-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
What a Difference a Year Makes: Voxel8 and the 3D Printing Pioneering Spirit
February 15, 2016 | Barry Matties and Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Bell: The circuit board you see here is actually a prototype of the watch circuit. We use it ourselves to figure out if the circuit was working before we changed the geometry and stuck it in a novel form factor.
Matties: Is it a simple single-sided board?
Bell: Yes, it a single-sided board. If you were to route a board to just understand how the circuit is working and to de-bug it, you would do something like that on a circuit board meld. That's our equivalent and it takes about five minutes to print.
Matties: What market are you pursuing with the circuit board? Is this rapid prototyping?
Bell: We really want people to start working on 3D electronics applications. The fact that we can do circuit boards is a great checkbox for us, but it's not something we're necessarily pushing. This is really a stepping stone to the 3D integrated circuits, wrapping antennas around cellphone cases or doing hearing aids, etc.
Matties: Have you considered the rapid prototyping market?
Bell: It’s definitely a market that we like. If we look at the long term, we want to see millions of phones manufactured. The rapid prototyping of this kind of stuff isn't going to do that. If you look at the competitors out there, for instance, they start at about $10,000. Our $9,000 platform can do most of the capabilities of that quicker, cheaper, etc., so there are definitely applications there.
Our business model is applying materials for novel 3D printing applications. We started with looking at the printed electronics areas. We have silicone materials and other materials that can go into apparel, like footwear. We can do smart watches. We can solve challenges that designers and engineers have where they couldn't find a fabrication method that would work. We're really looking at targeted materials development for applications like antennas, for shoes, etc.
On display here we have inductive charging little samples where we can actually print those loops, and turn on lights through what you'd find is a typical inductive cellphone charger. Trying to wrap those coils around something in a novel geometry or in areas where you typically couldn't have, that is interesting to us as well.
Matties: We're not going to buy products; we're just going to buy schematics and print our products.
Bell: That's a future that we should look forward to. The real question to me personally is this: Are we going to be able to print all of the ICs and LEDs and all that? I think we're really going to connect them together, but I don't think we can replace transistors at the current scales that they're being printed through this type of technology. It's really going to be connecting all of these discrete components together and making it happen, and doing that in the most efficient way possible.
Feinberg: I agree that's probably where it is right now, but to me that also sounds a little bit like 1958, when we could make circuit boards, but had to connect the two sides with eyelets. I think we're going to be amazed at what you guys are going to be doing.
Bell: I look at it purely from a printing/operations perspective, where if you want to print a transistor on the nano scale, you're going to need a nano-sized nozzle to print with. If you want a billion of those, the time taken to do all those movements at that scale is significant. There probably will be another technology that comes around, maybe like inkjet or similar, that can actually print those transistors more efficiently than the direct-write application that we have. I think our application is really best for connecting components together.
Feinberg: It's certainly a big piece of it.
Bell: It definitely is.
Matties: Congratulations, Michael. You're here again and your business looks like it’s growing. Thank you so much.
Bell: Thank you. It’s good to talk with you both.
Page 2 of 2Suggested Items
Warm Windows and Streamlined Skin Patches – IDTechEx Explores Flexible and Printed Electronics
04/26/2024 | IDTechExFlexible and printed electronics can be integrated into cars and homes to create modern aesthetics that are beneficial and easy to use. From luminous car controls to food labels that communicate the quality of food, the uses of this technology are endless and can upgrade many areas of everyday life.
Book Excerpt: The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to... Factory Analytics
04/24/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamIn our fast-changing, deeply competitive, and margin-tight industry, factory analytics can be the key to unlocking untapped improvements to guarantee a thriving business. On top of that, electronics manufacturers are facing a tremendous burden to do more with less. If you don't already have a copy of this book, what follows is an excerpt from the introduction chapter of 'The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to... Factory Analytics: Unlocking Efficiency Through Data Insights' to whet your appetite.
Listen Up! The Intricacies of PCB Drilling Detailed in New Podcast Episode
04/25/2024 | I-Connect007In episode 5 of the podcast series, On the Line With: Designing for Reality, Nolan Johnson and Matt Stevenson continue down the manufacturing process, this time focusing on the post-lamination drilling process for PCBs. Matt and Nolan delve into the intricacies of the PCB drilling process, highlighting the importance of hole quality, drill parameters, and design optimization to ensure smooth manufacturing. The conversation covers topics such as drill bit sizes, aspect ratios, vias, challenges in drilling, and ways to enhance efficiency in the drilling department.
Elevating PCB Design Engineering With IPC Programs
04/24/2024 | Cory Blaylock, IPCIn a monumental stride for the electronics manufacturing industry, IPC has successfully championed the recognition of the PCB Design Engineer as an official occupation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This pivotal achievement not only underscores the critical role of PCB design engineers within the technology landscape, but also marks the beginning of a transformative journey toward nurturing a robust, skilled workforce ready to propel our industry into the future.
Winner of The Science Show Rakett 69 Receives Incap Scholarship
04/24/2024 | IncapThe winner of the Rakett 69 science show, Andri Türkson, who stood out as an electronics enthusiast, received a scholarship from Incap Estonia, along with an internship opportunity in Saaremaa.