Abstract:
A mixing system has a parallel droplet dispenser capable of making droplets of a first working material in the range of 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers, a pump to deliver fluid for the droplets of the first working material and to produce a first emulsion, a compact mixer having low inter-voxel mixing to receive the emulsion and produce a homogenous material, and a dispensing system. A method of dispensing a graded material includes generating droplets of a first working material, the droplets having a size in the range of 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers, adding the droplets of the first working material into a fluid to create a first emulsion, wherein addition of the droplets of the first working material is controlled to create gradient in the emulsion, mixing the first emulsion to create a homogenous, graded mixture, and dispensing the homogenous, graded mixture onto a surface.
Abstract:
Polymer spray deposition systems and methods are disclosed that can be used with a wide range of thermoplastic materials to produce high resolution objects having the complexity and structural integrity typically only achieved using more traditional manufacturing techniques, like injection molding processes. The polymeric spray deposition systems and methods use a spray generator that stretches the fluid between two diverging surfaces, such as two rollers or between two pistons. The stretched fluid breaks apart into a plurality of droplets and is guided through a delivery system, that can include an optional droplet size selector, and into a multi-nozzle array. The multi-nozzle array is controlled and directs the spray onto a target surface, thereby creating a three-dimensional object. The disclosed polymer spray deposition systems and methods can be used in three-dimensional print heads and printing techniques.
Abstract:
A liquid thin film is disposed on a conveyor surface (e.g., a roller or belt) that moves the thin film into a precisely controlled gap (or nip) region in which the liquid thin film is subjected to an electric field that causes the liquid to undergo Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) patterning deformation, whereby portions of the liquid thin film form patterned liquid features having a micro-scale patterned shape. A curing mechanism (e.g., a UV laser) is used to solidify (e.g., in the case of polymer thin films, cross-link) the patterned liquid inside or immediately after exiting the gap region. The patterned structures are either connected by an intervening web as part of a polymer sheet, or separated into discreet micro-scale structures. Nanostructures (e.g., nanotubes or nanowires) disposed in the polymer become vertically oriented during the EHD patterning process. Segmented electrodes and patterned charges are utilized to provide digital patterning control.
Abstract:
A method of dispensing a graded material includes generating droplets of a first working material, the droplets having a size in the range of 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers, adding the droplets of the first working material into a carrier fluid to create a first emulsion, wherein addition of the droplets of the first working material is controlled to create gradient in the emulsion, mixing the first emulsion to create a homogenous, graded mixture, and dispensing the homogenous, graded mixture onto a surface.
Abstract:
A method of creating a three-dimensional object includes generating a spray from a fluid by stretching the fluid between two diverging surfaces into a fluid filament until the fluid filament breaks into a plurality of droplets and forms the spray, entraining the spray in a carrier gas flow, directing the carrier gas flow toward a target surface through a multi-nozzle array, and repeatedly applying the carrier gas flow on a target surface to form the three-dimensional object by controlling the direction of the carrier gas flow toward the target surface.
Abstract:
A system to fabricate hierarchical graded materials includes a reservoir to contain a material to be deposited, a print head connected to the reservoir to allow the print head to receive the material to be deposited, the print head having a mixing section, and an actuator connected to the print head, the actuator configured to actuate the print head in six axes of motion.
Abstract:
A particle removal device for an ink jet printer is discussed. The particle removal device includes a first separator comprising an arrangement of obstacles including at least two rows of obstacles that extend laterally with respect to a flow path of ink in the first separator. The rows of obstacles are offset from one another by a row offset fraction. The arrangement of obstacles is configured to preferentially route larger particles having diameters greater than a critical diameter through the arrangement and along a first trajectory vector that is angled with respect to the direction of the flow path of the ink. The angle of the first trajectory vector with respect to the ink flow path is a function of the row offset fraction. Smaller particles having diameters less than the critical diameter travel through the arrangement along a second trajectory vector that is not substantially angled with respect to the flow path of the ink. The first separator causes a pressure drop of the ink of less than about 100 Pa.
Abstract:
A particle removal device for an ink jet printer is discussed. The particle removal device includes a first separator comprising an arrangement of obstacles including at least two rows of obstacles that extend laterally with respect to a flow path of ink in the first separator. The rows of obstacles are offset from one another by a row offset fraction. The arrangement of obstacles is configured to preferentially route larger particles having diameters greater than a critical diameter through the arrangement and along a first trajectory vector that is angled with respect to the direction of the flow path of the ink. The angle of the first trajectory vector with respect to the ink flow path is a function of the row offset fraction. Smaller particles having diameters less than the critical diameter travel through the arrangement along a second trajectory vector that is not substantially angled with respect to the flow path of the ink. The first separator causes a pressure drop of the ink of less than about 100 Pa.
Abstract:
The disclosed spray deposition systems and methods use spray charging and discharging techniques to assist with digital deposition of spray droplets on a substrate. For example, the disclosed systems and methods have a charging system that generates spray droplets from a spray generator and charges the droplets. Focusing electrodes help to collimate the droplets into a tight droplet stream and, optionally, steering electrodes help direct the tight droplet stream. A charge removal system neutralizes or removes the charge from the droplets, either during the deposition of the droplets on a substrate or after the droplets have been deposited on a substrate.
Abstract:
A method of forming lightweight structures from particle networks includes functionalizing edges of particles of an anisotropic material, exfoliating of the particles to form sheets of the material, aligning the sheets of material to form a network of multi-layered and aligned particles, and forming a structure out of the network of particles. One example uses graphite powder mixed into 4-aminobenzoic acid for edge functionalization, and exfoliation occurs with sonication in a solvent. The resulting particles undergo alignment with an aligning nozzle that also dispenses the aligned particles to form a structure.