Today’s production environment is influenced by megatrends such as customer individualization, connectivity, and digitization. This results in the need to economically manufacture mechanical components with integrated intelligence in small quantities. Simultaneously, the integration of additional functions should not hinder the pursuit of miniaturization. Additionally, there is a push for energy- and resource-efficient production due to economic and ecological considerations. Despite over 15 years of global research on process chains, especially in additive manufacturing, there is a necessity to overcome the maturity level of prototype manufacturing and demonstrate the long-term durability of the produced components.

In this project, process chains for the additive manufacturing of mechatronic test specimens are selected and implemented. The constructed test specimens undergo various stress tests, and data on failure time and failure cause are collected. The base structures are manufactured using additive manufacturing processes such as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), Digital Light Processing (DLP), Material Jetting (MJT), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and other methods. Subsequently, the components are functionalized using LDS, Inkjet, and Aerosol-Jet. The adhesion of conductive layers to the substrate and the solderability on metal structures are examined to identify unsuitable process chains.

The testing procedures are aligned with the main failure causes for electronic components, including temperature changes, vibrations, and humidity, and are supported by statistical experimental design. Based on the gathered data, general design rules will be derived to enable companies to design durable products specific to their processes, thereby facilitating the establishment of researched process chains in the industry over the years.