Stratasys, Ltd. (SSYS) & Xerox Corporation (XRX) – Electronics: The Next 3-D Printing Frontier

The chiplets can be microprocessors, computer memory, or microelectromechanical systems, which can sense heat, pressure, or motion.

Given Xerox Corporation (NYSE:XRX)’s past innovations – laser printing, photocopying, and the graphical user interface – its progress certainly bears watching.

The University of Warwick (U.K): created a conductive plastic composite

This development doesn’t involve 3-D printing of electronic circuitry. It’s a materials development that allows for the 3-D printing of electronic items.

University researchers have created a simple and inexpensive conductive plastic composite – dubbed “carbomorph” — that can produce electronic devices using 3-D printers, including the lower-cost consumer printers.

The composite — per the University of Warwick — “enables users to lay down electronic tracks and sensors as part of a 3D printed structure – allowing the printer to create touch-sensitive areas for example, which can then be connected to a simple electronic circuit board. So far the team has used the material to print objects with embedded flex sensors or with touch-sensitive buttons such as computer game controllers or a mug which can tell how full it is.”

As this development attests, the growing importance of 3-D printing will not only spur advances in 3-D printing technology, but also in materials science.

Takeaway

Given the prevalence and importance of electronics in today’s world, the 3-D printing of electronics is surely the next 3-D printing frontier. The developments of the three entities highlighted, as well as others, bear watching.

And given the 3-D printing industry’s merger and acquisition environment, it seems likely one or more of the majors could be interested in adding 3-D electronics printing capabilities to its (their) fold(s).

I’ll be keeping an eye on this space.

BA McKenna has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Stratasys, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSYS). The Motley Fool owns shares of Stratasys, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSYS).

The article Electronics: The Next 3-D Printing Frontier originally appeared on Fool.com.

BA is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network — entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.

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