Additive Manufacturing

The resolution and drop size of the printhead is an especially important factor for 3D printing, as it is less forgiving than other applications. Applications like textiles, packaging, and graphics will still produce a usable product across a wide range of print resolutions, but a part 3D printed with inkjet will only work if the resolution and drop size is just right. Drops that are too large will produce parts that are less precise, distort due to saturation, and take too long to dry. Drops that are too small are more difficult to control, require more layers to produce a part, and might not saturate the surface of the powder and form a proper bond. A good place to start is by examining the size distribution of your powder and making sure it is a match with the drop size and resolution of your printhead.

The fluids used in binder jetting contain binder materials, which means that keeping the printhead from gluing itself shut is a unique challenge to be addressed. Minimizing missing jets is especially critical to additive manufacturing because they can impact the structural integrity of the part. Other applications can rely on software tricks and nozzle compensation to accommodate small defects, but in additive manufacturing all the nozzles need to work all the time. To combat this, we’ve seen that most of our customers in the 3D printing industry are experimenting with recirculating inkjet printheads, as this technology is well-established in other industries where fluid drying or clogging is common. Along with recirculation, developers rely on printhead spitting and tickle pulses to help maximize the open time of the printhead.