The m4 3D printer: A multi-material multi-method additive manufacturing platform for future 3D printed structures

Abstract

The advent of additive manufacturing (AM), also often referred to as 3D printing, has enabled the rapid production of parts with complex geometries that are either labor-intensive or unrealizable by traditional manufacturing methods. Many existing 3D printing technologies, however, only allow one material to be printed at one time, while many applications require the integration of different materials, which sometimes cannot be printed by one AM technology. In this paper, a novel multi-material multi-method (m4) 3D printer comprised of multiple AM technologies is presented as a solution to the current limitations. This printer fosters the advancement of AM by combining materials traditionally unable to be printed concurrently while adding functionality to printed parts. The m4 3D printer integrates four AM technologies and two complementary technologies onto one single platform, including inkjet (IJ), fused filament fabrication (FFF), direct ink writing (DIW), and aerosol jetting (AJ), along with robotic arms for pick-and-place (PnP) and photonic curing for intense pulsed light (IPL) sintering. The integration of these AM technologies and PnP into a single platform allows for rapid fabrication of complex devices, providing a wide range of functionalities with applications ranging from soft robotics and flexible electronics to medical devices.