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Plastic and metal additive manufacturing technologies for microwave passive components up to Ka band

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2018

Johann Sence ,
William Feuray ,
Aurélien Périgaud ,
Olivier Tantot ,
Nicolas Delhote ,
Stéphane Bila ,
Serge Verdeyme ,
Jean-Baptiste Pejoine  and
René-Philippe Gramond
Johann Sence
Affiliation:
XLIM UMR 7252, University of Limoges/CNRS, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, Limoges 87060, France
William Feuray
Affiliation:
XLIM UMR 7252, University of Limoges/CNRS, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, Limoges 87060, France
Aurélien Périgaud
Affiliation:
XLIM UMR 7252, University of Limoges/CNRS, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, Limoges 87060, France
Olivier Tantot
Affiliation:
XLIM UMR 7252, University of Limoges/CNRS, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, Limoges 87060, France
Nicolas Delhote*
Affiliation:
XLIM UMR 7252, University of Limoges/CNRS, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, Limoges 87060, France
Stéphane Bila
Affiliation:
XLIM UMR 7252, University of Limoges/CNRS, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, Limoges 87060, France
Serge Verdeyme
Affiliation:
XLIM UMR 7252, University of Limoges/CNRS, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, Limoges 87060, France
Jean-Baptiste Pejoine
Affiliation:
I3D Concept, Z.A. de l'Escudier, Donzenac 19270, France
René-Philippe Gramond
Affiliation:
Plateforme technologique Ramsei's, 6 Rue Paul Derignac, Limoges 87031, France
*
Author for correspondence: Nicolas Delhote, E-mail: nicolas.delhote@xlim.fr
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Abstract

This paper illustrates the different possibilities given by additive manufacturing technologies for the creation of passive microwave hardware. The paper more specifically highlights a prototyping scheme where the 3D-printed plastic parts can be used as initial proofs of concept before considering more advanced 3D-printed parts (metal parts, for instance). First, a characterization campaign has been made on common plastics used by a 3D printer using the fused deposition modeling and material jetting (Polyjet©) technologies. The impact of the manufacturing strategy (high-speed or high-accuracy) on the part roughness, as well as on the dielectric material permittivity and loss tangent, has been specifically studied at 10 and 16 GHz. Based on a specifically optimized and deeply explained characterization method, the conductivity of a coating based on silver paint has also been characterized on such plastic parts at 10 and 40 GHz. These plastic materials and coating have been used for the creation of quasi-elliptic and tuning-free bandpass filters centered at 6 and 12 GHz and compared with a similar filter made of stainless steel by selective laser melting. Finally, a compact rectangular TE10 to circular TE01 mode converter also undergoes one prototyping step out of plastic before moving to an advanced part made out of stainless steel. This mode converter, which is made in a single part, is designed to operate from 28 to 36 GHz as a tuning-free final demonstrator.

Keywords

Additive manufacturingbandpass filter3D printerfused deposition modelingmaterial characterizationmetalmicrowavemode converterplasticselective laser melting
Type
Research Papers
Information
International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies , Volume 10 , Special Issue 7: Electronic Warfare , September 2018 , pp. 772 - 782
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2018 

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