Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have used a 3D printer to print electromagnets used in all sorts of electronic devices. According to the authors, the development could potentially revolutionize the equipment manufacturing segment.
Solenoids and electromagnets are used to create many devices, ranging from ventilators (artificial lung ventilation) to washing machines. They are based on coils with wire wound around a core. It turned out that even such structures can be recreated in 3D printing. To do this, MIT engineers had to improve the printer design.
The key problem associated with printing electromagnets is related to the different melting temperatures of their fragments. To resolve the issue, the scientists configured several printer components to operate at different temperatures. In addition, the authors of the experiment used different materials to print the elements.
For example, to create a conductive wire, plastic interspersed with metal was used. For the core – two types of plastic, one of which was supplied in the form of granules. For the dielectric used as a winding, ordinary plastic was used.
The technology made it possible to create an electromagnet with eight layers of winding using a spiral printing method. The diameter of such an element is 25 mm. In comparison with previous developments, it produced a three times greater magnetic field. In addition to a 3D printer, this method requires other equipment costing $4,000. But in the end, this could lead to simplified and cheaper electronics production.