3D printing side-mounting technology lets you pack more functions on circuit boards

Nano Dimension Ltd., a leading additive electronics provider announced side mounting technology for additively manufactured printed circuit boards (PCBs). With the DragonFly Precision Additive Manufacturing System, the novel technology can print and solder components to the top, bottom and sides of the PCB, resulting in as much as a 50% increase in board space when compared with traditionally manufactured PCBs.

The extra space afforded through side mounting allows design engineers to pack more functions on the circuit board.

“For applications like the IoT where innovation is paramount, creating new electronic products in shapes and sizes that were never before possible is liberating for design engineers,” said Amit Dror, CEO of Nano Dimension. “Because of this added real estate, more functionality can be generated from sides of the board that can also be used to connect with additional boards.”

Another important enablement of side mounting is the ability to create a specialized PCB that plugs into a socket mounted on a motherboard. By printing this board and inserting it into the cavity of a second board, users can customize applications based on a generic motherboard.

Side mounting suits applications with modular antennas, creating non-standard packaging and innovative IoT devices. Future potential applications and benefits of side mounting technology include printing a horizontal ground layer on the Z-axis, enabling the DragonFly Pro to produce higher performance antennas or multiple antennas with varying voltages within the board. This not only saves space but also creates limitless design possibilities.

Nano Dimension Ltd.
www.nano-di.com