Nano Dimension can now shorten development times for IoT devices for smart home and other uses by up to 90% while delivering improved performance over traditional manufacturing
NESS ZIONA, Israel, April 30, 2019 – Nano Dimension Ltd., a leading additive electronics provider (NASDAQ, TASE: NNDM), announced it has successfully printed and tested an Internet of Things (IoT) transceiver, marking the industry’s first fully additively manufactured IoT device. Using its DragonFly Pro precision additive manufacturing system, Nano Dimension printed a transceiver prototype in 12 hours with improved performance over traditional manufacturing.
Enabling full interconnectivity between a wide range of objects for IoT requires both a transmitter and receiver (transceiver) to create the communication and connection between two objects. Using the DragonFly Pro, Nano Dimension’s pioneering 3D printer for printed electronics, the print, assembly and testing of a working transceiver prototype was completed in just one day, dramatically accelerating development by up to 90%, for a process that often takes two weeks or more.
In its recent qualification study, Nano Dimension additively manufactured two identical printed circuit boards (PCBs) - one programmed as a receiver and one as a transmitter with communication between them at the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi standard frequency. Each PCB contained circuitry and a built-in antenna and was a replica of an off-the-shelf traditionally manufactured PCB. The receiver and transmitter PCBs were then individually connected to two separate microcontrollers.
Testing at Nano Dimension’s electronic materials and device characterization laboratory compared the printed devices to off-the-shelf devices manufactured by standard methods. Tests at distances up to 20m (130 feet), showed more than 10 percent higher data integrity as compared to transmission with off-the-shelf devices. The dielectric material used in the DragonFly Pro has a dielectric constant lower in value than that of FR4, which helped improve the quality of the signal sent by the transmitter PCB. In an open-air environment, the transmitter received and showed good communication performance at distances up to 40m. (130 feet).
The testing showed the transceivers produced using the DragonFly can be used as a fully-functional PCB, allowing designers to build and quickly test a wide range of IoT applications in a matter of days instead of weeks for applications such as communications inclusive of smart homes, household appliances, wearables, toys, smart phones, and more. With in-house additive manufacturing of electronic circuits, designers can go through multiple design iterations, easily adapt the shape of the PCB to the given end product, eliminating the need for expensive routing or laser cutting.
“With more industries pushing for IoT compatibility for their devices, companies are looking for ways to accelerate their new product introduction, and we knew the DragonFly Pro could help them better predict development cycles and shorten new product introductions. Just imagine, in less than 24 hours you can produce a soldered, working IoT sample,” said Amit Dror, CEO of Nano Dimension. “It’s remarkable to get a fully functional prototype so quickly without compromising on design quality or performance. Now, IoT device designers can think of this state-of-the-art additive manufacturing system as their best and fastest means to truly innovative designs, where they are limited only by their imaginations rather than the technology and process.”
The additively manufactured PCB used in the test was 16mm x 33mm x1.6mm and had two conductive layers.
About Nano Dimension Ltd.
Nano Dimension (Nasdaq, TASE: NNDM) is a leading electronics provider that is disrupting, reshaping, and defining the future of how cognitive connected products are made. With its unique 3D printing technologies, Nano Dimension is targeting the growing demand for electronic devices that require increasingly sophisticated features. Demand for circuitry, including PCBs - which are the heart of every electronic device - covers a diverse range of industries, including consumer electronics, medical devices, defense, aerospace, automotive, IoT and telecom. These sectors can all benefit greatly from Nano Dimension’s products and services for rapid prototyping and short-run manufacturing. For more information, please visit www.nano-di.com.
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