From impact to solidification in drop-on-demand metal additive manufacturing using MetalJet

Drop-on-demand metal jetting is a promising additive manufacturing (AM) technology that gaining interest due to its capability directly print complex single and multi-material components at high resolutions. It also has key advantages over other AM techniques, such as avoiding powder handling extensive post-processing. In this method, parts are built via spatially controlled deposition of individual molten droplets onto substrate. Therefore, the success process entirely depends on behaviour these from solidification including their interactions with substrate, which scarcely investigated date. To fill research gap, in-house MetalJet platform was used investigate spreading metallic micro-droplets low Weber numbers. This undertaken various substrates using range substrate temperatures through an integrated experimental, analytical, computational approach. study reports increasing temperature enhanced diffusion between droplet hence improving bonding. Moreover, ripples forming droplet’s periphery during disappeared elevated temperatures, resulting in improved inter-droplet Furthermore, significant role wettability thermal properties, control dynamics behaviour, respectively, elucidated. highlights importance material selection technology. The results presented article underpin optimal conditions under 3D structures produced can exhibit reliable integrity consistency. represents step forward direct printing resolution functional components.