TY - JOUR

T1 - Multimaterial bathless stereolithography using aerosol jet printing and UV laser based polymerization

AU - Hohnholz, Arndt

AU - Obata, Kotaro

AU - Albrecht, Daniel

AU - Koch, Jürgen

AU - Hohenhoff, Gerrit

AU - Suttmann, Oliver

AU - Kaierle, Stefan

AU - Overmeyer, Ludger

N1 - Funding information: The authors thank Diego Pinto for support, our project partners Materialise for providing software features in Materialise Magics and Materialise Build Processor, and Dreve for material supply and are grateful for financial support provided within the Project 3D Polysprint (FKZ: 13N13567), funded by BMBF—Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung.

PY - 2019/4/10

Y1 - 2019/4/10

N2 - Conventional stereolithography uses a bath based system, in which a constant layer thickness is applied to realize 3D printing. This approach limits the fabrication of parts consisting of one material only. To overcome this issue, the authors developed a new approach for additive manufacturing using UV curing polymers. In a two step layer-by-layer process, first a liquid monomer film is applied using an Aerosol Jet. Two droplet generators allow the deposition of pure materials as well as various compositions of both materials. In this way, a discrete transition from one pure material to another one from one layer to another is possible. The Aerosol Jet is also able to atomize materials with viscosities greater than 1000 mPa s, allowing a wider range of materials compared to conventional stereolithography. After coating, a laser initiates the one photon polymerization reaction completing one cycle of the layer-by-layer fabrication. In this study, the penetration depth of the raw materials is investigated. In addition, the feasibility of hybrid stereolithography is shown in terms of solid freeform fabrication as well as the multimaterial approach in building direction.

AB - Conventional stereolithography uses a bath based system, in which a constant layer thickness is applied to realize 3D printing. This approach limits the fabrication of parts consisting of one material only. To overcome this issue, the authors developed a new approach for additive manufacturing using UV curing polymers. In a two step layer-by-layer process, first a liquid monomer film is applied using an Aerosol Jet. Two droplet generators allow the deposition of pure materials as well as various compositions of both materials. In this way, a discrete transition from one pure material to another one from one layer to another is possible. The Aerosol Jet is also able to atomize materials with viscosities greater than 1000 mPa s, allowing a wider range of materials compared to conventional stereolithography. After coating, a laser initiates the one photon polymerization reaction completing one cycle of the layer-by-layer fabrication. In this study, the penetration depth of the raw materials is investigated. In addition, the feasibility of hybrid stereolithography is shown in terms of solid freeform fabrication as well as the multimaterial approach in building direction.

KW - Aerosol jet

KW - Laser-direct-write

KW - Multi-material

KW - Stereolithography

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064208933&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.2351/1.5096106

DO - 10.2351/1.5096106

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85064208933

VL - 31

JO - Journal of Laser Applications

JF - Journal of Laser Applications

SN - 1042-346X

IS - 2

M1 - 022301

ER -