A State-of-the-Art Review on Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) Additive Manufacturing Process

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roozbeh Ross Salary ◽  
Jack P. Lombardi ◽  
Darshana L. Weerawarne ◽  
Prahalad K. Rao ◽  
Mark D. Poliks
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Flexible Electronics ◽  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
Device Fabrication ◽  
Synthesis Process ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Loop Control ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Jet Printing ◽  
Aerosol Jet Printing

Abstract The goal of this work is to forward a comprehensive framework, relating to the most recent research works carried out in the area of flexible and hybrid electronics (FHE) fabrication with the aid of aerosol jet printing (AJP) additive manufacturing process. In pursuit of this goal, the objective is to review and classify a wide range of articles, published recently, concerning various aspects of AJP-based device fabrication, such as material synthesis, process monitoring, and control. AJP has recently emerged as the technique of choice for integration as well as fabrication of a broad spectrum of electronic components and devices, e.g., interconnects, sensors, transistors, optical waveguides, quantum dot arrays, photodetectors, and circuits. This is preeminently because of advantages engendered by AJP process. AJP not only allows for high-resolution deposition of microstructures, but also accommodates a wide renege of ink viscosity. However, AJP is intrinsically complex and prone to gradual drifts of the process output (stemming from ink chemistry and formulation). Consequently, a large number of research works in the literature has focused on in situ process characterization, real-time monitoring, and closed-loop control with the aim to make AJP a rapid, reliable, and robust additive manufacturing method for the manufacture of flexible and hybrid electronic devices. It is expected that the market for flexible electronics will be worth over $50 billion by 2020 [1].

A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Study of Pneumatic Atomization in Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) Process

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roozbeh (Ross) Salary ◽  
Jack P. Lombardi ◽  
Darshana L. Weerawarne ◽  
Prahalad K. Rao ◽  
Mark D. Poliks
Keyword(s):  
Process Monitoring ◽  
Nonlinear Process ◽  
Cfd Model ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Loop Control ◽  
Manufacturing Method ◽  
Aerosol Generation ◽  
Process Monitoring And Control ◽  
Jet Printing ◽  
Aerosol Jet Printing

Abstract Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is a direct-write additive manufacturing method, which has been utilized particularly for the fabrication of flexible and hybrid electronics (FHE). In spite of the advantages of AJP — e.g., high-resolution material deposition on nonplanar surfaces and accommodation of a wide renege of ink viscosity — AJP inherently is a complex process, prone to nonlinear process changes. Consequently, real-time process monitoring and control (with an understanding of the physics behind aerosol generation and transport) are inevitable. The overarching goal of this work is to establish a physics-based framework for process monitoring and closed-loop control (for correction) in AJP. In pursuit of this goal, the objective is to forward a CFD model to explain the underlying physical phenomena behind aerosol nebulization in AJP. To realize this objective, a 3D compressible, turbulent multi-phase flow CFD model is forwarded. The geometry of the pneumatic atomizer is modeled based on X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging. The boundary conditions of the problem are defined based on experimental observations. The outcome of this study paves the way for understanding the complex mechanisms of aerosol generation in AJP and also design of efficient atomizers.

scholarly journals Synthesis of Printable Polyvinyl Alcohol for Aerosol Jet and Inkjet Printing Technology

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
Mahmuda Akter Monne ◽  
Chandan Qumar Howlader ◽  
Bhagyashree Mishra ◽  
Maggie Yihong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Polyvinyl Alcohol ◽  
Inkjet Printing ◽  
Micro Electro Mechanical System ◽  
Device Fabrication ◽  
Silicon Substrates ◽  
Excellent Candidate ◽  
Jet Printing ◽  
Inkjet Printing Technology ◽  
Transistor Fabrication ◽  
Aerosol Jet Printing

Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) is a promising polymer due to its high solubility with water, availability in low molecular weight, having short polymer chain, and cost-effectiveness in processing. Printed technology is gaining popularity to utilize processible solution materials at low/room temperature. This work demonstrates the synthesis of PVA solution for 2.5% w/w, 4.5% w/w, 6.5% w/w, 8.5% w/w and 10.5% w/w aqueous solution was formulated. Then the properties of the ink, such as viscosity, contact angle, surface tension, and printability by inkjet and aerosol jet printing, were investigated. The wettability of the ink was investigated on flexible (Kapton) and non-flexible (Silicon) substrates. Both were identified as suitable substrates for all concentrations of PVA. Additionally, we have shown aerosol jet printing (AJP) and inkjet printing (IJP) can produce multi-layer PVA structures. Finally, we have demonstrated the use of PVA as sacrificial material for micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) device fabrication. The dielectric constant of printed PVA is 168 at 100 kHz, which shows an excellent candidate material for printed or traditional transistor fabrication.

Fractal Pattern Recognition of Image Profiles for Manufacturing Process Monitoring and Control

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhad Imani ◽  
Bing Yao ◽  
Ruimin Chen ◽  
Prahalada Rao ◽  
Hui Yang
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Process Monitoring ◽  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Precision Machining ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Process Monitoring And Control ◽  
Ultra Precision ◽  
And Control

Nowadays manufacturing industry faces increasing demands to customize products according to personal needs. This trend leads to a proliferation of complex product designs. To cope with this complexity, manufacturing systems are equipped with advanced sensing capabilities. However, traditional statistical process control methods are not concerned with the stream of in-process imaging data. Also, very little has been done to investigate nonlinearity, irregularity, and inhomogeneity in image stream collected from manufacturing processes. This paper presents the multifractal spectrum and lacunarity measures to characterize irregular and inhomogeneous patterns of image profiles, as well as detect the hidden dynamics of the underlying manufacturing process. Experimental studies show that the proposed method not only effectively characterizes the surface finishes for quality control of ultra-precision machining but also provides an effective model to link process parameters with fractal characteristics of in-process images acquired from additive manufacturing. This, in turn, will allow a swift response to processes changes and consequently reduce the number of defective products. The proposed fractal method has strong potentials to be applied for process monitoring and control in a variety of domains such as ultra-precision machining, additive manufacturing, and biomanufacturing.

scholarly journals A Sparse Representation Classification Approach for Near Real-Time, Physics-Based Functional Monitoring of Aerosol Jet-Fabricated Electronics

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roozbeh (Ross) Salary ◽  
Jack P. Lombardi ◽  
Darshana L. Weerawarne ◽  
M. Samie Tootooni ◽  
Prahalada K. Rao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sparse Representation ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Functional Properties ◽  
Printed Electronics ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Sparse Representation Classification ◽  
Aerosol Jet Printing

Abstract Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is a direct-write additive manufacturing (AM) method, emerging as the process of choice for the fabrication of a broad spectrum of electronics, such as sensors, transistors, and optoelectronic devices. However, AJP is a highly complex process, prone to intrinsic gradual drifts. Consequently, real-time process monitoring and control in AJP is a bourgeoning need. The goal of this work is to establish an integrated, smart platform for in situ and real-time monitoring of the functional properties of AJ-printed electronics. In pursuit of this goal, the objective is to forward a multiple-input, single-output (MISO) intelligent learning model—based on sparse representation classification (SRC)—to estimate the functional properties (e.g., resistance) in situ as well as in real-time. The aim is to classify the resistance of printed electronic traces (lines) as a function of AJP process parameters and the trace morphology characteristics (e.g., line width, thickness, and cross-sectional area (CSA)). To realize this objective, line morphology is captured using a series of images, acquired: (i) in situ via an integrated high-resolution imaging system and (ii) in real-time via the AJP standard process monitor camera. Utilizing image processing algorithms developed in-house, a wide range of 2D and 3D morphology features are extracted, constituting the primary source of data for the training, validation, and testing of the SRC model. The four-point probe method (also known as Kelvin sensing) is used to measure the resistance of the deposited traces and as a result, to define a priori class labels. The results of this study exhibited that using the presented approach, the resistance (and potentially, other functional properties) of printed electronics can be estimated both in situ and in real-time with an accuracy of ≥ 90%.

Development of Process-Recipes for Multi-Layer Circuitry Printing With Z-Axis Interconnects Using Aerosol-Jet Nanoparticle Ink

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pradeep Lall ◽  
Jinesh Narangaparambil ◽  
Ved Soni ◽  
Scott Miller
Keyword(s):  
Flexible Electronics ◽  
Flow Line ◽  
Unit Length ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Consumer Electronics ◽  
Shear Load ◽  
Load To Failure ◽  
Jet Printing ◽  
Aerosol Jet Printing

Abstract Flexible electronics is a rapid emerging trend in consumer-electronics with ever-increasing applications showing feasibility of functionality with flexibility. Aerosol Jet printing technology has gained rapid acceptance for additive printing owing to non-contact deposition and ability to print on non-planar surfaces. Prior work on aerosol-jet print processes primarily focuses on single-layer printing, taking into account different parameters such as mass flow, line width, sintering conditions, and overspray. Flexible PCBs in complex applications are envisioned to be multi-layered, involving stacking of interconnections and connection between successive layers through use of z-axis connections. Aerosol-jet printing method allows the printing of interconnections with a number of inks including silver, copper, and carbon with fine lines and spaces in neighborhood of 10μm. Process recipes for manufacturing multilayer circuits and system scale-up methods are required. The objective of the paper is to establish process-recipes for z-axis interconnects and quantify process variability with Aerosol-jet print process needed for high volume scale-up. Conductive interconnects have been printed using the ultrasonic atomizer and the interlayer dielectrics have been printed using the pneumatic atomizer. The effect of thermal sintering on the performance of the printed circuits has been quantified through measurements of interconnect resistance and shear load to failure. This paper explores the printing of multi-layer upto 8 conductive layers. Sintering profile for lower resistance per unit length and higher shear load to failure was tested.

A High-Fidelity Thermal Model for a Novel Droplet-Based Additive Manufacturing Process for Polymers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Schroeffer ◽  
Thomas Maciuga ◽  
Konstantin Struebig ◽  
Tim C. Lueth
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
Thermal Model ◽  
Polymer Melt ◽  
Dimensional Accuracy ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Mechanical Component ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Working Principle

Abstract The claim in additive manufacturing (AM) changes from simply producing prototypes as show objects to the fabrication of final parts and products in small volume batches. Thereby the focus is on freedom of material, dimensional accuracy and mechanical component properties. A novel extrusion-based AM technology has been developed focusing on these issues. The working principle is to form spheres from a thermoplastic polymer melt and build parts by single droplets. The material preprocessing is similar to the injection molding technology and enables a wide range of different thermoplastic polymers as build materials. With the droplet-based working principle high mechanical component properties and dimensional accuracy can be reached compared to similar processes. Further improvements to the process need a detailed knowledge of the physical effects during the build process. The temperature distribution during the manufacturing process determines at which temperature material is fused and how solidification takes place and shrinkage can occur or is suppressed. Thus, it has a significant influence on the mechanical properties and warpage effects of produced parts. In this work a thermal model is presented that describes the heat transfer during the build process. The necessary input data are the material properties and a print job description including the part geometry and building strategy. The basic idea is to simulate each single droplet deposition by applying a dynamic Finite Element Method. All relevant heat transfer effects are analyzed and represented in the model. The model was validated with measurements using a thermal imaging camera. Several measurements were performed during the build process and compared to the simulation results. A high accuracy could be reached with an average model error of about 4° Celsius and a maximal error of 10° Celsius.

Investigation of the Influence of Consequential Design Parameters on the Mechanical Performance of Biodegradable Bone Scaffolds, Fabricated Using Pneumatic Micro-Extrusion Additive Manufacturing Process

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daguan Zhao ◽  
Mohan Yu ◽  
Logan Lawrence ◽  
Pier Paolo Claudio ◽  
James B. Day ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Functional Properties ◽  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Bone Scaffolds ◽  
Material Deposition ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Pneumatic micro-extrusion (PME) is a high-resolution direct-write additive manufacturing process, which has emerged as the process of choice for tissue engineering and biofabrication of a broad spectrum of organs and tissues (e.g., bone, aortic valve, blood vessels, human ear, and nose). Despite the advantages and host of biomedical applications engendered by the PME process — including, for example, (i) accommodation of a wide range of material viscosity (enabled via thermopneumatic material deposition), (ii) large build volume and standoff distance for tissue engineering, (iii) in situ UV curing, and (iv) high-resolution multimaterial deposition — there are intrinsically complex design, material, and process factors as well as interactions, which influence the functional properties of PME-fabricated tissues and organs. Consequently, investigation of the impact and interaction of each factor aligned with establishment of a physics-based, optimal material deposition regime is inevitably a burgeoning need. In this study, using the Taguchi design, the influence of four significant factors, i.e., layer height, infill density, infill pattern, and print speed, is investigated on the compression properties as well as the dimensional accuracy of polycaprolactone (PCL) bone scaffolds, fabricated using the PME process. Furthermore, a 3D, transient two-phase flow CFD model is forwarded with the aim to observe the flow of material within the deposition head as well as the micro-capillary (nozzle). The results of this study pave the way for further investigation of the bio-functional properties of bone scaffolds, e.g., biodegradation, cell proliferation and growth rate.

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