Nano Dimension and Harris Corporation to develop 3D printing of electronic modules for space apps
Nano Dimension, a leader in the field of 3D printed electronics, has received grant approval from the Israel Innovation Authority, which will be used to finance a project to develop 3D printing of electronic modules for space applications. The total approved budget for this project is approximately $87,000 (NIS 309,000), of which the Israel Innovation Authority will finance 50%. According to the terms of the grant, Nano Dimension will pay royalties on future sales up to the full grant amount.
This unique project is done in collaboration with Harris Corporation, a leading technology innovator, that provides solutions that connect, inform and protect its clients. Nano Dimension and Harris have entered into a non-binding letter of intent with respect to the collaboration. This project will demonstrate, for the first time, the manufacturing of 3D printed double-sided, multilayer circuits that distribute digital, power and RF signal at the same substrate, thus providing reduced size, weight, power and cost of space systems. New high volume printed RF technology will provide improved reliability and uniformity of space systems by eliminating manual assembly.
To date, numerous efforts have already explored the possibility of using AM to fabricate components for CubeSat applications. The next major hurdle in developing this effort is how to intelligently embed items such as propulsion, antennas, health monitoring, and other electronic components into the printed structure. Thus a more complete system can be built in a single process step.
At this time, Rather than just using AM to print specific components, this effort focuses on using AM to fabricate a complete, integrated system. Tests have demonstrated that it is quite possible to take existing propulsion system designs and incorporate them into a printed CubeSat body, leading to the possibility of one day printing a complete operational CubeSat.
Harris Corporation is a leading technology innovator, solving customers’ toughest mission-critical challenges by providing solutions that connect, inform and protect. Harris supports government and commercial customers in more than 100 countries and has approximately $6 billion in annual revenue. The company is organized into three business segments: Communication Systems, Space and Intelligence Systems and Electronic Systems. Learn more at harris.com.
Nano Dimension is a leading additive manufacturing technology company. Nano Dimension is disrupting, shaping and defining the future of how electronics are made. With its unique 3D printing technologies, Nano Dimension is targeting the growing demand for electronic devices that require increasingly sophisticated features and rely on printed circuit boards (PCBs). Demand for circuitry, including PCBs – which are the heart of every electronic device – covers a diverse range of industries, including consumer electronics, medical devices, defense, aerospace, automotive, IoT and telecom. These sectors can all benefit greatly from Nano Dimension’s 3D printed electronics solutions for rapid prototyping and short-run manufacturing.
