3D Printing (3DP)

KNMFi Laboratory for Micro- and Nanostructuring

3D Printing (3DP) provides a wide range of possibilities for the realization of freeform 3D structures. Recent develop-ments allow for a wide range of materials to be processed, from pure polymers to polymer-based highly filled composites for creating functionality enhanced 3D parts. In the FFF process, the material of choice is provided as a filament that is melted in a hot chamber, extruded through a nozzle and selectively deposited on the building platform layer by layer. In inkjet printing, on-demand small and uniform droplets of different UV curable ink are precisely ejected onto a wide range of substrates to produce multi-material functional components with intricate features of micro-scale resolution.

Contacts (3DP)
Name Phone E-mail
Dr. Scholz, Steffen Gerhard    
Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Min. Müller, Tobias +49 721 608-23559 to mueller ∂does-not-exist.kit edu

Details (3DP)

Equipment

FFF-Printers

  • Leapfrog Xeed
  • Leapfrog Bolt
  • zMorph 2.0 SX
  • Builder Extreme 2000
  • Prusa MK3S with MMU2s

Inkjet Printers

  • Notion System n.jet 3D functional/high laydown
  • Notion Systems n.jet 3D

3D Scanning

  • Einscan Pro (Accuracy up to 0.05 mm)

Filament fabrication

  • Filafab Extruder & Winding

 
Key Features

  • FFF-Resolution: 50 µm (z-axis), 200 µm (x/y-axis)
  • Inkjet-Resolution: 10 µm (z-axis)
  • FFF: Printhead temperature up to 250 °C
  • FFF: Graded structures possible (see Samples)
  • Multi-Material prints for both FFF and Inkjet possible


Materials

  • ABS, PLA, PVA, Nylon
  • Filled materials (optical effects, magnetic, electrically conductive)
  • Custom materials
  • Inkjet: Depending on material availability


Data

  • STL format
  • Various CAD files can be exported to STL format
  • Wall thicknesses should be multiples of x/y resolution for better accuracy
  • Use correct units during designing the structures
  • Avoid duplexes (use snaps)
  • Overhangs with degrees >30° need support
  • Models must be solid bodies, not surfaces. No open faces, models must be watertight
  • In case of periodic structures a single unit cell is sufficient


Limitations/constraints

  • Depending on object size & geometry: long build time
  • Currently no materials with melting temperature >250 °C possible

 
Samples (FFF)

Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4


Samples (Inkjet)

3DP Inkjet Sample