Abstract
In this study, horn antennas operating in the X band (8 – 12 GHz), which were manufactured using the additive manufacturing method (AM) and coated with different conductive surfaces, are investigated. The construction of the antennas by the AM method involves fabrication of the antenna structure using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic by a 3D printer; then, the antennas were coated with several conductive surfaces. Various conductive coatings used for the three antennas in this study are as follows: conductive silver paint for the first antenna, copper tape for the second, and copper plating for the third. In addition, the performance of these antennas was investigated in terms of input reflection coefficient, gain, radiation pattern, and weight, and the results were compared with those of the conventional aluminum horn antenna of same dimensions.
Highlights
Additive manufacturing (AM) has gained much interest recently because of the ability of rapidly prototype complex three-dimensional (3-D) objects with cost-effective process, including electromagnetic parts like antennas and waveguides [1] - [4]
Additive manufacturing of metal is not yet available for the consumer market and is costly [7], there are many types of 3D printers that are commercially available to consumer market able to print on plastics like the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) using fused deposition
To measured the gain of horn antennas was used a microwave signal generator Anritsu MG3694C connected to a Narda model 640 standard gain horn antenna as the reference antenna in transmission, and in the side receiver was used a Keysight N9010B EXA signal analyzer connected to fabricated horn antennas
Summary
Additive manufacturing (AM) has gained much interest recently because of the ability of rapidly prototype complex three-dimensional (3-D) objects with cost-effective process, including electromagnetic parts like antennas and waveguides [1] - [4]. The horn antennas are broadband antennas used for wide band transmit and receive applications and are well known and useful for antenna measurement [6]. These characteristics turn it a good candidate to be manufacture by AM and compare your performance with standard antennas. Modeling (FDM) [5] and the surface is coated with a conductors like a conductive paint [8] or metal tape [9]. We printed three identical horn antennas at X band (8 – 12 GHZ) using FDM 3D printing with ABS, and so coated with silver conductive paint, with copper tape and with copper plated metallization. Was possible analyze and compare the performances of these antennas in terms of the input reflection coefficient (S11), gain, radiation pattern and weight
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