Optomec, Albuquerque, N.M., announces significant improvements in the ability to effectively print and post-process copper and copper/nickel (i.e., Constantan) inks on its Aerosol Jet systems. The availability and support of these new, cost-effective inks from a number of qualified suppliers will enable new classes of electronic devices, helping to expand industrial use of 3D printed electronics for consumer electronics, medical devices, Internet of Things, and other electronic applications.
Copper and copper-nickel (Constantan) inks from Applied Nanotech Inc., Intrinsiq Materials Inc., PV Nano Cell Ltd., and Kuprion Inc. have been successfully printed using Optomec Aerosol Jet technology. Copper is a well-known material in the electronics industry for manufacturing components and printed circuit boards, while the Constantan alloy is an established standard for critical sensing elements such as thermocouples and strain gauges that are the building blocks of the Industrial Internet of Things.
To help drive the adoption of these copper inks, Optomec offers print recipes, as well as specialized hardware, to shield these oxygen-sensitive materials during the printing and curing process when necessary, though in some cases the printed copper inks can be cured thermally in conventional ovens already used in the electronics industry; or through newer techniques such as flash-lamp photonics or laser-based curing systems.
