JF Brandon Co-Founder, VP Sales and Marketing BotFactory A New Approach to Additive Manufacturing. sme.org/smartmfgseries

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Hollie Bradford
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1 JF Brandon Co-Founder, VP Sales and Marketing BotFactory A New Approach to Additive Manufacturing sme.org/smartmfgseries

2 A New Approach to Additive Manufacturing sme.org/smartmfgseries

4 Small run complexity PCB Manufacturing Complexity Small run complexity Mass production complexity Copper rods on wood Charles Ducas: circuit printing Paul Eisler: etching Hazeltyne: Multi-layer IBM: SMT High density pincount SMT

5 Prototyping electronics is LONG, HARD, & EXPENSIVE 1-2 weeks 6x the price for 24hours $250 for rigid PCBs $1500+ for flexible PCBs Multiple iterations required Mistakes are expensive!

6 Great products, small beginnings started in an EMPTY WAREHOUSE started in a GARAGE started in a RADIO REPAIR SHOP started in a GARAGE started in a GARAGE *Pictures credits at the end of the presentation

7 Small runs = different needs Quick turnaround Low operation cost Prototype quality Accessibility in-house or nearby Streamlined process Encouraging experimentation Milling machines Manual etching

Squink a desktop electronic circuit factory Reduce cost to around $5 per circuit Reduce manufacturing time to between 30min 2hours per circuit (depending on the

8 Squink a desktop electronic circuit factory Reduce cost to around $5 per circuit Reduce manufacturing time to between 30min 2hours per circuit (depending on the circuit) All-in-one solution Print traces and insulating layers ( Multilayer ) Place solder paste or glue Pick and Place components Intuitive operation Keep your IP in-house

Typical Users Professional Engineers + + Iterate PCB designs more often Reduce their product time-to-market R&D labs at tech firms, established small-to-medium sized businesses, hardware start-ups I

10 Typical Users Professional Engineers + + Iterate PCB designs more often Reduce their product time-to-market R&D labs at tech firms, established small-to-medium sized businesses, hardware start-ups I have a business making modern fuel injection computers for automobiles and assorted accessories. I use Squink to rapid prototype new helper board designs and likely for pick and place on prototypes and first run manufactured boards. -Kickstarter Backer Jason Russell, vems.com Finding the next market hit requires a lot of experimentation

Typical Users Academia + + + + Accelerate research Innovate with new materials and processes Improve their Makerspace Teach students how to build electronic boards Found in schools with a technical

11 Typical Users Academia Accelerate research Innovate with new materials and processes Improve their Makerspace Teach students how to build electronic boards Found in schools with a technical curriculum Setting up #Squink printer #prototyping #conductive #ink #paper #music #interface #designs -Our first customer, Alex Ruthmann, PhD, NYU MusEDLab Publishing papers is Academia jargon for beating competitors to market Hands on education is more effective

12 Typical Users Makers/Hobbyists I'm a retired software and hardware engineer, and I'm planning on doing some serious puttering :) I own a small farm, and I have a long list of automation projects that will require custom circuitry. For example, a spring depth and flow gauge. I have a long list of things like this -Kickstarter Backer Tom Dilatush, Paradise, UT It s all about trying new ideas

13 Three steps, Many challenges Printing Solder paste / Conductive epoxy Picking and placing

14 Printing traces the right way Lines have to be smooth, flat and conductive. Extrusion is hard to control thick ink = lumps thin ink = spreads easily Inkjet YES, but: Beware of spraying and opens Tune ink adherence to substrate Handle nozzle clogging and breaking Circuit overprinted 25 times

15 Multi-layered boards and vias Inkjet printing a multilayered board Using insulating patches analyze copper layers to find intersections Using insulating layers use drill files for vias Challenges Controlled dielectric and impedance Flat surface New materials sometimes = new deposition or curing method Additional layers

16 Solder paste / Conductive epoxy Extrusion challenges Air gaps Variations in material density Paste adhesion used in PnP Conductive epoxy No/lower heat required No capillary realignment Optimal dot size high adhesion limited smudge

17 Picking and placing Reels vs Tray Similar parts? Polarity? Tray needs ergonomics Use cut tapes for two-pin parts Guide the user on part orientation Tolerances = placement errors Machine vision counters most errors Speed vs convenience Preparation Process Handling numerous package sizes

18 User interaction Complex systems need a simple interface Automation principle Assume users don t know what they are doing Clear instructions, no manual Offer a realistic preview of the result K.I.S.S.

19 Where is BotFactory going?

20 Structural / non-structural Non-structural: Standard board encased Structural: Circuits printed ON the casing Circuits ARE the casing New material = new applications (plastic, packaging material, acrylic )

21 Flexible, thin and lightweight FR4 = 75% of the weight of a PCB Lightweight, flexible circuits (eg, on Kapton) have many applications Avionics Wearables IoT Circuit adapts to different shapes Tubular devices or sensors Utility services / Oil industry Canned food sensors Wrapping sensors Bullet proof vests Ceramic insulation breaks

22 Experimentation Break free of traditional manufacturing constraints Low cost of prototype manufacturing, ultra-fast turn around time Multi-substrate: Paper, Plastics, Acrylics, FR4, Kapton Multi-layer printing Attach components to solder-able / nonsolder-able materials Improved, highly conductive ink

23 Thank you For more information, contact JF Brandon, Co-Founder, VP Sales & Marketing

24 Credits Philips logo and picture: HP logo and picture: Sony founders: Apple founders in garage: Origami birds:

Technology Overview LTCC

Sheet Code RFi0604 Technology Overview LTCC Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) is a multilayer ceramic substrate technology that allows the realisation of multiple embedded passive components (Rs,