New droplet-based 3D printing technique

A new 3D printing technique has been developed by the researchers from the University of California, Davis. The paper detailing the approach was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, one of the most selective and prestigious science journals in the world. Their approach uses a droplet-based microfluidics AM system and a new type of nozzle, different from the one typically used in the extrusion-based 3D printing process.

As you know, when it comes to the traditional extrusion-based 3D printers, the filament is pushed through a nozzle to form the final structure layer by layer. This method is efficient and cost-effective. However, it poses two problems: firstly, it makes it very challenging to print structures made of more than one material and secondly, getting the right amount of softness is quite difficult too. That’s where the new droplet-based technique comes in to solve these problems.

Droplet-based 3D printing technology printing a hollow tube. (Image Credit: PNAS)

Jiandi Wan is the chemical engineering assistant professor at UC Davis who led the team of researchers working on the project. Wan and his team aimed to develop an approach for extrusion-based 3D printing that would allow the modulation of the extruded filament at the point of print, by using droplet inclusions. The researchers noticed that the nozzle used in extrusion-based 3D printers is very similar to another type of device the team was studying: glass capillary microfluidic devices. These devices use multiple nozzles placed within each other. Therefore, Won and his team realized a similar model could replace current printheads used in 3D printing.