This paper presents the development and modeling a high-resolution electrohydrodynamic-jet (EHD-jet) printing process using phase-change ink (i.e., wax), which is capable of producing sub-10 μm footprints (sub-10 fL in volume) for super-resolution additive manufacturing. In this study, we successfully apply EHD-jet printing for phase-change ink (wax), which is widely used as modeling and supporting material for additive manufacturing, to achieve micron-scale features. The resolution for single droplet on substrate is around 5 μm with the thickness in the range of 1–2 μm, which provides great potential in both high-resolution 3D printing and 2D drop-on-demand microfabrication. The droplet formation in EHD printing is modeled by finite element analysis (FEA). Two important forces in EHD printing, electrostatic force and surface tension force, are modeled separately by FEA. The droplet size is obtained by balancing the electrostatic force and surface tension of the pending droplets around meniscus apex. Furthermore, to predict the droplet dimension at different process conditions, a dimensionless scaling law is identified to describe the relationship between dimensionless droplet diameter and modified nondimensional electrical bond number. Finally, the droplets in-flight velocity and impact characteristics (e.g., Reynolds number and Weber number) are modeled using the results from FEA analysis.
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December 2014
Research-Article
Development and Modeling of Melt Electrohydrodynamic-Jet Printing of Phase-Change Inks for High-Resolution Additive Manufacturing
Chuang Wei,
Chuang Wei
Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial
and Systems Engineering,
and Systems Engineering,
North Carolina State University
,Raleigh, NC 27695
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Jingyan Dong
Jingyan Dong
1
Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial
and Systems Engineering,
e-mail: jdong@ncsu.edu
and Systems Engineering,
North Carolina State University
,Raleigh, NC 27695
e-mail: jdong@ncsu.edu
1Corresponding author.
Search for other works by this author on:
Chuang Wei
Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial
and Systems Engineering,
and Systems Engineering,
North Carolina State University
,Raleigh, NC 27695
Jingyan Dong
Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial
and Systems Engineering,
e-mail: jdong@ncsu.edu
and Systems Engineering,
North Carolina State University
,Raleigh, NC 27695
e-mail: jdong@ncsu.edu
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Manufacturing Engineering Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING. Manuscript received April 14, 2014; final manuscript received August 26, 2014; published online October 24, 2014. Assoc. Editor: Darrell Wallace.
J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. Dec 2014, 136(6): 061010 (7 pages)
Published Online: October 24, 2014
Article history
Received:
April 14, 2014
Revision Received:
August 26, 2014
Citation
Wei, C., and Dong, J. (October 24, 2014). "Development and Modeling of Melt Electrohydrodynamic-Jet Printing of Phase-Change Inks for High-Resolution Additive Manufacturing." ASME. J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. December 2014; 136(6): 061010. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4028483
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