FEATURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING/3D PRINTING


RESHAPING PRODUCT DEV ADDITIVE MANUFACTURE


prototype parts in-house, particularly for complex small devices such as antennas, sensors and connectors. Traditional prototyping methods can be costly and time consuming to produce small batches, making iterative design difficult, whereas AME simplifies this process and enables agile hardware development. AME also enables the reshoring of production and the use of digital inventories for on-demand, on-site creation of electronics spare parts. This is highly beneficial, particularly in cases where unexpected geo-political or other disruptions affect traditional supply chains. Added to this, AME offers the ability to rapidly


Additive Manufactured Electronics (AME) is


rapidly emerging as a transformative alternative to traditional prototyping and production techniques. Projections estimate a global market opportunity of around US$4.3 billion by the end


of the decade. Nir Sade, general manager AME at Nano Dimension, explores how AME is reshaping product development and production, paving the way for a future where electronics manufacturing is more agile, efficient, and decentralised


O


ffering a variety of Digital Manufacturing technologies, Nano Dimension serves customers across markets such as


aerospace and defence, advanced automotive, high-tech industrial, specialty medical technology, and R&D and academia. With its suite of digital manufacturing technologies, the company is enabling prototyping and high- mix-low-volume production, along with IP security, design-for-manufacturing capabilities, and a more sustainable means of fabrication. As part of its Digital Manufacturing offering,


Nano Dimension is a leading provider of Additively Manufactured Electronics (AME) technology, manufacturing 3D printers that provide an innovative in-house method of designing, developing and manufacturing high-value PCBs and electronic devices. Its holistic solution, encompassing hardware,


26 DESIGN SOLUTIONS MAY 2025


software, material and process, is largely used by customers in R&D.


But what is AME and why is it appealing to the electronics industry?


WHAT IS AME? AME is revolutionising R&D efforts in the electronics industry as it provides greater freedom of design through geometry, enabling the creation of smarter and smaller products with integrated non-planer electronics. Today’s technology allows designers to simultaneously 3D print conductive and dielectric material to produce completely new designs, including integrated printed components, such as twisted coils, capacitors, and any angle connection of conductors. These capabilities simplify the assembly steps and improve signal integrity. Closely related to this is the ability to rapidly


3D print cost-effective, multi-layer prototype PCBs. Traditional PCB prototyping involves sending the design to PCB manufacturers, but producing them in-house with AME streamlines product development, shortening lead times, eliminating dependency on external vendors, and allowing the simultaneous printing of multiple designs simultaneously. This results in faster functional prototyping than any other method, ultimately accelerating time to market.


BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES AME offers similar prototyping benefits to standard 3D printing. The key distinction, however, is that AME is still at a relatively early stage of industry adoption. While it offers huge advantages, such as simplifying and accelerating prototyping, design engineers are accustomed to traditional methods. As with any other new technology, it takes time for design engineers to fully grasp, appreciate and ultimately transition away from familiar workflows. AME is at a similar stage today as mechanical 3D printing or AM was a few years ago. Just as 3D printing has become the go-to for designers – who are now reaping the benefits of reduced labour, simplified processes, and cost efficiencies – adoption of AME among electronics industry designers will continue to accelerate. But, a key challenge with AME is that there


isn’t yet an established knowledge base for designing 3D printed electronics. To bridge this gap, we are actively collaborating with numerous universities and research institutes to explore real-world applications. For example, together with the University of Stuttgart and the BMBF Cluster4Future QSens, we are leveraging our multi-layer, multi-material DragonFly IV 3D printer to accelerate advancements in quantum devices. To instil trust in the AME offering, we are


working with IPC, the global organisation for electronics manufacturing, to develop IPC Standard 2581 – a dedicated standard for the qualification and production of 3D printed electronics. To support this effort, we have contributed our internal procedures and provided a recognised industry expert to lead the AME sub-committee and specific task groups.


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