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Comparing the capabilities of vibration-assisted printing (VAP) and direct-write additive manufacturing techniques

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Abstract

Vibration-assisted 3D printing (VAP) is a new direct-write additive manufacturing (AM) method that combines the conventional use of back pressure with the novel addition of vibrations induced at the syringe tip to activate the flow and allow higher-viscosity materials to be printed. This work compares the print capabilities of a custom-made VAP printer to those of an established commercial printer using polymer clay. Characterization tests were conducted comparing the two methods in their turning quality. In addition, a variety of other shapes were printed by both printers to evaluate feature resolution, unsupported overhang angle, negative space feature construction, and less-than-fully-dense self-supported 3D lattices. The porosity and regularity of the printed lattices were characterized using X-ray microtomography (MicroCT) scans. The quality of the shapes was compared using statistical methods and a MATLAB edge-finding code. The results show that the VAP printer can manufacture parts of superior resolution than the commercial printer due to its ability to extrude highly viscous material through a smaller nozzle diameter. The VAP print speeds were also found to be as high as twenty times those of the direct write printer. This work lays the foundation for leveraging AM in the printing of highly loaded or viscous shear-thinning inks as a means of improving their final quality.

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Acknowledgements

A. Afriat and J. Bach worked equally on this paper. This work was funded by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) grant no. W912HQ19C0063. The authors also acknowledge Trevor Fleck, John McCaw, and Stephanie Andress for their contribution to this study and vibration-assisted printing more generally.

Funding

This work was funded by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) grant no. W912HQ19C0063.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Zucrow Laboratory, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Aaron Afriat, Julie Suzanne Bach & Steven Forrest Son

  2. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, USA

    Ibrahim Gunduz

  3. School of Mechanical Engineering, Herrick Laboratory, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Jeffrey Frederick Rhoads

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  1. Aaron Afriat
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  2. Julie Suzanne Bach
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  3. Ibrahim Gunduz
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  4. Jeffrey Frederick Rhoads
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  5. Steven Forrest Son
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Contributions

A. Afriat and J. Bach worked equally on this paper. The authors also acknowledge Trevor Fleck, John McCaw, and Stephanie Andress for their contribution to this study and vibration-assisted printing more generally.

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Correspondence to Aaron Afriat.

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Afriat, A., Bach, J.S., Gunduz, I. et al. Comparing the capabilities of vibration-assisted printing (VAP) and direct-write additive manufacturing techniques. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 121, 8231–8241 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-09815-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-09815-8

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