Material Jetting is one of the seven types of Additive Manufacturing technologies that selectively jet droplets of build and support materials onto the build platform and cure them by either ultraviolet light or heat to form a 3D object. The process is similar to a two-dimensional inkjet printer, where material is jetted onto a build platform using either a continuous or Drop on Demand (DOD) approach . The material can be jetted continuously or only when required, i.e. on-demand to create the parts. The technique is capable of producing highly accurate parts with resolution down to 14 microns, which can produce smooth parts with surfaces comparable to injection molding and very high dimensional accuracy. The technology is ideal for realistic prototypes, providing an excellent level of detail, high accuracy, and smooth surface finish.
Material Jetting is a relatively new technology, and the machines are still expensive with limited throughput. The downside to using very thin layers is that many more are needed for a given part size as compared to other additive technologies with thicker layers. Adding more layers takes more time, and most of the parts shown as examples of metal material jetting appear to be rather small. Material jetting also requires supports for overhanging structures; however, supports can be easily dissolved away, leaving little trace of their existence. UV-activated photopolymers lose mechanical properties over time and can become brittle.
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