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Single-Step Plasma Jet Printing for Advanced Electronics Manufacturing

Space Foundry enables direct printing of conductors and dielectrics on flat, curved, and complex 3D surfaces with no pre- or post-treatment. Our platform supports desktop systems, conformal printing systems, OEM printhead integration, and printed service programs for aerospace, defense, electronics, and advanced manufacturing customers.

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8granted patents
20+publications
15+global installations
3core product platforms
Conformal antenna printing application on aerospace structures
Why Space Foundry
Single-step process Dry printing with no curing and strong adhesion
Product coverage Desktop printer, conformal printer, and OEM printhead integration
Commercial flexibility Equipment sales, lease, OEM integration, and printed service
Built for customer programs requiring rapid process development, pilot manufacturing, conformal electronics, antennas, EMI shielding, and advanced printed structures.
Featured Media

Recent coverage and technical stories

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NASA and Space-Based Printing Coverage

Explore feature stories about microgravity testing, space manufacturing, and printable electronics development.

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Printed Electronics and Industry Press

Read industry articles covering plasma-based printing, 3D electronics, and advanced manufacturing applications.

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Commercialization and Startup Stories

See how Space Foundry has been featured across startup, research, and commercialization media platforms.

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Technology

How Plasma Jet Printing works

Space Foundry’s patented plasma jet printing process aerosolizes metal-ion inks, introduces them into a reactive plasma environment, performs in-situ reduction, and deposits conductive material directly onto the target surface in dry form.

Plasma Jet 1
Plasma jet on planar surface
Plasma jet 2
Plasma jet on curved surface
    Role of Plasma
  • Charged particles, neutrals and free radicals are generated which are then accelerated towards the substrate by the electromagnetic field.
  • Activation of the material to be printed and the surface to be coated/
  • Enhance the adhesion
  • Precise control over thickness and morphology
  • Ability to tailor material properties in-situ (both electronic and morphology)
  • Enables orientation independence giving ability to print upside down or in any direction in dry form
  • Provides true single-step solution without pre and post treatment

Single-step process

Print conductive and dielectric materials without separate pre-treatment or post-curing workflows.

Conformal printing

Deposit electronics on curved, vertical, and complex 3D surfaces for advanced manufacturing use cases.

Strong adhesion

Plasma activation supports reliable adhesion and improved compatibility across multiple substrates.

Orientation independence

Print in multiple orientations, including non-planar geometries that challenge conventional methods.

Multi-material capability

Support copper, silver, and dielectric printing workflows for antennas, sensors, and related structures.

Reduced manufacturing complexity

Replace multi-step print, cure, align, and repeat cycles with a simpler direct-write approach.

Applications

Conformal Printing of Electronics on Any Substrates

The platform is designed for use cases where conventional additive methods struggle with curved surfaces, adhesion, orientation, thickness building, or process complexity.

Aerospace & Defense

Conformal antennas, frequency selective surfaces, electromagnetic shielding, and RF structures for aircraft, UAVs, missiles, and related platforms.

Automotive

Electronics integrated into curved vehicle surfaces, including LiDAR heaters, conformal antennas, and sensor structures.

In-space Manufacturing

Emerging use cases for in-space manufacturing (ISM) of electronic components for both space and terrestrial applications. We will enable in space metallization for a broad range of applications.

Robotics & Autonomy

Printed sensors, EMI shielding, and communication features integrated into robotic platforms and autonomous systems.

Medical & Wearables

A future pathway for conformal electronics in sensors, monitoring devices, implants, and wearable systems.

Advanced R&D

Desktop and pilot systems for research institutions, prototyping teams, and feasibility programs exploring next-generation electronics manufacturing.

Application Demonstrations

Robotic Arm Integrated Plasma Printing

Automated plasma jet printing integrated with robotic systems for advanced conformal electronics manufacturing.

Zero Gravity Printing Demonstration

Demonstration of plasma jet printing technology tested under micro-gravity conditions for in-space manufacturing applications.

Plasma Jet Printing Technology Overview

Products

Systems for R&D, pilot work, and industrial integration

Space Foundry offers multiple hardware configurations, from desktop development systems to robotic and gantry integrations for large-format conformal printing.

Desktop System
Product Platform

Desktop System

A compact platform for R&D, process development, and proof of concept multi-material printing on planar surface.

  • Corporate R&D
  • University research
  • Process development
Conformal Electronics
Product Platform

Conformal Printer

Printing of electronic materials on non-planar surfaces. Antennas, sensors, RF structures, and conductive patterns printed directly on complex 3D surfaces.

  • Printed antennas
  • Frequency selective surfaces
  • Inner mold layer (IML) and Outer mold layer (OML printing)
  • Sensors & RF structures
Roll-to-Roll Systems
Product Platform

Roll-to-Roll Systems

Continuous printing configurations for flexible substrates. Multi-material printing and pilot scale demonstration.

  • Flexible electronics
  • Continuous workflows
  • Production scalability
Robotic Arm Integration
Product Platform

Robotic Arm Integration

Conformal printing integrated into robotic workflows for complex geometries and advanced aerospace manufacturing tasks.

  • Complex 3D parts
  • Upside down printing
  • OEM integration
  • Sinle step & Orientation independence
Large Gantry Systems
Product Platform

Large Gantry Systems

Industrial-scale systems for printing on large structures such as aircraft surfaces, radomes, and composite assemblies.

  • Large-format parts
  • Aerospace structures
  • Production integration

Lease Offer – Desktop Printer (available for immediate installation)

6‑month lease program for short‑term projects, evaluations, and feasibility studies.

Total Lease Cost: $22,500

Includes shipping, installation, on‑site training, and customer support.

Software Capabilities

Technical Datasheets

Review product highlights, preview each datasheet, and unlock downloads after submitting your contact details. This section is designed to support lead generation for equipment sales and technical follow-up.

Visitors must complete the form below before download links are enabled. Once submitted, the download buttons are unlocked for the three PDF datasheets.

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Download Desktop Printer PDF Download Conformal Printer PDF Download OEM Print Head PDF
Services

Printed Service and Custom Process Development

We do custom process development and end‑to‑end printed service for customers who prefer to have printing done by Space Foundry either in our plant or directly in their production facility. We develop a complete process for printing customer‑defined patterns with required technical specifications and print them onto the platform of their choice. This contract development service helps customers avoid capital equipment expenditure and the need to develop in‑house expertise while enabling them to meet demand on short notice.

Custom hardware development
Custom process development
Feasibility studies
Proof-of-concept programs
OEM system integration
On-demand printed electronics support
Customers & Installations

Deployed across research and industry partners

Systems and projects span universities, national labs, and industry collaborations in the United States and internationally, including demonstrations connected to NASA programs and advanced aerospace applications.

Trusted By NASA Ames Research Center Sandia National Laboratories NextFlex Monash University RMIT University UCL IIT Kanpur Boise State University Idaho National Laboratory NASA Marshall Space Flight Center NASA Ames Research Center Sandia National Laboratories NextFlex Monash University RMIT University UCL IIT Kanpur Boise State University Idaho National Laboratory NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
OEM integration and defense application printing
NASA Ames Research Center customer installation
NASA Ames Research Center
Monash University customer installation
Monash University
IIEST Shibpur customer installation
IIEST, Shibpur
UCL customer installation
UCL
Sandia National Laboratories customer installation
Sandia National Laboratories
RMIT University customer installation
RMIT University
Oklahoma State University customer installation
Oklahoma State University
NextFlex customer installation
NextFlex
NextFlex robotic installation
NextFlex Robotics
Kansas State University customer installation
Kansas State University
IIT Kanpur customer installation
IIT Kanpur
Boise State University customer installation
Boise State University
Norfolk State University customer installation
Norfolk State University
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center customer installation
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Idaho National Laboratory customer installation
Idaho National Laboratory
University of Auckland customer installation
University of Auckland
Resources

Patents, Publications and Media

Explore the technical foundation behind Space Foundry's plasma jet printing technology through patents, peer-reviewed publications, conference papers, and media coverage.

8Granted patents
20+Research articles
18News & media articles
10+Global research collaborations
Patents Expand
Publications Expand
Media & News Expand
NASA

Microgravity Testing Advances Space-Based Printing of Electronics

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YourStory

NASA Startup Space Foundry Uses Plasma Printer Technology

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3D Printing Industry

Space Foundry Backs Plasma-Based 3D Printing as the Future of Electronics Production

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TechRadar

Forget 3D Printing — Plasma Printing in Space Is Where It's At

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3D Printing Today

How Space Foundry's Plasma-Based Process Will Disrupt 3D Printed Electronics

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Oregon State Engineering

Additive Manufacturing and Ink-Substrate Research Opens New Doors for Flexible Circuits

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RNZ

Plasma Jet Technology and Encouraging Pacific Students in Science

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ScienceDaily

New Method Deposits Nanomaterials on Flexible Surfaces

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SLAC

SLAC X-Ray Studies Help NASA Develop Printable Electronics for Mars Mission

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Phys.org

Scientists Develop Plasma-Printed Sensors for Astronaut Health

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Phys.org

Method to Deposit Nanomaterials on Flexible Surfaces

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Team

Leadership

Space Foundry is led by a team with expertise in plasma science, advanced manufacturing, and printed electronics commercialization.

Space Foundry team
Ram Prasad Gandhiraman

Ram Prasad Gandhiraman

Co-founder & CEO

Inventor of plasma jet printing technology with extensive research and commercialization experience in materials engineering.

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Dennis Nordlund

Dennis Nordlund

Co-founder & CTO

Chief architect for development of plasma jet printing systems, hardware and software platforms, and advanced manufacturing integration.

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Pranay Doshi

Pranay Doshi

Principal Engineer

Leads engineering development and system integration for plasma jet printing platforms, process development and customer deployments.

LinkedIn

Advisors

Technical and Industry Advisors

Space Foundry works with advisors across plasma science, aerospace systems, and advanced manufacturing to guide technology development and commercialization.

Plasma Science Advisors

Experts supporting development of atmospheric plasma systems and advanced material processing.

Aerospace Manufacturing Advisors

Industry leaders providing guidance for conformal electronics integration into aerospace platforms.

Commercialization Advisors

Entrepreneurs and technology commercialization experts supporting scale‑up and industrial deployment.

About

A NASA Ames spinoff focused on conformal electronics

Space Foundry is based in San Jose, California and develops plasma jet printing technology for conformal electronics, including hardware platforms, process development, and integrated manufacturing solutions.

The company’s technology portfolio includes issued patents, technical publications, global customer installations, and development support from government-funded innovation programs.

HeadquartersSan Jose, California
FocusPrinted electronics equipment & product manufacturing
Funding lineageNASA and U.S. government SBIR-supported development
Core offeringPatented single-step conformal printing
Contact

Start a conversation

Reach out to discuss a demo, pilot program, custom integration, or advanced manufacturing partnership.

Address1009 Timothy Drive, San Jose, CA 95133