The Use of 3D Printing Technology for Manufacturing Metal Antennas in the 5G/IoT Context.

Autor: Helena, Diogo, Ramos, Amélia, Varum, Tiago, Matos, João N., Coves Soler, Ángela María
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Zdroj: Sensors (14248220); May2021, Vol. 21 Issue 10, p3321-3321, 1p
Abstrakt: With the rise of 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), and networks operating in the mmWave frequencies, a huge growth of connected sensors will be a reality, and high gain antennas will be desired to compensate for the propagation issues, and with low cost, characteristics inherent to metallic radiating structures. 3D printing technology is a possible solution in this way, as it can print an object with high precision at a reduced cost. This paper presents different methods to fabricate typical metal antennas using 3D printing technology. These techniques were applied as an example to pyramidal horn antennas designed for a central frequency of 28 GHz. Two techniques were used to metallize a structure that was printed with polylactic acid (PLA), one with copper tape and other with a conductive spray-paint. A third method consists of printing an antenna completely using a conductive filament. All prototypes combine good results with low production cost. The antenna printed with the conductive filament achieved a better gain than the other structures and showed a larger bandwidth. The analysis recognizes the vast potential of these 3D-printed structures for IoT applications, as an alternative to producing conventional commercial antennas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index
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