Development of hybrid multi-head, multi-material paste and ink extrusion type 3D printer for biomedical applications

ABSTRACT Additive manufacturing is a fabrication technique where materials are built up layer-by-layer allowing the realization of complex designs. Ceramic additive manufacturing is steadily increasing in the market and industries are developing 3D printers that are economical and efficient to print single/multi-material. The development of free-form extrusion-type printers has been of great significance due to their wide range of materials used, availability of technology, low development cost, and design freedom in developing the structures. We have successfully developed a hybrid multi-head 3D printer with four print heads capable of operating individually or together to print multiple layers using different materials. The three mechanically actuated print heads are provided to print ceramic, metallic slurry, and polymeric materials, and one pneumatic actuated print head is for printing bio-ink. The developed hybrid multi-head 3D printer can be beneficial in printing a wide range of materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites due to its flexibility in printing materials of different viscosities at different pressure. The optimization of the printing of calcium silicate bio-ceramics and multi-material is also studied and reported.