Nano Dimension, the Israeli company that has developed the Dragonfly 2020 3D printer for producing printed circuit boards, has now demonstrated multiple rigid PCBs connected through printed flexible conductive connections. The company claims it is the first in the world to successfully print multi-layered rigid circuits with flexible connections.
The use of flexible connectors is a common solution for fitting PCBs inside items, allowing for continuous transfer of conductors between circuits as well as the fabrication of multi-layered flexible material. So it’s a useful step forward for Nano Dimensions. Printing flexible connections eliminates the need to manually connect the circuits allowing for high quality connections with high mechanical properties such as bending, twisting, and strength, that save space and money.
The company has filed a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the materials that are printed in this process, as well as for the printing process itself. This includes a highly flexible conductive ink as well as a dielectric material ink. Nano Dimension has also developed the software for printing electronics design files with flexible connections. This takes complex three-dimensional files (CAD) from the user and converts them, using a unique algorithm, to files that can be 3D printed.
Nano Dimension will demonstrate this at the IPC Apex Expo in San Diego, USA taking place February 11-16. It will show a wide range of print samples, including 10-layer PCBs with interconnects, blind vias, and through-holes.
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