Continuous 5-axis routing of syringe deposited conductive traces over topology optimized structures

Hybrid additive manufacturing can be troublesome when implementing new processes using existing hardware which makes this research field increasingly prominent. Even after the integration of crucial hardware components necessary for Hybrid AM, there is no suitable procedure capable of efficient toolpath planning of multi-material and multi-functional materials. Topology-optimized design would benefit from a planned process using hybrid manufacturing with simple electronics integration because of the need for optimized functional structures in the aerospace and automotive industries. This research takes multi-axis CNC toolpath strategies for syringe-deposited conductive inks over additively manufactured topology-optimized structures and uses a hybrid AM machine utilizing multiple tools for manufacturing curvilinear traces over the drone frame design. Process parameter configuration for machine hardware and CAM toolpath tolerancing with machine simulations are discussed in this paper. The ability to route conductive traces over topologically optimized structures has been studied and implemented using a 5-axis toolpath planning strategy. The challenge lies in the ability to deposit traces seamlessly across conformal surfaces. The study demonstrates that the manufactured traces were seamless with no breakages, and the measured resistances across the trenches varied between 53.5 and 134.04 Ω.