Innovative component positioning method for thermoformed electronics

Abstract

This research presents an innovative method to accurately and repeatedly position electronic components in thermoformed electronics. The paper focuses on 3D shaped electronics, which are made up of stretchable metal structures integrated into thermoformable material. We used the degree of freedom theory to develop a design method that allows us to build the circuit in 2D in such a way that there is only one possible position for electronic components in the final 3D shape after thermoforming the sample. As a result, we have a reproducible design process for thermoformed electronics. We have assessed the result of the fabricated samples by measuring the 3D coordinates of the components on the 3D shaped design using a 3D scanner. The results proved that we have a repeatable component positioning methodology.