Abstract
A WR10 waveguide horn antenna is 3D printed with three different materials. The antennas are printed on a fusion deposition modeling delta 3D printer built in house at Chalmers University of Technology. The different plastic materials used are an electrically conductive Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a thermally conductive polylactic acid containing 35% copper, and a tough Amphora polymer containing at least 20% carbon fiber. The antennas are all printed with a 0.25 mm nozzle and 100 μm layer thickness and the software settings are tuned to give maximum quality for each material. The three 3D printed horn antennas are compared when it comes to cost, time and material properties.
Highlights
When fabricating prototypes or producing complex or hollow structures fast and at a low cost, not many fabrication techniques can offer this. 3D printing can be a very cost effective solution, it can reduce lead times, improve the design and/or lower the weight of the structure [1].There are several different 3D printing techniques available all with both pros and cons
The choice of 3D printer depends on the desired quality, material, cost and build speed
This paper presents a horn antenna printed with three different materials
Summary
When fabricating prototypes or producing complex or hollow structures fast and at a low cost, not many fabrication techniques can offer this. 3D printing can be a very cost effective solution, it can reduce lead times, improve the design and/or lower the weight of the structure [1].There are several different 3D printing techniques available all with both pros and cons. When fabricating prototypes or producing complex or hollow structures fast and at a low cost, not many fabrication techniques can offer this. 3D printing can be a very cost effective solution, it can reduce lead times, improve the design and/or lower the weight of the structure [1]. There are several different 3D printing techniques available all with both pros and cons. Stereolithography and DLP (Digital Light Processing) produces very accurate prints but the different types of materials available is limited. SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) can print metal and plastic without support material but it is far more expensive and not as fast as other techniques. The choice of 3D printer depends on the desired quality, material, cost and build speed
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