Additively manufacturing functional circuits round-the-clock with little or no operator intervention is possible with the new DragonFly LDM precision additive manufacturing system from Nano Dimension.

LDM stands for Lights-Out Digital Manufacturing. This 3D printer will build electronic components such as multilayer Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), antennas, sensors and so on, round-the-clock, enabling Nano Dimension to shift from developing prototyping printers to systems that handle one-off prototypes as well as low-volume manufacturing of printed electronics. The initial customer of the DragonFly LDM was sensor and defense electronics provider HENSOLDT.

The 3D printer is for Industry 4.0 and manufacturing for the Internet of Things and is an extension of the DragonFly Pro precision system. The DragonFly LDM is already available through Nano Dimension’s global sales channel. In Germany, the launch of the DragonFly LDM was initiated by Nano Dimension’s reseller Phytec New Dimension.

Nano Dimension accomplished this shift by augmenting the capabilities of the DragonFly Pro system with new, proprietary, state-of-the-art technology that enables 24/7 uninterrupted 3D printing. Improvements include the optimization of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and better workflow and production processes of 3D printed electronics.

The DragonFly LDM automatically self-cleans its print heads every few hours and is equipped with a real-time automatic material monitoring system that ensures maximal runtime while minimizing the frequency and duration of scheduled downtime to typically just one weekly maintenance operation.

DragonFly LDM technology features and benefits:
• Long, uninterrupted printing with minimal supervision for increased uptime and productivity
• New automatic printhead mechanism and cleaning system
• Simpler and faster operation, including new warm-up plane
• Far fewer maintenance and operator interactions
• Improved yield
• Offered as an upgrade option for existing DragonFly Pro users

In the field
Defense electronics provider HENSOLDT started working with the Dragonfly PRO system in 2016 to examine the possibilities of 3D printing electronics and is still active in innovative field of technology.

For HENSOLDT, the existing working experience in realizing 3D printed multilayer circuits with the multi-material Inkjet-Process, offered by Nano Dimension, shows that a high amount of personal care is needed to keep the printer system operational. The implementation of the new LDM System allows for a significant reduction of time and cost for realizing circuits, which are needed as fast as possible.

During the common LDM-campaign HENSOLDT contributed by generating reference circuits to outline the advantages of the new LDM System.

The comparison of the realized circuits showed that the LDM system achieves about 40% higher availability.

“The DragonFly LDM helps our customers prepare for Industry 4.0. and stay competitive in a world that demands electronic devices with increasingly sophisticated features. Like its predecessor, the DragonFly Pro, it’s carefully designed for both ease-of-use and agile, faster and affordable 3D printing of functional circuitry,” said Amit Dror, CEO and co-founder at Nano Dimension. “We’re confident that the LDM will provide best in class additive manufacturing of printed electronics on the market, making it possible for companies to be more innovative, improve productivity and reliability, lower costs and reduce time-to-market.”

The DragonFly Pro can be easily upgraded to be an DragonFly LDM system, enabling current owners of the Pro to move into low-volume production.

Nano Dimension Ltd.
www.nano-di.com

HENSOLDT
www.hensoldt.net