Wire or Fiber Encapsulating Additive Manufacturing (WEAM/FEAM) can considerably streamline the commercial manufacturing of elements that require built-in, advanced, but compact wiring, sensors, actuators, or lighting programs by instantly printing these parts into components. The FEAM course of makes use of glass fibers as an alternative of wires; these fibers are coated with a polymer and utilized to any substrate with out affecting their optical properties. This expertise permits the creation of customizable lighting parts, sensors, or information conductors on each 2D and 3D surfaces.
A notable improvement at Fraunhofer IWU is the Automated Cable Meeting (AuCA). Conventional robotics wrestle to provide and robotically lay versatile cable bundles in autos. AuCA addresses this problem by manufacturing wiring instantly onto elements in a robot-guided method and securing it with a polymer.
The group led by Lukas Boxberger at Fraunhofer IWU provides quite a lot of print heads for a variety of producing duties, which might be additional custom-made to satisfy particular product necessities.
Printing customized wiring harnesses in automobile manufacturing
An vehicle’s wiring harness consists of a number of cables with various lengths, cross-sections, and terminal connectors. For robotic programs, assembling and putting in a cable system that spans a number of kilometers is extraordinarily difficult – requiring quite a few cameras, sensors, and complex processing steps. In consequence, your complete course of chain – from assembling the cables to putting in them within the automobile – nonetheless depends closely on meticulous handbook labor.
Fraunhofer IWU’s AuCA reimagines cable laying by combining it with 3D printing expertise. This innovation permits versatile cables to be deposited instantly from an infinite reservoir with out the necessity for handbook dealing with. Moreover, the researchers have developed a instrument head that enhances the performance of the laid cables.
This automated cable-laying idea eliminates the necessity for picture processing and makes use of an environment friendly laying system instantly on the ultimate element. The expertise removes the need for cable pre-assembly, harness configuration, transport, and set up. Such a system can change a number of handbook labor stations and apply wiring harnesses instantly onto elements adjoining to the automobile manufacturing line. AuCA reduces the wiring harness to its core elements: particular person cables, crucial contacts, and application-specific adhesives. This method saves weight and eliminates the necessity for extra supplies for transport safety.
Comparable functions exist in all areas of cable integration, from management cupboards to shopper electronics.
FEAM for fiber optics and superior lighting programs
Past coated cables, fiber optic strands will also be utilized to varied substrates utilizing printing expertise. In Fiber Encapsulating Additive Manufacturing (FEAM), a single fiber or fiber bundle is printed onto the element by a print head and encapsulated with a polymer coating. This methodology permits fiberglass tracks to be deposited instantly onto the ultimate element in any desired form.
With FEAM expertise, researchers purpose to push the boundaries of fiber optic integration to develop cost-effective and design-flexible options for industrial functions. Fraunhofer IWU is engaged on strategies that allow totally automated integration of fiber optic parts and is growing print head programs which might be quicker, extra exact, and extra environment friendly. Merchandise with optical fibers instantly utilized to injection-molded components profit from shorter processing instances and fewer elements. Comparable value advantages are achieved when this expertise is used to use optical fibers instantly onto elements.
At Formnext, Fraunhofer IWU will showcase a print head able to deposition speeds as much as 50 millimeters per second for fiber diameters starting from 0.2 to 1 millimeter, with out particular necessities for the coating materials. For instance, side-emitting fiber optics (SEFOs) with a protecting clear casing might be utilized to an injection-molded half to create highly effective, flat gentle parts.
