Additive Manufacturing of Electrical Machines and Electronic Devices

Abstract

Recent advancements in the additive manufacture of electronics and electrical machines have led to successful demonstrations of 3D-printed passive (e.g., resistors, capacitors, inductors) and active (e.g., transistors) electronic components, as well as magnetic cores and power transfer devices. However, each new demonstration of 3D-printed functional devices has typically required increasingly specialized and expensive manufacturing hardware. This work opposes that trend by developing a technology capable of fabricating all such devices on a single, affordable machine: a material extrusion 3D printer. Material extrusion stands out among additive manufacturing technologies for its widespread availability and its compatibility with monolithic multi-material manufacturing, essential for the fabrication of functional electromagnetic devices. These attributes, together with its well-established ability to fabricate mechanically functional parts, make material extrusion a promising technology for the single-step fabrication of electronics and electrical machines, and for their monolithic integration into complex devices, such as custom functionalized prostheses, robots, and space exploration hardware. In this research, a desktop 3D printer was transformed into an almost-universal manufacturing machine capable of fabricating a myriad of electrically, magnetically, and mechanically functional devices, using various feedstock formats (e.g., filament, pellets, ink). With this machine, milestones such as the fabrication of the first semiconductorfree, fully 3D-printed logic gates, and that of the first fully 3D-printed motor, have been achieved. Built for under $4000 in parts, the modified 3D printer opens the door to the democratization of electronics and electrical machine manufacturing, empowering institutions and individuals alike, and serving as an educational tool to introduce advanced manufacturing to new generations. Additionally, this work investigates optimization strategies for planar inductors and alternative techniques for the creation of miniaturized, three-dimensional, electrically functional components via two-photon polymerization. By demonstrating novel methods and applications, this thesis advances the state of the art in the additive manufacture of electromagnetic devices and paves the way toward the decentralized fabrication of electrical machines and electronic devices.