Integration of Ultrasonic Consolidation and Direct-Write to Fabricate an Embedded Electrical System Within a Metallic Enclosure

Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies

12-2010

Ludwing A. Hernandez Utah State University

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Recommended Citation Hernandez, Ludwing A., "Integration of Ultrasonic Consolidation and Direct-Write to Fabricate an Embedded Electrical System Within a Metallic Enclosure" (2010). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 780. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/780

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INTEGRATION OF ULTRASONIC CONSOLIDATION AND DIRECT-WRITE TO

FABRICATE AN EMBEDDED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WITHIN A METALLIC

ENCLOSURE

Ludwing A. Hernandez

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Mechanical Engineering

Approved:

______Dr. Brent E. Stucker Dr. Stephen A. Whitmore Major Professor Committee Member

______Dr. Leila Ladani Dr. Byron Burnham Committee Member Dean of Graduate Studies

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah

2010 ii

iii

ABSTRACT

Integration of Ultrasonic Consolidation and Direct-Write to Fabricate an Embedded

Electrical System Within a Metallic Enclosure

Ludwing A. Hernandez, Master of Science

Utah State University, 2010

Major Professor: Dr. Brent E. Stucker Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

A research project was undertaken to integrate Ultrasonic Consolitation (UC) and

Direct-Write (DW) technologies into a single apparatus to fabricate embedded electrical systems within an ultrasonically consolidated metallic enclosure. Process and design guidelines were developed after performing fundamental research on the operational capabilities of the implemented system. In order to develop such guidelines, numerous tests were performed on both UC and DW. The results from those tests, as well as the design and process guidelines for the fabrication of an embedded touch switch, can be used as a base for future research and experimentation on the UC-DW apparatus. The successful fabrication of an embedded touch switch proves the validity of the described design and process parameters and demonstrates the usefulness of this integration.

(127 pages)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First I would like to thank God for giving me the great opportunity to come to Utah

State University to do my master‘s degree. I would like to thank the Department of

Education, Science and Technology (Seescyt) of the Dominican Republic for funding my studies at Utah State University. I would like to express my gratitude for all the people that have supported me without any interests on the journey of completing this research thesis.

My most sincere thanks to Dr. Brent Stucker, to whom I owe this learning experience and great opportunity to make a contribution to science and engineering. I would like to thank him for being there for me all the time when I required his help. Dr. Stucker has been a great example and inspiration for me to improve academically as well as personally. I kindly thank Dr. Leila Ladani and Dr. Stephen Whitmore for their support and comprehension throughout the research process.

I would also like to thank the support of the manufacturers of the integrated machines

Solidica and nScrypt, especially John Ayer and Patrick Clark who helped me put together the integrate