Aerosol Jet Printing 5-Axis toolpath generating software for printing Hard X-Ray Photoelectric Polarimeter Detector Assemblies

Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)

Description

A key advantage of Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) is the ability to print circuitry and devices directly onto and over curved surfaces, requiring the use of a 5-axis printer, which requires more precise communication between software toolpaths and the hardware to enable printing custom designs on substrates of various shapes. All 3D structures and toolpaths to be printed on those structures must be converted from CAD (Computer-Aided Design) coordinates to CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) coordinates so that the software can interpret where the substrate and all objects are for printing, then these coordinates need post-processing to translate to a toolpath that can be printed. This project proposes a streamlined approach to creating 5-axis printing toolpaths that will involve using the same software for CAD and CAM coordinates (i.e. Creo parametric), and then uses a MATLAB script to convert CAM coordinates to an Optomec printing toolpath. This will omit the need for multiple softwares, often causing conversion errors and slowing down the toolpath and alignment process. Printing Hard X-ray Photoelectric Polarimeter detector readout strips is a project that requires printing over a large curve, smoothly and seamlessly, and thus is an excellent candidate for proving and honing the usability of a streamlined 5-axis toolpath generation system.

Benefits

Printing HXPP detector strip directly onto 90 degree curved surface
Custom printing of sensors, patch antennae, interconnects, supercapacitors, GPS transmission lines, wherever needed, on various substrates of various shapes
Conserve mass budgets for space missions by printing circuitry on existing hardware

Details

Technology area	Materials, Structures, Mechanical Systems, and Manufacturing
Program	Center Independent Research & Development: GSFC IRAD (GSFC IRAD)
Lead organization	Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Start date	2022-10-01
End date	2023-09-30

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

David H Richardson — david.h.richardson@nasa.gov
Keith M Jahoda — keith.m.jahoda@nasa.gov
Margaret H Samuels — margaret.h.samuels@nasa.gov
Beth M Paquette — beth.m.paquette@nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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