Your designs for precision parts reach the limits of manufacturability?
Part design choices are typically governed by functionally required materials and manufacturability considerations. However, not all materials can be processed with all fabrication methods. This is especially true for the material choices in precision- and micro-AM, the fabrication method that gives the highest geometrical design freedom. Tradeoffs in part lay out, fabrication methods, and material selection are required. Additionally, economical and ecological considerations must be taken into account. Unlimited design freedom in part shape and materials, however, would allow radically new solutions and enable parts with, for example, higher miniaturization, functional integration, better performance, or reduced size, weight and power consumption.
3D coating processes for more functionality and material options in 3D microfabrication
Horizon Microtechnologies (HMT) removes or significantly eases such manufacturability issues by expanding the possible combinations of structuring approaches and materials available in micro-AM and 3D microfabrication. Our ultimate mission is to provide our customers with exactly the precision- and microparts they require.
To do this, we have developed a process chain for 3D microprinting and coating parts in silver, copper, ceramic-like metal oxide based protective coatings, and transparent conductive coatings. These coatings can be applied precisely onto parts of virtually any shape, and can be applied selectively to specific part areas. The coating processes are developed to work with 3D-printing- / micro AM- derived photopolymer parts, but can also be applied to a wide range of other materials and parts provided by our customers using other micro-fabrication technologies. Additionally, we can support our customers’ development efforts in designing functional parts best suited to our in-house 3D micro-printing and coating capabilities.
Coating processes explicitly designed for the specifics of additive manufactured parts
Our coating processes are explicitly designed for — and compatible with — micro-3D printed part geometries and materials, meaning that when looking for parts and components such as mm-wave antennas, filters and waveguides, electrodes, sensor heads, pick-and-place end-effectors, and nozzles, you can now embrace the power, flexibility, agility, and design freedom of micro-AM for micro-scale conductive and environmentally resilient parts and components.
We offer development projects, protoyping and support small batch production runs of 100 – 10,000 pieces providing a viable manufacturing alternative to less accurate and less economical production approaches which can only play out their strengths after lengthy development cycles and in mass production.