Utilization of Additive Manufacturing for the Rapid Prototyping of C-Band Radiofrequency Loads

• Published in: Instruments (Basel) Vol. 7; no. 3; p. 23
• Main Authors: Mathesen, Garrett, Wehner, Charlotte, Merrick, Julian, Shirley, Bradley, Agustsson, Ronald, Berry, Robert, Diego, Amirari, Nanni, Emilio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 23-08-2023
• Subjects: 3D printing; Additive manufacturing; Aerospace industry; C band; Circuit design; Company structure; Composite materials; Design; Design and construction; direct metal laser sintering; Laser sintering; Lasers; Load; Manufacturing; Methods; Radio equipment; Radio frequency; Rapid prototyping; RF load; Simulation; Stainless steel; United States
• ISSN: 2410-390X; 2410-390X
• DOI: 10.3390/instruments7030023

Additive manufacturing is a versatile technique that shows promise in providing quick and dynamic manufacturing for complex engineering problems. Research has been ongoing into the use of additive manufacturing for potential applications in radiofrequency (RF) component technologies. Here, we present a method for developing an effective prototype load produced from 316L stainless steel on a direct metal laser sintering machine. The model was tested using simulation software to verify the validity of the design. The load structure was manufactured by an online digital manufacturing company, showing the viability of using easily accessible tools to manufacture RF structures. The produced load was able to produce an S11 value of −22.8 dB at a C-band frequency of 5.712 GHz while under a vacuum. In a high-power test, the load was able to terminate a peak power of 8.1 MW. The discussion includes future applications of the present method and how it will help to improve the implementation of future accelerator concepts.