Additive Manufacturing of Sensors for Military Monitoring Applications.

David T Bird,Nuggehalli M Ravindra

doi:10.3390/polym13091455

Abstract

The US Department of Defense (DoD) realizes the many uses of additive manufacturing (AM) as it has become a common fabrication technique for an extensive range of engineering components in several industrial sectors. 3D Printed (3DP) sensor technology offers high-performance features as a way to track individual warfighters on the battlefield, offering protection from threats such as weaponized toxins, bacteria or virus, with real-time monitoring of physiological events, advanced diagnostics, and connected feedback. Maximum protection of the warfighter gives a distinct advantage over adversaries by providing an enhanced awareness of situational threats on the battle field. There is a need to further explore aspects of AM such as higher printing resolution and efficiency, with faster print times and higher performance, sensitivity and optimized fabrication to ensure that soldiers are more safe and lethal to win our nation’s wars and come home safely. A review and comparison of various 3DP techniques for sensor fabrication is presented.

Highlights

The US Department of Defense (DoD) realizes the many uses of additive manufacturing (AM) as it has become a common fabrication technique for an extensive range of engineering components in several industrial sectors. 3D Printed (3DP) sensor technology offers high-performance features as a way to track individual warfighters on the battlefield, offering protection from threats such as weaponized toxins, bacteria or virus, with real-time monitoring of physiological events, advanced diagnostics, and connected feedback
The advent of wearable [1] or body-borne electronics is rapidly changing the approach of the US Department of Defense (DoD) to providing diagnostic and therapeutic medical care to the warfighter [2,3]
In the early days of sensors, semiconductors based on silicon were used for monitoring various industrial and environmental applications, with limited use in biomedical sensing due to fabrication techniques utilizing older planar technologies [7]

Summary

Fabrication of Sensors

Fabrication techniques and materials for sensor manufacturing have led to variations in the structure and dimensions of the sensors, with the final application dictating these two parameters [6]. Processing techniques commonly involve photolithography, screen printing, laser cutting, contact printing, spray deposition, film casting and 3D printing, the latter becoming very popular for prototyping due to the array of materials available, in addition to its tunability, accuracy, resolution, customization, repeatability, sensitivity and the decreased labor and number of steps involved [4]. The fabrication of wearable strain sensors relies on the flexibility and elasticity of materials as key parameters [5]. The substrate works as the flexible support providing desirable mechanical flexibility and stretchability, with good thermal properties, low cost and good adhesion to other materials being of significant importance

Conventional Manufacturing of Strain Sensors

Schematic

Methods

Sensors for Military Applications

Chemical Sensors

Biological