In-line measurement of the dielectric permittivity of materials during additive manufacturing and 3D data reconstruction

image depicting the intrinsic frequency peripheral contributions and systematic considerations

An Oxford based team has integrated a novel split ring resonator surface mapping technique directly into an Additive Manufacturing process to make non-destructive in-line measurements of the local relative dielectric permittivity within 3D objects as they are formed.

The paper, published in Additive Manufacturing, describes the details of the dielectric imaging principle, data processing/analysis, and the limitations and opportunities related to the technique.

The work aims to accelerate the design-make-test cycle for advanced microwave devices, and suggests the possibility for real-time closed-loop control of dielectric properties using Additive Manufacturing.