Cu29-EMBED: A.M. of Embedded Electronics for Space and Defense

Electronics manufacturing has been locked in rigid PCBs, wiring harnesses, and supply chains. AME promised relief, but options cost $500k to $1.5M per printer, rely on fragile silver inks, and are limited to low-voltage microcircuits.

Kupros changes that paradigm. Cu29 is the first all-metal conductive filament for FDM/FFF. It achieves bulk-like conductivity of 1.226×10⁻⁵ Ω·cm, more than 48,000% higher than polymer-based filaments. It requires no post-processing and is validated on <$300 open-source and $1.5M aerospace systems for high and low voltage and high amperage.

Through the SCMC Catalyst program, Kupros is advancing Cu29 from TRL 2 to 6 by designing, printing, validating a library of embedded electronic components printed into polymers and aerospace parts. This includes fanout circuitry, SMT-standard patterns (TSSOP, QFN, QFP), inductors, thermistors, capacitors, antennas, and radiation and EMI shields, all printed without post-processing.

This session will showcase case studies and demonstrations highlighting Cu29’s versatility:
• Surface-mounted circuits and breadboard electronics produced on entry-level printers
• Integrated embedded wiring harnesses replacing traditional cabling
• Flexible circuits printed directly into polymers with functional performance
• Embedded RF antennas, including spiral and Yagi designs, along with planar & Induction coils
• Aerospace-grade mockups such as CubeSat subsystem components manufactured with embedded functionality

By merging polymers with power-grade conductive pathways, Cu29 turns FDM printers into electronics manufacturing platforms. Engineers can iterate in hours instead of months, with parts ready for integration. Adopted by NASA, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, KBR, US Army, Los Alamos National Lab, YSU, and Johns Hopkins APL, Cu29 is redefining how aerospace and defense organizations design, build, and deploy electronics.