Abstract
Droplet formation characteristics of molten caprolactam, the monomer of nylon 6, are reported in this article as part of research to develop a novel inkjet additive manufacturing process. Initial investigations confirmed the jettability of molten caprolactam at 80 °C with a printhead and recommended a range of parameters for a stable jet array. High-speed imaging was used to study the interactions between the melt and the printhead. Droplets were generated at voltages higher than 12.5 V. Nozzle wetting and crosstalk in adjacent nozzles were observed especially at higher voltages. Jetting frequency did not affect the droplet characteristics. By varying the jetting voltage though significant changes to the droplet shape, evolution and kinetics were observed. Satellite droplets were formed by disintegration of the tail at lengths of about 1 mm when a jetting voltage of 25.0 V was used. An increase of voltage from 15.0 V to 25.0 V increased the droplet velocity from 2 m/s to 8 m/s. Reynolds and Weber numbers predicted there would not be splashing upon droplet impact, which was confirmed by experiments when impinging molten caprolactam droplets on cold and heated substrates. The droplet formation study suggested a set of jetting parameters to be used for the next stage of the research on the inkjet process development.
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Schedule a callMore From: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture
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