NextFlex是一个致力于推进美国灵活混合电子产品（FHE）生产的财团，已发布呼吁推进其事业的项目。
通过其最新的1,150万美元的项目电话，该组织正在寻找创建FES的创新方法，以解决高级制造问题，以及美国国防部。
NextFlex执行董事Malcolm Thompson博士说：“我们很高兴宣布这一新的资金为美国的高级制造开发项目提供了资金。”“ FHE的好处 - 轻巧，薄且符合性的添加性生产的电子系统正在改变我们对无处不在的电子产品的真正看法。”
“With each successive project call, the NextFlex member community moves the technology closer to commercialization and wide adoption.”
NextFlex’s DoD-backed initiatives
于2015年在空军研究实验室(AFRL) Cooperative Agreement, NextFlex is essentially a group of electronics firms, academic institutions, nonprofits and government partners, with the shared goal of facilitating FHE innovation, both as a way of making their production more sustainable and informing workplace practices.
NextFlex试图鼓励这种进步的一种方式是通过其自己的试点规模的制造线。被称为技术中心, this facility is fitted with twoITAR和FDA Quality Systems Regulation- 校正清洁室以及喷墨，气溶胶喷气机和挤出系统，以及用于设备生产，集成和测试的实验室空间。
Under its initial arrangement with the AFRL, the consortium also gained $75 million in funding, which it has since redistributed to those developing lightweight, stretchable FHEs. Over the last seven years or so, NextFlex has made a particular habit of backing those focused on the conformal 3D printing of electronics onto existing surfaces,awarding $3 million to Optomecin 2017 with this in mind.
该组织支持的其他受益人包括洛克希德·马丁, which gained a share of a1200万美元的NextFlex投资a year later, in return for compiling a database of 3D printed antenna and microwave elements, with another12个项目被授予1150万美元在2020年5月，其总支出超过1亿美元。
从那以后，小组继续enter into a cost-sharing agreementwith the AFRL, that has seen the DoD commit to providing it with up to $154 million, in order to give it the spending power necessary to support the development of advanced electronics, which can truly address US defense needs.
AFRL首席科学家理查德·维亚（Richard Vaia）当时说：“我们很高兴能继续与NextFlex及其成员合作。”“五年前不存在灵活的混合电子制造生态系统。如今，这些技术不仅为我们当前的平台提供了组件解决方案，而且还彻底改变了我们的设计概念，以实现2030年的未来转型能力。”
向创新者提供的1,150万美元
作为其最新通话行动的一部分，即七年来的第七年，NextFlex将获得最初的1,150万美元的可用资金，尽管一旦考虑到成本分布，实际的项目投资会更高。就条目而言，该财团说，它正在寻求提出有关“高优先级美国制造机会”和“新兴重要性领域”的效力的项目。
Specifically, NextFlex is encouraging applications with automotive or packaging potential, as well as those involving the R&D of novel approaches to FHE fabrication, dielectric materials or production methods, the addition of integrated circuits to electronics, making such devices more eco-friendly, the creation of soft, stretchables and wearable manufacturing.
除了其项目呼叫，该组织还使其FHE Technology Roadmap第一次公开。这些文件旨在告知NextFlex的资金优先级，其中包含有关印刷电子产品世界中当前市场机会，需求和利益相关者的信息，此外还有五年的路线图，重点是填补其确定的“技术空白”。
Through this roadmap and its latest project guidebook, the group suggests that entries should be “industrially-led” where appropriate, have a “significant US presence” and a “clear path towards commercialization.” In terms of the actual content of submissions, NextFlex says that they need to include enough detail to make methods replicable at its Technology Hub, while funding must be split 1:1.
有关项目呼叫7.0的更多详细信息将在2022年3月1日在NextFlex的冬季FHE研讨会上的提议者节和团队活动中揭示，如果需要，与会者可以提出问题并提出建议团队。该财团的申请截止日期是2022年4月14日。
Those interested in attending the event can find out more这里。
投资创新电子产品
Despite still being at a relatively early stage of commercialization, the field of electronics 3D printing continues to attract a significant amount of investor interest. Earlier this month,苏黎世旋转Scrona AG筹集了960万美元用于开发high-resolution electronics 3D printing方法,等高调的支持者Am Ventures。
Nano Dimension这是该领域的早期领导人之一，还向研发投入了大量资金。在此类倡议中，该公司共同创立了$6 million J.A.M.E.S venture与传感器专家Hensoldt2021年6月，已经看到了设计师社区的成立，旨在推进添加性生产的电子产品（AMES）。
在更商业层面，nScrypt继续投资于其发展Factory in a Tool(FiT) systems, and late last year, it launched a toolhead that enables the三轴电子设备的3D打印onto curved or irregular surfaces. To demonstrate the microdispensing capabilities of this ‘SmartPump’ device when it first came out, the firm 3D printed its own n-shaped logo onto a computer mouse.
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Featured image shows the 3D printing process used by one of NextFlex’s members to produce FHE components. Photo via NextFlex.
