Nano Dimension emerged with its Additive Manufacturing Electronics (AME) know-how – a course of that carries similarities to PolyJet 3D printing know-how in the best way it lays down materials to provide parts like printed circuit boards.
Again then, the corporate was considerably of an trade minnow, working inside a distinct segment of a distinct segment. In newer years, you would be forgiven for forgetting that Nano even nonetheless dabbled within the space of AME, given its give attention to inorganic development by way of a collection of high-profile acquisitions, such because the latest offers involving Desktop Steel and Markforged.
Because it entered 2025 with a brand new management, it grew to become obvious that there can be a lot change at Nano this 12 months. Already the corporate is exploring the strategic alternate options for Desktop Steel, and the Admatec, DeepCube, Fabrica, and Formatec companies have all been shut down.
One enterprise exercise that appears set to stay is the AME providing. So, TCT lately caught up with Nir Sade [NS], Nano Dimension’s Normal Supervisor AME, to debate the present standing of AME and the alternatives transferring ahead.
TCT: Nir, Nano Dimension got here to market with its Additive Manufacturing Electronics know-how round a decade in the past. Remind us how the know-how works.
NS: We’re utilizing two inks – one a conductive ink, silver nanoparticle, and the second is the dielectric ink, which is a polymer-based acrylate that’s UV curable – printing each concurrently, layer over layer, and utilizing a digital file much like the 3D printing of mechanical elements. After which on the finish, we’ve a useful digital machine which is prepared for the meeting half alongside the road.
Much like additive manufacturing, it allows freedom of design, on-site manufacturing, in-house proof of ideas, decreasing dramatically the time to market.
TCT: You talked about the supplies that you’ll be able to course of in the present day. Are you able to share extra concerning the capabilities of these supplies?
NS: First, our focus in the previous few years has been on the event of supplies as a result of we’re aiming for useful units and as we’re aiming in the direction of offering an industrial grade answer, we totally perceive that supplies are key, and that we have to develop supplies that may carry out very equally to supplies within the conventional manufacturing, and in some circumstances higher.
Now, the supplies that we’ve in our providing in the present day are two supplies. One is that this silver nanoparticle conductive ink, suspended in a solvent ink, printed utilizing inkjet after which dried and sintered utilizing IR vitality, enabling us to get to a conductivity stage of about 35%. This isn’t full aligned with present trade [standards] however for all kinds of purposes, this property is nice sufficient, and on our roadmap, we’re creating modifications to the fabric and to the printing course of so as to get to increased conductivities, to a sure stage that may cowl about 90% of the purposes on the market.
The dielectric materials, in the meantime, supplies the mechanical a part of the design, in addition to the dielectric properties. In the previous few years, we have been centered primarily on the event of a brand new dielectric materials that may allow mechanical and thermal properties which might be, I might say, much like the trade normal. The trade normal is an FR-4 materials, a flame retardant materials, and this materials is present process some processes, reminiscent of solder reflow for the part meeting at 240 to 260 levels. Our present materials allows solder reflow as much as 170 to 190 levels and we at the moment are at a buyer testing of the brand new materials that will probably be accessible very shortly.
TCT: You have talked about that the adoption cycle of AME includes an schooling section – so what does the corporate proffer as the important thing benefits of AME vs standard strategies of manufacture?
NS: I might begin with an actual market instance. The discussions we’ve had with defence prospects, they wish to develop a brand new digital machine, particularly an antenna for airborne units, and so they have determined, with this growth of this new machine, to begin from scratch with AME. Why? As a result of they understood that it’ll allow them to get higher advantages with reference to having a light-weight machine neutralisation, but in addition higher efficiency with a shorter time to market.
Manufacturing with conventional, every iteration takes months. Utilizing AME they’ll print the primary iteration, make a number of designs with some minor modifications, after which check them , decreasing growth time dramatically. Second, utilizing 3D, they’ll get higher efficiency. And third, they be taught that the hole between simulation to the top result’s decrease.
They’ve examined the enterprise case of this antenna, and so they realised, as that is low quantity, producing it with AME can be extra price environment friendly than utilizing a standard manufacturing.
TCT: How is the corporate working to enhance its AME providing transferring ahead?
NS: First, we are going to return once more to supplies. We see supplies and printing processes as crucial in going to extra industrial options and providing wider software alternatives, so we are going to proceed to speculate increasingly more on supplies. However additional on, as we’re aiming in the direction of extra industrial software – transferring from low TRL, prototyping options to low quantity manufacturing, [we need] a full end-to-end answer, increased productiveness, closed loop course of management, and better yield. And, clearly, software program instruments that may allow customers to go from design to manufacturing.
TCT: Lately, Nano Dimension has been concerned in a number of mergers and acquisitions – how vital does AME stay for the enterprise?
NS: Clearly, I can’t elaborate on the acquisitions and so forth, however I can say, and I’ll say, that Nano dimension sees AME as a part of its core. Nano Dimension was constructed on AME. This was the place to begin, and it’s going to proceed and keep a core a part of the Nano Dimension technique.
TCT: Lastly, what’s the market alternative for AME?
NS: Based mostly on some market analysis that we have been doing, this can be a few billions greenback marketplace for the top of this decade. Clearly, that is dependent, in a manner, on the adoption of the market and on our providing, however I do consider that with our newest developments, primarily in supplies, that is opening new purposes. We see increased curiosity from prospects when they’re uncovered to those new properties. As we see it, the numerous development has not materialised but, primarily due to supplies. That is clear, and that is the rationale why we’ve spent a lot and invested a lot on supplies in the previous few years.
