Israeli Defense backs Nano Dimension to develop 3D ceramic materials

BENGALURU: Israel’s Nano Dimension, whose focus is in the field of 3D printed electronics, said that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nano Dimension Technologies has received a budget from MEIMAD committee of the Israel Innovation Authority.

MEIMAD is a joint venture of the Innovation Authority, Ministry of Finance and the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure of the Ministry of Defense. The goal of the program is to promote military, defense, and commercial R&D of dual use technologies, which will contribute to national security, yet possess financial potential.

According to the press release, the budget will be used to finance a project to develop 3D printing of advanced ceramic materials in inkjet technology. The total approved budget for this project is NIS 1.4 million (approximately $372,000), of which the Israel Innovation Authority will finance 50%. The terms of the grant provide that the company will pay royalties on future sales of any funded technology up to the full grant amount.

The mechanical strength and thermal resistance properties of the ceramic materials make them a crucial element used for a variety of needs in the aerospace and aviation sectors. The technologies available today to create ceramic elements are expensive, time consuming from the design stage until final assembly, and do not support the creation of complex structures.

Nano Dimension's 3D printing technology enables the creation of precise 3D manufacturing, while using a variety of different materials through a single manufacturing process. The combination of a fast manufacturing process together with high printing resolution and multi materials, results in the ability to manufacture elements with advanced properties. Nano Dimension's technology has the potential to create the next generation of ceramic elements for the aerospace and aviation sectors.

An example of one of the many applications of 3D printed ceramic materials, is using the ceramic material as the dielectric material used to print PCBs. This usage is potentially revolutionary, since the insulation and mechanical strength properties of the ceramic material are infinitely better than the properties of the materials currently used in the PCB industry.