• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.279-285
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• 2022

Recently, 3D printing technology has gained increased attention in the manufacturing industry because it allows the manufacturing of complex but sophisticated structures as well as moderate production speed. Owing to advantages of 3D printers, such as flexible design, customization, rapid prototyping, and ease of access, can also be advantageous to sensor developments, 3D printing demands have increased in various active device fields, including sensor manufacturing. In particular, 3D printing technology is of significant interest in tactile sensor development where piezoelectric materials are typically embedded to acquire voltage signals from external stimuli. In regard with piezoelectricity, researchers have worked with various piezoelectric materials to achieve high piezoelectric response, but the structural approach is limited because ceramics have been regarded as challenging materials for complex design owing to their limited manufacturing methods. If appropriate piezoelectric materials and approaches to design are used, sensors can be fabricated with the improved piezoelectric response and high sensitivity that cannot be found in common bulk materials. In this study, various 3D printing technologies, material combinations, and applications of various piezoelectric sensors using the 3D printing method are reviewed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 2020

In this paper, the performances of the electrical characteristics of the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D-printed flexible resistance sensor was evaluated. The FDM 3D printing flexible resistive sensor is composed of flexible-material thermoplastic polyurethane and a conductive PLA (carbon black conductive polylactic acid) polymer. While 3D printing, polymer filaments heat up quickly before being extruded and cooled down quickly. Polymers have poor thermal conductivity so the heating and cooling causes unevenness, which then results in internal stress on the printed parts due to the rapidity of the heating and cooling. Electrical resistance measurements show that the 3D-printed flexible sensor is unstable due to internal stress, so the 3D-printed flexible sensor resistance curve does not match the increases and decreases in the displacement curve. Therefore, annealing was performed to eliminate the mismatch between electrical resistance and displacement. Annealing eliminates residual stress on the sensor, so the electrical resistance of the sensor increases and decreases in proportion to displacement. Additionally, the resistance is lowered in comparison to before annealing. The results of this study will be very useful for the fabrication of various devices that employ 3D-printed flexible sensor that have multiple degrees of freedom and are not limited by size and shape.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.283-287
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• 2022

Stretchable strain sensors have been developed for potential future applications including wearable devices and health monitoring. For practical implementation of stretchable strain sensors, their stability and repeatability are one of the important aspects to be considered. In this work, we utilized 3D printed polymer structures having kirigami patterns to improve the stretchability and reduce the hysteresis. The polymer structures were coated with graphene/carbon nanofiber hybrids to make a robust electrical network. The stretchable strain sensors showed a high gauge of 36 at a strain of 32%. Because of the kirigami structures and the robust graphene/carbon nanofiber coating, the sensors also exhibited stable resistance responses at various strains ranging from 1% to 30%.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2020

Recently, to improve convenience, flexible electronics are quickly being developed for a number of application areas. Flexible electronic devices comprise characters such as being bendable, stretchable, foldable, and wearable. Effectively manufacturing flexible electronic devices requires high efficiency, low costs, and simple processes for manufacturing technology. Through this study, we enabled the rapid production of multifunctional flexible bending sensors using a simple, low-cost Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer. Furthermore, we demonstrated the possibility of the rapid production of a range of functional flexible bending sensors using a simple, low-cost FDM 3D printer. Accurate and reproducible functional materials made by FDM 3D printers are an effective tool for the fabrication of flexible sensor electronic devices. The 3D-printed flexible bending sensor consisted of polyurethane and a conductive filament. Two patterns of electrodes (straight and Hilbert curve) for the 3D printing flexible sensor were fabricated and analyzed for the characteristics of bending displacement. The experimental results showed that the straight curve electrode sensor sensing ability was superior to the Hilbert curve electrode sensor, and the electrical conductivity of the Hilbert curve electrode sensor is better than the straight curve electrode sensor. The results of this study will be very useful for the fabrication of various 3D-printed flexible sensor devices with multiple degrees of freedom that are not limited by size and shape.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.554-561
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• 2024

Micro light-emitting diodes (µLEDs) have been utilized in various fields such as displays, and smart devices, due to their superior stabilities. Since the applications of the µLEDs have been extended to medical devices and wearable sensors, excellent optical properties and uniformity of the µLEDs are important. Hence, several researchers have investigated to enhance the optical efficiency of the µLEDs through micro/nano lens. However, the reported methods for realizing the micro/nano lens have some drawbacks such as complex and high-cost manufacturing processes. Herein, we developed µLEDs with 3D-printed hydrogel microlenses. The printed hydrogel had high transparency and excellent adhesive strength, allowing it to attach onto top surface of the µLEDs without any additional adhesives. Microscale printing technology using a 3D printer achieved quick and fine printing in desired shapes and arrangements, showing the possibility of mass production. The 3D-printed microlens can be applied to improve not only the optical properties of µLEDs but also other optical devices.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.388-394
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• 2021

The conventional microelectromechanical system (MEMS) process has been used to fabricate sensors with high costs and high-volume productions. Emerging 3D printing can utilize various materials and quickly fabricate a product using low-cost equipment rather than traditional manufacturing processes. 3D printing also can produce the sensor using various materials and design its sensing structure with freely optimized shapes. Hence, 3D printing is expected to be a new technology that can produce sensors on-site and respond to on-demand demand by combining it with open platform technology. Therefore, this paper reviews three standard 3D printing technologies, such as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Direct Ink Writing (DIW), and Digital Light Processing (DLP), which can apply to the sensor fabrication process. The review focuses on strain/load sensors having both sensing material features and structural features as well. NCPC (Nano Carbon Piezoresistive Composite) is also introduced as a promising 3D material due to its favorable sensing characteristics.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.198-204
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• 2019

In this study, we propose a wearable force sensor using 3D printed mold and liquid metal. Liquid metal, such as Galinstan, is one of the promising functional materials in stretchable electronics known for its intrinsic mechanical and electronic properties. The proposed soft force sensor measures the external force by the resistance change caused by the cross-sectional area change. Fused deposition modeling-based 3D printing is a simple and cost-effective fabrication of resilient elastomers using liquid metal. Using a 3D printed microchannel mold, 3D multichannel Galinstan microchannels were fabricated with a serpentine structure for signal stability because it is important to maintain the sensitivity of the sensor even in various mechanical deformations. We performed various electro-mechanical tests for performance characterization and verified the signal stability while stretching and bending. The proposed sensor exhibited good signal stability under 100% longitudinal strain, and the resistance change ranged within 5% of the initial value. We attached the proposed sensor on the finger joint and evaluated the signal change during various finger movements and the application of external forces.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.681-686
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• 2022

In this study, a scintillation resin for 3D printing was fabricated with 1.0 wt% of PPO organic scintillator, 5.0 wt% of MMA, and commercial acrylic resin. Using the scintillation resin, 3D-shaped plastic scintillator radiation sensors were successfully fabricated quickly and inexpensively with a commercial 3D DLP printer. The 3D printed plastic scintillator has a good dose-output linearity of R-square 0.998 was obtained in the range of 1 to 10 nA of beam current of the 45 MeV proton beam. The developed 3D plastic scintillator has low light output, so there is a limit to its use in low-dose-rate gamma-ray or X-ray dosimetry. However, it was confirmed that the tissue equivalent material could be usefully used for measuring high energy or high dose rates radiation, such as proton beams and ultra-high dose rate beams.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.407-413
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• 2019

Using 3D printing technology, we created a biomimetic water strider robot that can monitor environments. We found ways to increase the bearing capacity of the fluid-driven water strider robot by conducting experiments then comparing with more stable robots. The controller of the robot is based on Arduino, and can be controlled wirelessly with a Bluetooth module. The speed of the robot is 7.37 cm/s, and the bearing capacity is 29 g. A lithium polymer battery that can be charged with a solar cell was used as a power source, and both the charging and driving times were also explored.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.420-426
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• 2024

This study proposes an innovative methodology for developing flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) capable of conforming to three-dimensional shapes, meeting the increasing demand for electronic circuits in diverse and complex product designs. By integrating a traditional flat plate-based fabrication process with a subsequent three-dimensional thermal deformation technique, we have successfully demonstrated an FPCB that maintains stable electrical characteristics despite significant shape deformations. Using a modified polyimide substrate along with Ag flake-based conductive ink, we identified optimized process variables that enable substrate thermal deformation at lower temperatures (~130℃) and enhance the stretchability of the conductive ink (ε ~30%). The application of this novel FPCB in a prototype 3D-shaped sensor device, incorporating photosensors and temperature sensors, illustrates its potential for creating multifunctional, shape-adaptable electronic devices. The sensor can detect external light sources and measure ambient temperature, demonstrating stable operation even after transitioning from a planar to a three-dimensional configuration. This research lays the foundation for next-generation FPCBs that can be seamlessly integrated into various products, ushering in a new era of electronic device design and functionality.