Introduction to AM

Classification: ASTM

1 Vat Photopolymerization
5 Sheet Lamination

2 Material Jetting

6 Powder Bed Fusion

3 Binder Jetting

7 Directed Energy Deposition

4 Material Extrusion
 Introduction to AM
Classification: ASTM

Vat Photo Material

Material Jetting Binder Jetting Sheet Lamination
Polymerization Extrusion

ASTM categorizes 7 basic AM processes

Multiple variations of these 7 AM processes exists the
core idea is same
Powder Bed Direct Energy
Fusion Deposition
 Material Jetting: Introduction
• Material Jetting (MJ) is one of the 7 types of Additive
Manufacturing (AM) technologies in which droplets of build
and support materials are selectively jetted onto the build
platform and solidified by either ultraviolet light or heat to
form a 3D object.

• In material jetting, a printhead dispenses droplets of a

photosensitive material that solidifies under ultraviolet (UV)
light, building a part layer-by-layer. Generally, the materials
used in Material Jetting are thermoset photopolymers
(acrylics) that come in a liquid form.

Fig: Schematic diagram of Material Jetting Additive Manufacturing

 Steps
1. Designing the model: First, a 3D model is designed using
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and converted to
STL format.

2. Preparing the material: The material is prepared by melting

or dissolving it into a liquid form.

3. Loading the material: The liquid material is loaded into a

container or cartridge, which is then attached to the printer.

4. Jetting the material: The printer's print head moves back and
forth over the build platform, to deposit droplets of material
onto the platform. The droplets are jetted through a tiny nozzle
in the print head and are deposited in a specific pattern based Fig: Material Jetting process

on the 3D model. After deposition, a levelling blade is run

over the deposited droplets to create a smooth surface .
5. Solidification: Once the droplets are deposited, they are solidified using various methods such as UV light (wavelength 365-
405 nm), heat. This ensures that the material remains in place and forms a solid layer. Curing is a term used to describe the
process of polymer chain growth via monomers crosslinking that comes with a rise in the viscosity of the system until the
material is solidified.
6. Layer by layer Jetting: The process is repeated layer by layer until the entire 3D model
is printed.

Jetting the Solidification

material

Lowering
the
Platform Fig. Layer by layer printing method of material jetting process

7. Post-processing: Once the printing is complete, the object may need to undergo post-processing such as support removal,
polishing, or painting to achieve the desired finish. Generally ,support material is water soluble and washed away by water.
 Major Component in Material jetting:
Print Head
Material jetting (MJ),known as inkjet printing, uses a printhead with hundreds

of tiny nozzles in a range of 18–25 μm to jet photopolymers or wax onto the

build platform to build the parts in the presence of light (ultraviolet) or heat

that ensures the physical objects are built one layer at a time.

Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) Head

Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) printheads dispense a continuous stream of

ink. The ink that is not needed for the print job is collected and

recirculated back to the reservoir. It provides high drop velocity,

permitting longer throw distances and faster throughput

rates. Additionally, since the nozzle is in continuous use, clogging is not Substrate

usually a problem.
 Major Component in Material jetting:

Drop-on-demand (DOD) Head

The printhead dispenses ink only when needed. It can create gradients and

greyscale effects at effective resolutions of 1200 dpi and higher. With the use of

fast-curing UV-LED based inks, drop-on-demand inkjet printers can match the

throughput rates of CIJ systems at a fraction of the unit cost.

 Material Jetting Capabilities
Multi-material & Multi-colour printing

• Different parts can be printed in different materials or colours simultaneously, speeding up the manufacturing process.

• Two or more printing resins can be mixed in different ratios before dispensing, creating a specific physical properties, such
as hardness, stiffness.

Hot-melt materials (wax, thermoplastic) Dispersed materials ( ceramics, metals)

• UV curing photopolymer • High temperature maintained inside the build

area causes the liquid to evaporate.
• This leaves dense ultra-fine particle layers of the
build material.
• Produced parts are then sintered.
Sintered alumina impeller (Ainsley C, Reis N, Derby B (2002)
 Material Used in Material Jetting
1. Photopolymer resin:
Acrylics, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl cinnamate, polyisoprene, polyamides, epoxies, polyimides, styrenic block
copolymers, nitrile rubber
Photopolymer resin is a liquid polymer that solidifies when exposed to UV light.
It is used because of its high resolution and ability to produce parts with smooth surfaces and fine details.
❖ viscosity 30-100 cP
❖ Density 1.1-1.3 g/cm3
❖ curing wavelength 365-405 nm.
2. Wax:
Wax parts can be used as investment casting patterns or for lost wax casting.
❖ melting point 50-80°C
❖ density 0.9-1.1 g/cm3
3. Ceramic: (alumina, zirconia)
❖ particle size 1-10 microns
❖ Density 2.5-4.5 g/cm3
4. Metal: (copper, aluminum, tin, various solders)
❖ particle size 5-20 microns
 Process parameters
1. Droplet size:
The size of the droplets ejected from the printhead nozzles can significantly impact the resolution and surface
finish of the printed part. Smaller droplets generally result in higher detail and smoother surfaces, while larger
droplets may lead to faster printing speeds but with reduced detail and surface quality.

2. Layer thickness: The layer thickness determines the vertical resolution and build time of the printed part.
Thinner layers generally result in higher resolution but longer printing times. Thicker layers can speed up the
printing process but may sacrifice detail and surface quality.

3. Printhead speed: The speed at which the printhead moves across the build platform affects the overall
printing time. Higher speeds can reduce printing time, but they may also impact the accuracy of material
deposition, especially for intricate geometries.

4. Support materials: The choice of support materials can affect the adhesion and stability of the printed part
during the printing process. Optimizing the support materials is crucial to prevent warping, distortion, or
failure of the printed object.
 Process parameters

5. Material viscosity: The viscosity of the material being jetted can affect its flow characteristics and the stability of the printed
layers. Materials with higher viscosity may require larger nozzle diameters to ensure proper flow, while low viscosity materials
may require additional support structures to prevent sagging during printing.

6. Post-processing and curing: After the printing process, the printed part may require post-processing steps, such as curing,
drying, or thermal treatment. These steps can influence the final properties of the material, such as its strength, dimensional
accuracy, and surface finish.

A well-controlled curing depth is important in order to avoid under-curing which affects the geometrical resolution negatively as
semi-cured droplets still spread, resulting in sagged edges. And longer exposure may degrade strength.
 Applications Areas
• Prototyping:

It enables the quick and cost-effective production of prototypes with complex geometries, intricate details, and multiple material
properties

• Education and Research:

It allows students and researchers to experiment with various materials, test designs, and explore new applications in a cost-
effective and accessible manner.

• Jewellery and Fashion:

It enables the production of customized jewellery pieces, including rings, bracelets, and pendants, with fine details and smooth
surfaces.

• Consumer Goods:

Products such as customized phone cases, personalized household items, and decorative items.

• It is well-suited for the low-volume production of moulds and casting patterns (investment casting ).
 Applications Areas

• Ideal for visual prototypes and industrial tooling.

• Useful in the production of anatomical medical models for pre-surgical and education purposes.

• Suitable for casting patterns.

 Benefits of MJ
▪ Benefits
▪ Ability to print multi-material and multi-colour parts.
▪ High accuracy of deposition of droplets
▪ Low waste, Homogeneous mechanical and thermal properties.
High Precision:
It allows for high-resolution printing, enabling the production of intricate and detailed parts with fine features. It
can achieve layer thicknesses as low as a few microns, resulting in excellent surface finish and accuracy.
Wide Material Compatibility:
It supports a broad range of materials, including various polymers, ceramics, metals, and composites. This
versatility enables the creation of functional prototypes and end-use parts with diverse properties and
characteristics.
Multi-Colour Printing:
It supports full-colour printing, enabling the production of visually appealing models without the need for post-
processing.
Smooth Surface Finish:
The droplets deposited by the printhead can create smooth and uniform surfaces, resulting in high-quality
aesthetics. This feature is particularly advantageous for applications where appearance matters, such as
consumer products, architectural models, and medical devices.
Reduced Post-Processing:
It produces parts with minimal support structures, reducing the need for extensive post-processing and
minimizing material waste. It also enables the production of fully functional, ready-to-use parts without additional
assembly steps.
 Limitations of MJ
1. Poor mechanical properties: Objects produced with Material Jetting are typically weaker, particularly when compared to
other 3D printing techniques like SLS. MJ materials are photosensitive and their mechanical properties degrade over time.

2. Limited Build Volume: Material jetting typically has smaller build volumes compared to other 3D printing technologies like
fused deposition modelling (FDM) or selective laser sintering (SLS). This can restrict the size of parts that can be produced in
a single print job.

3. Slow printing process: Material Jetting is somewhat constrained by the speed of the printing process. Because small droplets
of material are deposited over a small part of the build area at a time, the process takes more time to create a part.

4. Material limitations: For Material Jetting, typically only viscous materials can be successfully printed. However, the
number of viscous materials which are able to be used in the printing process is currently rather limited.

5. High Equipment Cost: Material jetting printers can be expensive, especially those capable of high-resolution and multi-
material printing. The initial investment required to acquire the equipment may limit accessibility for small businesses or
individual users.
 Defects in Parts Produced by Material Jetting

Fig: Various defect scenarios of a 3D part generated with material jetting based on UV-curables.
Ahmed E. et al. Additive Manufacturing 60 (2022) 103270
Material jetting for advanced applications: A state-of-the-art review, gaps and future directions
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