This freeform additive manufacturing process prints parts from a variety of engineering polymers using a deposition solution that coagulates at room temperature. 3D printing is an excellent tool for rapid prototyping or creating complex parts for specialty applications including toys, prosthetics, and robotics. The 3D printing market in the United States is expected to reach $16.8 million by 2025. Common 3D printers work by melting the polymeric build material and depositing it in layers to create a part, which often requires printing external structures to support spanning features in the part design. The act of heating the build material before deposition creates undesirable thermal residual stresses in printed parts and limits the range of polymers suitable for printing. Additionally, available 3D printing processes have inconsistent production quality, which prevents them from fabricating geometrically precise parts.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a versatile additive manufacturing process that fabricates precision plastic structures from a wide variety of polymers at room temperature without requiring printed support structures. This process does not require elevated temperatures, eliminating potential residual stresses in printed prototypes and end-use parts.
Additive manufacturing process that expands the range of printable polymers and improves geometric precision
This additive manufacturing process uses a support bath along with build materials that solidify at room temperature to create 3D printed parts with superior properties. The process begins by dissolving a polymeric build material in a solvent to produce an extrudable build material. This material can be a thermoplastic or non-thermoplastic engineering polymer which dissolves at room temperature or at an elevated temperature upon stirring or agitation of the mixture. The printer then deposits this solution into a yield stress support bath, forming the entire 3D part. The completed part remains in the support bath as either a liquid or a partially coagulated solid. Immersing the support bath container with the finished part inside in a coagulation solution fully solidifies the printed material to form a functional part which can be removed from the support bath.
