Water-Soluble Support Ink for Additive Manufacturing Voids

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Solution Overview

Problem

Additive manufacturing techniques face challenges in creating complex articles with voids, such as pits or buried wells, especially for conductive and dielectric components, as existing methods struggle to produce precise and efficient results.

Innovation Solution

The use of a pre-cured support ink composition comprising acrylate polymers, water-soluble copolymers, surfactants, and photoinitiators, applied through inkjet printing, allows for the fabrication of components with voids by enabling the selective dissolution of the support ink without affecting the dielectric or conductive properties, using a ratio of water-soluble copolymer to photoinitiator between 1:1 and 4:1, and a conveyor system to manage the printing of dielectric, conductive, and support ink layers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional additive manufacturing methods are used to create complex articles with voids, then the fabrication process becomes complicated and imprecise, but using support ink compositions enables precise and efficient fabrication of components with voids

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefabrication precision of components with voidsVSAvoidcomplexity of fabrication process

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A water-soluble support ink composition is introduced as an intermediary material that temporarily fills void spaces during the additive manufacturing process. This support ink can be selectively removed after manufacturing, cleanly creating voids without affecting the surrounding dielectric and conductive materials. The support ink acts as a mediator that enables precise void formation while simplifying the overall fabrication process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes changes in material parameters, specifically the water solubility of the support ink composition, to enable selective removal. By formulating the support ink with water-soluble polymers and surfactants, the material can be easily removed through water washing after the component is manufactured, leaving clean voids without requiring complex post-processing equipment or procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If support ink is used to create voids in additive manufactured components, then complex geometries with pits and empty layers can be achieved, but the support ink must be selectively removable without affecting dielectric or conductive properties

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to create complex geometries with voidsVSAvoidintegrity of dielectric and conductive properties

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The support ink composition is formulated with specific local qualities - water solubility - that differ from the surrounding dielectric and conductive materials. This allows selective removal of only the support ink from void regions while leaving the functional materials intact. The local quality difference enables precise spatial differentiation during the removal process, creating complex geometries without compromising the reliability of dielectric and conductive properties in their respective regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention employs a composite material system consisting of water-soluble polymers, surfactants, and other additives in the support ink formulation. This composite composition provides both the necessary rheological properties for inkjet printing and the water solubility for selective removal. The composite nature of the support ink allows it to be distinguished from and selectively removed alongside dielectric and conductive materials, enabling complex geometries while maintaining material integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method enables the precise and efficient fabrication of components with voids, maintaining the integrity of dielectric and conductive properties and allowing for the creation of complex geometries with pits and empty layers within additive manufactured components.

Implementation Method 1

a photoinitiator (PI), wherein the ratio (w/w) between the water-soluble copolymer and the PI is between 1:1 and 4:1

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotopolymerization: Photopolymerisation

Implementation Method 2

allowing for the selective dissolution of the support ink without affecting the dielectric or conductive properties

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Data Source

PatentUS11629261B2Support ink compositions and methods of use thereof in additive manufacturing systems

Publication Date: 2023.04.18 NANO DIMENSIONS TECH LTD

AI summary

The disclosure relates to systems, methods and compositions for fabricating additive manufactured electronics having conductive and dielectric constituents comprising voids, using additive manufacturing. Specifically, the disclosure is directed to the fabrication of three-dimensional component having conductive and dielectric constituents comprising voids by using water soluble support ink, capable of undergoing all processing steps for fabricating the dielectric and conductive constituents.