EPRI team wins top honors at ASME INTERPACK 2024 for additive in-mold electronics advancements
Published: Oct 23, 2024 11:00 AM
By Jeremy Henderson
The research team within the newly established Auburn University Electronics Packaging Research Institute (EPRI) is working to turn science fiction into reality by embedding electronic controls directly into car surfaces — and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is taking notice.
EPRI Director Pradeep Lall, the John and Anne MacFarlane Endowed Distinguished Professor and Alumni Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and mechanical engineering graduate research assistants Adita Harsha and Fatahi Musa, were recently recognized for their groundbreaking work in additive in-mold electronics (IME) at the prestigious ASME INTERPACK conference. Led by Lall, the team secured both first and third place in the Nasser Grayeli Best Poster Award category.
The NextFlex-funded research focuses on developing innovative additive manufacturing (AM) processes for integrating human-machine interfaces within automotive platforms. (Think circuits and sensors printed directly on your car’s dashboard and steering wheel.)
According to Lall, the technology has the potential to revolutionize vehicle interiors by seamlessly embedding electronic functionality into surfaces like steering wheels and armrests.
"Currently, many interior surfaces in vehicles primarily serve an aesthetic purpose," Lall said. "Additive IME allows us to merge form and function, paving the way for a new generation of human-machine interfaces."
The first-place poster, "Impact of Thermal Cycling on the Reliability of In-Mold Direct Write Additively Printed Integrators and Active Lowpass Filter," showcased the team's success in achieving Grade-3 automotive reliability standards using AM processes for conformal in-mold electronics; the breakthrough was demonstrated through a steering wheel with integrated electronics.
The third-place award-winning poster, "Performance of Oscillator Circuit in Additive In-Mold Electronics for Automotive Applications," highlighted the development of screen-printed AM IME circuits for oscillator applications, using an automotive armrest as a demonstrator.
"Demonstrating oscillator functionality in thermoformed substrates is a significant achievement," Lall said. "These awards underscore the leading-edge research conducted at Auburn University and its impact on advanced manufacturing."
Media Contact: , jdh0123@auburn.edu, 334-844-3591
From left: Aditya Harsha, Pradeep Lall and Fatahi Musa at ASME INTERPACK 2024.
