Roboter-basierter Inkjet-Druck

Lot size 1 is an important topic for many industries and is strongly related with flexible production and individual product design. The application of graphical or functional elements to curved surfaces excludes individual solutions in conventional methods like screenprinting.

So far, customers have applied electrical / electronic elements (antennas, coils, conductors, electrical contacts, sensors) only on flat surfaces and with conventional analogue methods (optical lithography, screen printing, manual fabrication, soldering). Many future applications and trends, however, require digital production methods in which the function is integrated directly on the 3D part.

Robot-based inkjet printing offers the possibility to print digitally onto curved surfaces (“direct-to-shape printing”) over a large area and with high throughput.

The individual sports shoe is a reality

Printing on heavily used objects such as sports shoes places high demands on inks and on the printing process, especially when it comes to moisture and abrasion resistance. For the printing process, the path of the robot around the athletic shoe is created using a 3D model. The technological focus is on the further development of the robot-based inkjet printing technology with integration of a pinning unit for fixing drops on curved surfaces, automatic path planning and the printing of multiple swaths and materials.

So far, customers have applied electrical / electronic elements (antennas, coils, conductors, electrical contacts, sensors) only on flat surfaces and with conventional analogue methods (optical lithography, screen printing, manual fabrication, soldering). Many future applications and trends, however, require digital production methods in which the function is integrated directly on the 3D part.

The solution „InkjeTronics“ offers the possibility of integrating digitally printed electrics / electronics on flat, curved surfaces or even within the part. Our processes for example allow the fabrication of free-form optical lenses with integrated electrical circuitry in one single printing process.

PROFACTOR focuses on the development of digital manufacturing processes (inkjet printing, inkjet-based 3D printing) for the fabrication of free-form optics and printed electronics within 3D parts or on curved surfaces and the fabrication of high-resolution electrical structures like antennas or electrodes.

We provide rapid prototyping services of surface finished free-form optical components like lenses and prototyping of polymer parts with integrated electronics.