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Multi-Axis, Multi-Material Additive Fabrication of Multi-Layer Conformal SMD Circuitry to Support In-Space Mission Resilience

Authors Ivan Revenga Riesco , Borut Lampret , Connor Myant , David Boyle

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Subject Classification

ACM Subject Classification
  • Hardware → Flexible and printable circuits
  • Hardware → Full-custom circuits
Keywords
  • Space Digital Fabrication
  • Additive Manufactured Electronics Systems
  • 3D printed electronics
  • In-space manufacturing

Metrics

Abstract

This work presents the development and evaluation of multi-material, multi-axis Material Extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing combined with electroplating for the fabrication of complex conformal circuitry. The proposed approach enables the direct printing of functional electronics onto conformal surfaces, while offering a lower-cost and lower-complexity alternative to conventional PCB manufacturing and other in-space electronics fabrication methods. A key contribution of this work is the introduction of small multi-material bridges as a lightweight and scalable solution to miniaturisation challenges in 3D-printed electronics. The printed circuits' physical dimensions were analysed and compared among samples, and their electrical performance was benchmarked against traditional FR4 PCBs. Lastly, the role of such a system is evaluated in the context of a space exploration mission. While the printed circuits exhibited increased noise and reduced reliability, they successfully demonstrated the ability to regulate and deliver current. The results highlight the potential of MEX-based additive manufacturing as a potential lower-cost alternative technique to proposed in-space additive electronics manufacturing processes.

Cite As Get BibTex

Ivan Revenga Riesco, Borut Lampret, Connor Myant, and David Boyle. Multi-Axis, Multi-Material Additive Fabrication of Multi-Layer Conformal SMD Circuitry to Support In-Space Mission Resilience. In Advancing Human-Computer Interaction for Space Exploration (SpaceCHI 2025). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 130, pp. 19:1-19:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025) https://doi.org/10.4230/OASIcs.SpaceCHI.2025.19

Author Details

Ivan Revenga Riesco
  • Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, UK
Borut Lampret
  • Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, UK
Connor Myant
  • Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, UK
David Boyle
  • Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, UK

Funding

The authors thank UKRI EPSRC for the financial support (EP/Y037421/1).

References

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