As of today, waveguides are made of rectangular thin-walled aluminum pipes, which are bended and twisted to get the required shape. However, bending radius is limited under such approach. The large number of interfaces in the waveguide structure also affects the quality of the product by causing RF losses inside the path.
RESHETNEV invented a way of producing waveguides with composite materials by polymerization. The procedure starts with spooling carbon fiber with binding medium onto the flexible silicone tooling. Then, the work piece is locked inside a matrix shaped as the future waveguide path, and is placed into the oven. Finally, the matrix and the tooling are easily removed from a finished product.
The new production method allows to produce waveguides of much more complex shape compared to aluminum ones due to smaller bending radii. The waveguide has better mechanical characteristics due to the higher specific properties of carbon fiber reinforced plastic.
The development was awarded the RESHETNEV Best Invention in 2023.
