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Project

Assembly and connection technology for 3D plastic circuit carrier (R-11807)

The main goal of the ACT-3D project is to create an all-encompassing, robust and flexible platform showing and validating the possibilities for the production of smart products, in such a way that a straightforward and cost-efficient transfer to industry becomes an option. With a focus on the construction of pre-competitive prototypes, in close collaboration with the companies, this platform will show clear elements for integratie and their concepts to KMO's to create an atmosphere in which KMO's can step into this new ecosystem with own products or onto new markets.
Date:1 Sep 2021 →  31 Dec 2023
Keywords:plastic, printed electronics, smart products
Disciplines:Manufacturing processes, methods and technologies, Functional materials
Project type:Collaboration project
Results:The project used various technologies to achieve the circuits for smart plastic products. After a scan of the literature and an extensive survey of the needs of the companies in the user group, various partners focused on producing the circuits to later attach the electronics. This concerns screen printing combined with thermoforming (UHasselt-Flanders), Aerosol jet printing and inkjet printing (Sirris-Wallonia) and laser structures (Fraunhofer-Germany). It was determined which technology is most suitable for which substrate (carrier) and which resolution can be achieved. Subsequently, it was investigated how electronic components could be attached to the circuits (Hahn-Schickard-Germany) and the influence of size of the components, location and materials used to make the interconnection was examined. Based on the development of this platform of assembly and connection technology, 1 demonstrator was created (flashlight) with various components integrated into it, manufactured in the different ways present in the project. This demonstrator was created together with a number of companies from the user group. In addition, the input and expertise of companies from the user group were also called upon for part of the characterization, for materials and for specific use cases.