Horizon Microtechnologies reports successful reliability tests for its passivated, metallized 3D-printed components. In a 500-hour climatic test at a constant 85 °C and 85 percent relative humidity – the established “85/85” test – the components remained unchanged in both appearance and function.
The 85/85 test is considered a standard in electronics, sensing and complex systems to artificially accelerate moisture- and temperature-related failure mechanisms. Conventional coated polymer parts often exhibit delamination, corrosion or loss of function under these conditions. Horizon, by contrast, combines polymer-based micro additive manufacturing with a conductive metallization and a proprietary passivation process designed to protect surfaces against moisture ingress.
“Our proprietary passivation process preserved coated parts with no change in appearance or integrity after 500 hours. This result demonstrate the survival of protectively coated metallised 3D printed parts in the 85/85 test, and shows that coated polymer parts can meet reliability demands once thought beyond their reach.” says CEO Andreas Frölich.
“Transparency is key,” Frölich adds. “We’re not just announcing wins, we’re building confidence. This test proves we have a solution that works, and we’re working hard to make it production-ready at scale.”
Passing the climatic test is not only about environmental resistance. It is a prerequisite for using coated polymer AM components in automotive sensors, aerospace electronics, and industrial and embedded systems in which housings and carrier structures are exposed to temperature fluctuations and humidity over many years. For designers, this can widen the scope to integrate functional structures and geometries directly in 3D printing without having to resort immediately to solid metal solutions.
The current results complement earlier qualification steps, including thermal cycling, radiation and outgassing tests. As a result, the metallized micro AM components are coming into focus for applications that have so far predominantly relied on conventionally manufactured metal or ceramic solutions. Whether, and to what extent, the technology will establish itself in series projects now depends on further long-term experience as well as cost and supply-chain aspects.
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