Neotech AMT and FAPS win TÜV SÜD Innovation Award 2019 for fully additive 3D printed electronics

 

For the third time, TÜV SÜD's innovation prize honours successful cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research institutions. The 2019 winners are Neotech AMT GmbH and the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Factory Automation and Production Systems (FAPS). Together, they have developed a manufacturing technology with which mechatronic systems can be 3D printed “fully additively”.

"This year's award winners impressively demonstrate how small and medium-sized businesses, together with a research partner, can successfully develop new technologies – showing how important SMEs are to shaping the future of our country. That's exactly what we want to show with the TÜV SÜD Innovation Award and congratulations to the innovative winning teams," said Prof Dr Axel Stepken, chairman of the board of TÜV SÜD AG, at the award ceremony in the Munich headquarters.

With the award, TÜV SÜD specifically promotes companies that have developed a product or service together with a research institution and have already successfully introduced it to the market. "With this award, we want to promote research collaborations and convince more SMEs that they can increase their innovative strength together with a scientific partner: our Innovation Award creates public awareness of these important technology collaborations," emphasised Professor Stepken.

Neotech AMT has revolutionised the manufacturing of mechatronic systems by combining 3D printing of structural components with full electronic functionality. The five-axis technology makes it possible to manufacture complex 3D mechatronic products direct from CAD models: the manufacture of housings and printed circuits as well as the assembly of electronic components are integrated in a single system. The advantages: Time savings, cost reduction, higher precision and more environmentally friendly production. Cooperation partner on the scientific side is the Department of Factory Automation and Production Systematics (FAPS) at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg. The scientists, led by Prof Jörg Franke, support Neotech’s developments with their pool of systems and measuring instruments and provide concrete support in software development.

Dr Martin Hedges, managing director of Neotech AMT: "Collaboration with FAPS has tremendously accelerated our development work. Not only do we work faster and better, we also pooled resources and effectively used synergies. The success proves us right: The demand for our 3D print systems is constantly increasing across a number of industry sectors."

Caption: A fully additive 3D printed LED (photo: Neotech AMT)