3D Printed Smart Luminous Artifacts

The Additive Manufacturing (AM) industry is investing more and more in 3D Printing, which has opened new paths and opportunities in the field of Smart Manufacturing, providing previously unfathomable technological innovations in every sector. This paper presents a robust methodology approach to empower users through low-cost and Do-It-Yourself activities for rapid prototyping of Smart Luminous Artifacts using different AM technologies as follows: a) Stereolithography (SLA) was used for the fabrication of the 3D printed transparent artifact which is printed using optical transparent resin, b) multi-functional ink-jet circuit printing using silver nanoparticle inks on plastic substrates for producing hybrid Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) with unique geometry and interconnect architecture with various levels of component embedding, and c) Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology for printing the electronics housing. In the case of the printed PCB electrodes, a process optimization study was performed at annealing temperatures of 180, 200, 220 ℃ for 30 min. The macro- and micro-morphology of the PCB printed electrodes were investigated by Stereo-Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) respectively, while the printed electrode thickness was calculated by exploiting auto-focus track tool of inVia Raman Spectroscopy. The customised 3D printed parts were assembled under simplicity and low power consumption, to create the 3D printed Smart Luminous Artifacts, which are combined with advanced IoT functionalities in order to be controllable via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth by a user-friendly mobile application. This methodology approach is ideal for being followed by educators in high schools, colleges and universities to train the students and engineers on co-creation and co-design using digital manufacturing technologies.