Open Access

Robin Waltersbacher, Lukas Stiglmeier, Thomas Wendt, Olfa Kanoun

• The integration of conductive pathways into additively manufactured components offers new opportunities for functional robotic systems. Conventional Fused Filament Fabrication can be combined with the deposition of electrically conductive materials to create structural parts with embedded electrical functionality. This study presents the design, fabrication, and evaluation of fully 3D-printedThe integration of conductive pathways into additively manufactured components offers new opportunities for functional robotic systems. Conventional Fused Filament Fabrication can be combined with the deposition of electrically conductive materials to create structural parts with embedded electrical functionality. This study presents the design, fabrication, and evaluation of fully 3D-printed robotic segments featuring both external and internal conductive traces. Externally deposited silver nanoparticle conductors were fabricated utilizing a robotguided ink dispensing process, and different thermal profiles for the sintering were assessed through resistance measurements and infrared thermographic analysis. Furthermore, to investigate approaches for internal conductor integration, the thermal behavior of a wire embedded copper wire was analyzed through analytical calculations and finite element simulations. The results show that an embedded copper wire can safely carry currents of up to 8 A without exceeding material- or safety-related temperature limits. This contribution demonstrates the potential of hybrid additive manufacturing to integrate electrical and mechanical functionalities within robotic components, advancing the development of multifunctional robotics structures.…