Additive manufacturing and phased arrays — Applications and benefits of a new capability

Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology, aided by open source collaboration, has rapidly advanced in the past 10 years. New application areas are being explored because of AM's low prototype development cost and ability to build structures that cannot be realized with subtractive manufacturing. The Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) has a 3-year Science and Technology program aimed at embedding electronics and RF structures using AM with an overall goal of printing a Ku-band phased array with complex geometries and enhanced capabilities. The program, Printable Materials with Embedded Electronics (PRIME2) is exploring AM for RF purposes, including addressing materials testing, with an overall goal of answering the question of where AM can benefit electro-magnetics technology areas and where limitations exist. This paper will include motivation and background information, current efforts, and plans for the development of a Ku-band array.