Open Access

ARTICLE

Experimental Analysis of a Pneumatic Drop-on-Demand (DOD) Injection Technology for 3D Printing Using a Gallium-Indium Alloy

by Yanpu Chao¹, Hao Yi^2,3,*

1 College of Mechatronics, Xuchang University, Xuchang, 461000, China
2 College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
3 State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmissions, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

* Corresponding Author: Hao Yi. Email:

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2021, 17(3), 587-595. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2021.015478

Received 21 December 2020; Accepted 11 February 2021; Issue published 29 April 2021

Abstract

Many liquid metals have a high boiling point, strong electrical conductivity, high thermal conductivity, and non-toxic properties, which make them ideal targets for applications in different fields such as optics, microcircuits, electronic switches, micro-electromechanical System (MEMS) devices and 3D printing manufacturing. However, owing to the generally high surface tension of these liquids, achieving uniform micro-droplets is often a challenge due to the inherent difficulties in controlling their size and shape. In this study, a gallium indium alloy (GaIn_24.5) has been used in combination with a pneumatic drop-on-demand (DOD) injection technology to carry out a series of experiments. The micro-droplet forming process has been explored for different pressure and pulse width conditions. Uniform metal droplets (diameter 1080 μm) have been obtained with a 1.5 kPa jet pressure, 100 ms pulse width, and 50% duty ratio. The standard deviation of the measured metal droplets diameter has been found to be approximately 20 μm.

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