Additive manufacturing is widely used to construct complex 3D objects made of metal, plastic, or ceramics from a digital computer model. However, it is presently difficult to combine different materials in a 3D-printed part to create a complex device with multiple functionalities. This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award supports research to address this need by conducting fundamental research into the development of a multi-material additive manufacturing process. The research will provide the knowledge needed to support a new manufacturing process that can rapidly pattern different structural, conducting, and functional materials in a compact, three-dimensional layout with high precision and manufacturing speed. Parts made from combinations of electronic and structural materials in a designed layout are instrumental in the development of new materials and devices in the energy, healthcare, robotics, electronics, aerospace, and automotive industries; thus, new manufacturing knowledge to rapidly print these parts can catalyze new technologies and capabilities for future products that have large economic and societal benefits. This research crosses several disciplines, including manufacturing, materials science, solid and fluid mechanics, and electro-kinetics. This project broadens participation in STEM by creating interactive learning activities based on 3D printing for K–12 and community college students and students with vision impairments. It will also develop an interdisciplinary course based on additive manufacturing to train the next generation of scientists, engineering leaders, and entrepreneurs who will address global challenges through advanced manufacturing.
Current additive manufacturing methods which aim to create multifunctional materials lack the ability to quickly and easily exchange, pattern, and deposit multiple materials (including dielectric, structural, conducting and functional materials) in a complex 3D layout. This constraint stems from the inherent limitations in toolpaths, sequential writing, and deposition kinetics in existing 3D printing methods. This research will provide the foundational and transformational knowledge needed to improve 3D printing of multifunctional and multi-material devices by creating a continuous dynamic material-switching interface, controlling multiple materials with electrostatic charges, and creating a curing zone at the interface of immiscible fluid flows. The research will address the knowledge gap related to the mechanisms of the charge-programmed additive microfabrication process that underpin process speed, efficiency, resolution, feature sizes, and material properties and structures of the final parts. The research encompasses analytical modeling, numerical simulations, and experimental studies to elucidate the effects of fluid flow, kinetics, catalysts, and material properties. The effort will demonstrate the fabrication of multifunctional all-in-one devices to validate the new manufacturing approach for use in novel smart materials, robotics and communication applications.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
