The Microwave Applications Group (GAM) and the Antennas and Propagation Lab of ITEAM have developed a prototype of an X-band microwave lens that uses entirely additive manufacturing for its implementation.
The design of the lens takes advantage of additive manufacturing to enable sectors of its volume with different electromagnetic characteristics by using different material printing densities. The lens prototype consists of 3 parts:
- A small horn that acts as the transmitting element or antenna.
- A modular structure formed by 4 sections, which, when assembled, provide support for the horn and the lens.
- The lens as a flat cylinder manufactured using porous structures that give it varying density depending on the distance from its center.
The lens has been entirely fabricated using polymeric materials with different characteristics, and autocatalytic metallization has been employed for the emitting piece. With this technology, any lens design can be implemented, and different algorithms can be used to achieve porous structures with variable density. The development also involved the participation of the AIJU Technological Institute and the CSIC Institute of Chemical Technology.
This prototype has been designed and manufactured within the framework of the CAFTAM project funded by the Valencian Agency for Innovation with reference INNEST/2022/138.
