@Article{fdmp.2021.015478,
AUTHOR = {Yanpu Chao, Hao Yi},
TITLE = {Experimental Analysis of a Pneumatic Drop-on-Demand (DOD) Injection Technology for 3D Printing Using a Gallium-Indium Alloy},
JOURNAL = {Fluid Dynamics \& Materials Processing},
VOLUME = {17},
YEAR = {2021},
NUMBER = {3},
PAGES = {587--595},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/fdmp/v17n3/42421},
ISSN = {1555-2578},
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<sub>24.5</sub>) 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.},
DOI = {10.32604/fdmp.2021.015478}
}