RAPID PROTOTYPING OF ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS BY PRINTED INTEGRATED FABRICATION

THE PROJECT IS AIMED AT DEVELOPING A NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR PRINTED INTEGRATED FABRICATION OF ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS (INCLUDING MULTI-LAYER ELECTRIC CIRCUT BOARDS AS WELL AS OPTOELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICES SUCH AS AIRCRAFT/VEHICLE INSTRUMENT PANELS) AS A MONOLITHIC OBJECT USING A FAST LOW-COST AUTOMATABLE PROCESS THAT IS HIGHLY EFFICIENT FOR PROTOTYPING. THE PROCESS IS BASED ON SOLIDIFICATION OF LIQUID PHOTOPOLYMERS WITH IRRADIATION THAT HAS BEEN RECENTLY INTRODUCED FOR MECHANICAL PROTOTYPING. THE IRRADIATION WILL BE CONTROLLED BY OBJECT DESIGN DATA COMING FROM A MECHANICAL CAD (COMPUTER-AIDED-DESIGN) SYSTEM THAT, IN TURN, CAN BE DIRECTED BY AN ELECTROMECHANICAL CAD SYSTEM SO THAT THE WHOLE PROCESS FROM SYSTEM DESIGN THROUGH ITS PROTOTYPING AND FABRICATION CAN BE AUTOMATED YIELDING A TURNKEY SYSTEM. PHASE I PROGRAM WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARDS REFINING THE APPROACH, INVESTIGATING THE FEASIBILITY OF "PRINTING" BASIC COMPONENTS, AND ASSESSING THE SCOPE AND DEGREE OF APPLICABILITY OF THE APPROACH TO RAPID PROTOTYPING OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND DEVICES. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS - TENS AND HUNDREDS OF TIMES FASTER PROTOTYPING YIELDING DRASTICALLY ACCELERATED INTRODUCTION OF NEW PRODUCTS AND ENHANCED ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS OF THE NATION. PRINTED INTEGRATED FABRICATION INSURES TECHNOLOGICAL SUPERIORITY IN ENDLESS DEFENSE AND COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS, AEROSPACE, VEHICLES, TV, ELECTRONICS, ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, E.G. KEY WORDS - RAPID PROTOTYPING, ELECTROMECHANICAL, THREE-DIMENSIONAL, PHOTOPOLYMER, SOLIDIFICATION, COMPUTER-AIDED-DESIGN, PRINTED