Abstract
The ability to precisely manipulate and control extruded materials is essential in the additive manufacturing industry. In addition to the gravity force acting on the extruded medium, here we demonstrate that the employment of a Coulomb force which results from a strategically applied electric field holds a great promise to enhance three-dimensional (3D) printing systems and derive new products. In particular, it is shown experimentally and theoretically that a strategically applied electric field can be used to pre-charge low-volume droplets (non-contact and direct methods), enhancing control during printing. Selectively applying the electric field (E.F.) allows a modified printer more flexibility during a multi-layered print on nearly any chosen substrate. For testing, droplets created on-demand from orifices within inkjet printing parameters were subjected to a transverse electric field. The electric field was generated by retrofitting electrodes to a direct writing (DW)-based 3D printer. The application of electrodes to the print head not only reduced the need for mechanical motion during printing but also revealed novel solutions to problematic printing applications, namely, 3D printing within confinements. These results divulge a plethora of new design opportunities for ink droplet control in 3D printing processes.
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