Thermal Characterization of Electrical Resistance of 3D printed sensors

Abstract

The exploitation of Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing in the field of the sensor fabrication is abruptly rose in recent years. In this paper, new sensors manufactured using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology and two different commercial conductive filaments have been characterized from a thermal point of view. Using a climatic chamber to vary the temperature in a range between −5 °C and 50 °C, several tests were carried out showing a strong link between resistance and temperature changes. In particular, a positive correlation between resistance and temperature occurs. Different aspects due to the nature of the conductive 3D printed materials, nonconductive support structure, and the role of the air have been outlined, proving the need for subsequent thermal tests in order to exploit these low-cost devices as temperature sensors in the future.