Feasibility demonstration of 3D printing for a new efficient production method of mm-wave waveGUIDE antenna

Project Information

3DGUIDE

Grant agreement ID: 886696

DOI

10.3030/886696

Project closed

EC signature date 22 April 2020

Start date 1 September 2020

End date 31 August 2022

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 594 950,00

EU contribution

€ 530 975,00

Coordinated by

CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA - RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENT
Switzerland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - 3DGUIDE (Feasibility demonstration of 3D printing for a new efficient production method of mm-wave waveGUIDE antenna)

Reporting period: 2021-07-01 to 2022-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Flight delays result in considerable losses for the air transportation industry. Since the problem is due mainly to low visibility, enhanced flight visibility systems are progressively being installed in civil aircraft to assist pilots to land under any visibility circumstances. The EU-funded 3DGUIDE project will bring together an interdisciplinary group of world-class experts in radio frequency and antennas to demonstrate a cost-effective production method for high-precision mm-wave waveguide antennas with additive manufacturing. 3DGUIDE proposes a novel approach for manufacturing W-band radar antennas used in Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS) to considerably reduce their production cost with a potential to also decrease radar weight.
The primary objective of the 3DGUIDE is the demonstration of an efficient and affordable production method for high precision mm-wave waveguide antennas. The selected manufacturing process, Laser Powder bed fusion (L-PBF), a metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology that has been optimized for high printing resolutions at CSEM, will be benchmarked against traditional manufacturing processes (i.e. machined) through the manufacturing, testing and comparison of printed antennas and antenna elements (e.g. waveguides) using both techniques.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

D1.1 : ”Overview of mm-wave waveguide manufacturing methods”.

D2.1 : ” Complete specification for demonstrator”.

D3.1: "Demonstrator design report"

D4.1: "Demonstrator hardware"

D5.1: "Measurements report"

D6.2 : ” Plan for the Communication and Dissemination"

D6.3 : ”Plan for the exploitation of results”

D6.4 : ” Data Management Plan (DMP)”

D6.5: "Communication and Dissemination Report "

D6.6:"Exploitation Report "


- CSEM focus was on full chain process establishing for 3D printing technology.
- Pre-processing
- Establish printing parameters 3D Printing
- Post-processing
- initial parts characterization

- TTI has been focused on the following three activities:
-The design and optimization of the shorted vector array of eight slots centred at 94GHz with a uniform amplitude tapering. Two different models of this linear array have been manufactured employing traditional milling techniques. The difference between them is the employed Aluminum alloy that has been eployed for their fabrication.
-The design and optimization of the 1-to-8 distribution network to equally fed the set of linear arrays that will compose the final 2D radiating system. These component has been designed considering the measurements strategies to be used by UPM and the manufacturing limitations that the AM inherently brings.
-The design and optimization of the final bi-dimensional array of 64 elements fed by a corporate network. Combining the results of the two previous bullets, when the eight similar linear arrays are placed together, the phenomenom of mutual coupling between adjacent slots is strong and its effects must be mitigated as much as possible.
- prototype micro machined liner array.


- UPM is prepared and tested measurement setup for the 3Dprinted antenna arrays characterisation. All the prototyped in the project RF parts have been measured and compared with the theoretically estimated performance.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project targets validation in lab environment technology, which will take the TRL to 4. Although the technology will still need further development after or during the project to take it closer to the operational environment, the consortium strongly believes the technology has great potential and believes the results thereof can already have a large impact.

Nowadays, the manufacturing of this kind of components rely on the conventional milling and drilling techniques. However, during the last years the trend is to increase the frequency up to bands that the conventional manufacturing techniques may not be suitable due to the challenging tolerances and the demanded precission. Is in this point where additive manufacturing (AM) can play a very promising role, opening a vast field of opportunities in the RF and antennas world.

As expected results, the prototypes based on Additive manufacturing would be able to provide as good results as (or even better than) the traditional techniques at such high frequencies. As any other emerging technology, its study and analysis must be carefully driven to obtain valid conclussions to pave the future path to follow.

AM manufacturing comparisson table

2D antenna theoretical model

Comparisson table

3D model printing

Phase shifter concept

3D printed parts test

Antenna RF performance measurement setup block diagram