HARTING Uses Hot Lithography in 3D printing

HARTING AG, a provider of 3D MID (miniaturization and functional integration in electronic products) solutions, and Cubicure GmbH, a company in 3D printing, announce a collaboration to introduce 3D printing of LDS (Laser Direct Structuring) materials.

Until now, 3D printing of MID prototypes has been limited due to resolution and material compatibility, according to Harting. Printing methods such as fused filament fabrication/fused deposition modeling were affordable but had limited poor surface quality, while stereolithography/direct laser processing/selective laser sintering printing required additional manual coating steps and did not allow for defined layer thickness control, the companies report.

HARTING's new solution overcomes these challenges by using Cubicure's Hot Lithography System. This technology enables direct 3D printing of LDS materials with quality resolution and smooth surfaces. The printed material can be integrated into the existing LDS process at HARTING, resulting in savings in the production of prototypes and small series.

Benefits

• Resolution and surface quality: Enables the representation of complex component geometries in conjunction with fine conductor paths.
• LDS compatibility: Printed parts can be lasered using existing processes and then metallized.
• Solderable material: Printed components can be populated and assembled in existing equipment.
• Speed and flexibility: Rapid iteration of designs and visualization of new geometries. No need to customize molds.

The partnership between HARTING and Cubicure began in 2019 with the shared vision of integrating LDS technology into additive manufacturing. After years of collaboration, a material that enables 3D printing of LDS components is now available. Commercial use of the hot lithography process at HARTING has begun.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.