradable conductive filament to 3D print circuits offers environmental benefits, and 3D printing technology allows for more design freedom, enabling manufacturers to better integrate electrical components within objects. The researchers used a MakerBot Replicator 2X Experimental 3D printer, which has dual extruders, for their work. A test print was created, and then two modifications were made to the 3D printer: an extruder block upgrade, which helped improve the consistency of prints due to reduced slippage of the stepper motor pinion gear; and the attachment of two additional cooling fans, one for each extruder.
The researchers then designed a cube-shaped resistor using Autodesk Inventor CAD software. Two electrode contact pads were placed at each end.
“To integrate 3D printed circuits with external components such as LEDs, a suitable contact point has to be provided,” the researchers explain. “The 3D printed contact point should provide sufficient rigidity to secure external components while minimizing contact resistance. Due to the resistive property of the conductive filament, contact resistance plays a significant role in determining the final volume resistance of the test sample. It is for these reasons that contact pads are added to the test sample.”
Each contact pad is a cylinder 5 mm in diameter. The top surface is covered in silver conductive paint to minimize the contact resistance. This provides a uniform resistive area when performing resistance measurements.
A testbed with six resistors was then created to characterize the change in volume resistance of conductive PLA along the X axis, and another testbed with five resistors was created to characterize the change in resistance of the PLA along the Y axis. Two testbeds were created to characterize the change in resistance along the Z axis.
The resistivity of the 3D printed resistors varied depending on their build orientation and 3D printing process parameters.
“Resistor expansions in x axis resulted in increased resistivity, but this increase was not linear,” the researchers conclude. For z-axis expansions, the resistivity increase was mostly linear. The resistivity vs. length graph for y-axis expansion exhibited a minimum value in the middle of the test range.”
The paper offers several guidelines and recommendations for the designing and 3D printing of electrical resistors. Although the researchers used a simple design for their study, 3D printing allows for much more complex designs to be created from conductive materials and incorporated into electrical objects. As conductive materials for 3D printing start becoming more readily available, the variety of 3D printed electrical objects should expand, opening up new applications in a range of industries.
Authors of the paper include Nebojsa I. Jaksic and Pratik D. Desai.
Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
Print Services
Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
You May Also Like
Hyperion Robotics, UK National Grid to Use 3D Printing for Low-Carbon Substation Foundations
Hyperion Robotics, a Finnish provider of additive construction (AC) solutions specializing in low-carbon infrastructure projects, has partnered with UK utilities giant National Grid to test the use of 3D printed...
Ukrainian Researchers Partner with NSF, US Navy to Turn Debris Into New 3D Printed Buildings
Ukrainian researchers have started a project to try to turn waste from demolished buildings into new 3D printed ones. This is especially relevant in Ukraine, where tens of thousands of...
Verustruct’s Housing-Ready 3D Printing Tech and the Former SpaceX Engineer Behind It
Nick Callegari never planned on building houses. But after designing spacecraft parts at SpaceX, he decided to aim for something a little closer to home. The result is Verustruct, a...
RIC Robotics Teases Zyrex Giantroid Robot For Dreambuilding
RIC Robotics is teasing the Zyrex, what it calls a Giantroid. 6 meters in height with a 7 meter span, the autonomous (but human-monitored) construction robot is slated for release...