Powder bed disturbance in binder jetting due to rapid evaporation

Purpose Conventional methods of characterizing and evaluating three-dimensional printing quality consist mainly of post-printing analysis. Using a trial-and-error method might render the process tedious and inefficient. The purpose of this study is to look into the in-situ process of binder deposition in binder jetting applications. Design/methodology/approach Experiments were carried out in an in-house open-system setup mirroring binder jetting printing condition. The powder particle size, powder layer surface temperature and binder saturation were varied to conduct a systematic investigation. Findings Binder ink jetted on a layer of stainless steel 316 L powder at elevated temperatures is observed to cause these powder particles to take flight. Experimental results indicated that the rapid evaporation of binder droplets upon deposition is the primary driver of particle ejection. As binder jetting is a rapid process, with an extremely fine printing voxel, motion blur becomes a large obstacle for in situ observations of binder deposition. Research limitations/implications This study unveils the binder deposition process in binder jetting and establishes a pivotal link between printing parameters and powder bed disturbance. Originality/value This breakthrough study not only enriches the scientific understanding of binder jetting by providing visual evidence of the main cause of powder bed disturbance during binder deposition.