Light scattering measurements to support real-time monitoring and closed-loop control of aerosol jet printing

Abstract

Process monitoring and control is highly desired for additive manufacturing technologies. For aerosol jet printing, in particular, process drift and batch-to-batch variability have hindered widespread adoption beyond research environments. Addressing these key challenges is critical for emerging applications in multilayer, conformal, and 3D applications of this technology. Here, an in situ light scattering method is introduced to track the aerosol stream during printing, providing a real-time quantitative measurement directly related to the deposition rate. The generality of this method for different functional inks is demonstrated, including its applicability to functional electrical properties such as electrical resistance. Finally, the stability of this measurement supports closed-loop control over extended, continuous printing runs, offering a compelling technology to advance aerosol jet printing for hybrid electronics and high resolution functional additive manufacturing.