At Germany’s 3D printing hub in Karlsruhe, Horizon Microtechnologies is redefining what’s possible in micro production. By combining the lightweight design flexibility of UV-curable polymer 3D printing with the functionality of advanced metallic coatings, Horizon delivers parts with unique and previously incompatible properties. Using Boston Micro Fabrication’s (BMF) microArch S240 system—offering 10 µm resolution—they’re unlocking powerful new capabilities for industrial customers.
Dr. Andreas Frölich, who has been working with nanoscale 3D printing for over two decades, founded Horizon with a clear vision: to give polymer-based 3D printed parts new functional properties through innovative coatings. While micro-precision 3D printing was once limited to research due to low throughput, recent advances in high-resolution additive manufacturing created an opportunity. As Dr. Frölich puts it:
“Around 2020, a gap closed between high-precision, low-throughput processes and fast, lower-resolution technologies. That breakthrough enabled us to bring our concept to industry.”
Founded in late 2021, Horizon has since been turning this vision into industrial reality.
Enabling New Properties with Coated Micro Parts
As a graduate of the ESA Business Incubation Centre Programme, Horizon has already delivered projects like 3D-printed, metal-coated radio antennas for satellites. Today, the company serves a range of industrial customers with hybrid parts produced through micro-precision 3D printing and finished with proprietary coating processes—all handled in-house, from design and printing to post-processing and coating.
Their core coating capabilities include:
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Protective Coatings: Seals parts against environmental exposure (e.g., solvents).
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Conductive Coatings: Prevents static buildup or enables low electrical currents for sensor applications.
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Metallic Coatings: Supports higher current transmission and high-frequency signal transport for electronics and RF components.
To achieve these advanced properties, ultra-smooth surfaces are essential—something made possible by BMF’s DLP-based printing technology.
Choosing PµSL for Industrial-Grade Micro Parts
For Horizon, the choice of technology was clear.
“We needed a process that could reproduce parts between the size of a thumbnail and a fist—with tolerances the width of a human hair,” says Dr. Frölich.
BMF’s Projection Micro Stereolithography (PμSL) technology checked all the boxes, offering high throughput, fine resolution, and access to a wide range of materials. The microArch S240—selected by Horizon—delivers 10 µm resolution, layer thicknesses between 10 and 40 µm, and smooth surface finishes down to 0.4 µm Ra. Its “step-and-repeat” imaging process ensures high accuracy across the entire 100 x 100 x 75 mm build area. “We can print 80 spiral structures overnight and metallize them within days,” Frölich adds.
Initial installation and training from BMF gave the Horizon team a strong foundation. Even straight out of the box, the S240 achieved tolerances of 20–30 microns relative to the CAD model.
Beyond BMF’s own resins, Horizon can qualify and use materials from other suppliers, enabling greater flexibility. They’ve standardized a process for testing new materials and developed methods to integrate printed parts with external components, backed by reliability testing to meet industrial standards.
Real-World Applications
Microfluidic Chips
Previously fabricated through complex multi-layer processes, microfluidic chips can now be printed in a single run. Horizon uses BMF’s transparent, high-temperature HTL material to allow microscope inspection. Coatings can seal the chips and incorporate conductive elements for sensors or electrodes.
Standard Gain Horn Antennas
Horizon’s coated horn antenna weighs one-sixth of a comparable metal version, yet matches its performance. Internal corrugations—easily produced with 3D printing—optimize beam direction and eliminate side lobes.
“These kinds of optimizations are nearly impossible with subtractive metal processes,” says Frölich.
Hybrid Electronic Components
From interposers and electrodes to electrical contact pins and fan-out structures, Horizon is expanding the design possibilities with 3D printing and functional coatings.
A Proven Tool for Production
After two years with the microArch S240, Frölich offers a clear verdict:
“Customers are excited by what we’re enabling in both development and production. We’ve completed nearly 100 projects so far, with batch sizes ranging from 1 to 50.”
The printer has become a true production workhorse—delivering excellent part quality with exceptional process stability.
“Customers see the value in combining micro-precision printing with functional coatings. We’re proud to offer deep expertise in materials, design, and manufacturing to bring their ideas to life,” says Frölich.“BMF’s technology has played a vital role in making this possible.”
