3D Printing and its uses have been essential towards the advancement of industries such as architecture and engineering, medicine, and automotive. Although it seems these industries have pushed the boundaries when it comes to inventions, there’s one material that can become a game-changer in creations. Learn more about what 3D printed nano ink can do and how it will shape the future.
A Quick Background on 3D Printing
When it comes to 3D Printing, plastic is one of the many materials widely used to create products. Examples of these are polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). These are materials that even consumers can get their hands on. Or create to produce everyday items or parts that will further enhance certain items. But some who operate 3D printers can also use metal or ceramics for various products or items.
Epoxy and superglue are two examples of these bonding components used in shaping the final product. These are two durable materials. However, the 3D Printed Nano Ink can remove the use of these bonding components. After all, it has conductivity properties and tensile strength that will keep the finished product intact.
3D Printed Nano Ink
The 3D Printed Nano Ink will transform the printing method. Instead of relying on bonding components or composites to put materials together, the ink will do the job for you. And you can thank mechanical engineers from the Michigan Technological University for that. Parisa Pour Shahid Saeed Abadi and Masoud Kasarie are the two engineers who studied and found a way to produce nanomaterial ink on 3D materials.
The engineers used carbon nanotubes to produce the polymeric ink. That said, carbon nanotubes are known for their tensile and lightweight properties. If this becomes a widely used material for 3D Printing, the use of epoxy can be eliminated.
However, before polymeric inks become embraced in 3D Printing, it’s important to study this further on both a macro and nanoscale, which the two engineers have disclosed in the Michigan Tech News. Even so, they opened the doors further to explore properties like process and morphology to nanocomposite inks.
Benefits of Using the 3D Printed Nano Ink
Given that the nanomaterial will be of significant use to many industries, how can it change the face of 3D Printing as many know it?
Morphology is one aspect that puts the nanocomposite ink at an advantage. It helps those who use a 3D printer to create a shape they have envisaged before considering it as a final product.
Aside from the conductivity of their nanomaterial ink, it can also act as if it was an electrical wire in some products. Plus, despite its nano properties, it is both durable and lighter than other nanocomposites.
Aerospace, electronics, and medicine will greatly benefit from using 3D printed nano ink. For example, the tiniest damages may have a long-term effect on the product. The nanomaterial ink addresses that issue and makes the product resilient to other cracks and damages.
Only time will tell when the nanomaterial ink will make an impact in creating solutions for these industries. But it will transform product creation, and it could limit repairs and other issues that only the nanomaterial ink could address.
Possible Limitations Before Hitting the Market
Despite the praises for the nanomaterial ink, anyone in the industry wonders about its use and value. It is promising. However, the two engineers observed that the market value is less than that of other 3D printed-related fields.
There’s still a gap between applications of “3D Printing and nanomaterials and nanomaterial 3D Printing,” Abadi discloses in Michigan Tech News. Not only that, there are still limitations about its properties and morphology, which help in creating structure.
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