Topology-aware routing of 3D-printed circuits

Abstract

Abstract Hybrid manufacturing of 3D-printed parts with integrated electronics has made significant progress in recent years. The general idea of depositing conductive material and electronic components during or after the additive manufacturing step was successfully demonstrated for different process types. However, efficient 3D arrangement and wire routing of circuits for seamless integration into the printing process requires the support of appropriate design software. In this paper, we introduce an approach to integrate the wire routing into the slicing software for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). This allows us to consider process parameters for each specific print, e.g. extrusion width, layer thickness or shell thickness. The volumetric object model is first converted into a graph data structure which is then used to apply a routing algorithm. The resulting G-code with embedded wires can be directly executed by the printer. The G-code also includes instructions for a pick and place system to automatically produce the entire object, including electronic components, without operator intervention.