“Manuf. Lett.” Conformal Aerosol Jet Printing Based on a Three-Axis Printer
Product Introduction
Equipment Parameters
I. Core Research Summary
- NURBS-native surface path generation with no discretization error
Abandoning the STL‑based triangular mesh slicing approach, this method directly reads the native NURBS surface equations from CAD files, extracts surface coordinates and normal vectors, and continuously computes the synchronized motion trajectories along the three axes—X, Y, and Z. By avoiding the surface truncation errors introduced by mesh discretization, it significantly improves printing accuracy in regions of high curvature. Quantitative comparisons with coarse STL mesh models reveal an average surface deviation of 0.194 mm and a maximum error of 0.75 mm; by contrast, this method is free from such discretization‑induced defects.
- Three-axis equipment enables stable conformal deposition on curved surfaces.
Leveraging the aerosol‑based 1–5 mm ultra‑large print safety margin, the system employs three‑axis synchronous dynamic adjustment of the nozzle height to maintain a constant printing distance throughout the process. This eliminates the need for five‑ or six‑axis robotic arms to orient the nozzle; standard three‑axis equipment can thus fabricate serpentine sensor circuits on uneven or curved substrates.
- Fully Automated Integrated G-Code Generation Workflow
Input a NURBS surface model and a custom serpentine sensing pattern; the algorithm automatically partitions the print area, computes continuous motion paths along three axes, and generates machine‑readable motion code—eliminating the need for manual programming of complex surface geometries and significantly accelerating prototype development.
- Curved-surface-stable forming circuitry using silver nanoparticle ink
Commercial silver‑nanoparticle conductive ink was used to print a conformal serpentine circuit on an SLA‑fabricated curved resin substrate. The printed traces exhibit uniform linewidth, and the film thickness remains controllable under oblique jetting, with no defects such as open circuits, ink spreading, or edge blurring.
- A general-purpose process framework that supports a wide range of functional devices.
This path-planning framework is universally applicable and can be extended to various curved‑surface functional devices, including strain sensors, thermal‑management circuits, microfluidic electrodes, and drug‑delivery films. It is compatible with all types of aerosol‑printing inks—metallic, carbon‑based, and polymeric.
II. Core Process Advantages of Aerosol Spraying (Curved Surface Conformal Applications)
(1) Complete Three-Axis NURBS Conformal Printing Process
- In CAD, a NURBS freeform surface model is created, and the target printing area (a local surface patch) is defined.
- NURBS-Python parses the surface’s parametric equations and extracts global coordinates and surface normal data.
- The algorithm generates a serpentine sensing path, dynamically synchronizes X/Y/Z‑axis displacement in real time, and maintains a constant nozzle‑to‑substrate distance of 1–5 mm.
- Automatically converted into device‑motion G‑code and imported into the three‑axis aerosol‑jetting platform.
- Ultrasonic atomization of silver nanoparticle ink enables uniform, conformal deposition of conductive traces on curved surfaces, with room-temperature, low-temperature curing and shaping.
(II) Five Core Process Advantages (Compared with Inkjet, Direct Write, and Five-Axis Aerosol Technologies)
- Extra-large safety spray distance, with exceptional conformability to curved surfaces.
After aerosol‑mist beam focusing, the effective printing range is 1–5 mm; surface undulations and minor alignment deviations do not cause nozzle collisions or incomplete ink trails, whereas in contact‑type inkjet or direct‑write processes, even millimeter‑scale surface irregularities can result in broken lines and product scrap.
- Three-axis equipment replaces high-cost multi-axis systems, leading to a sharp reduction in equipment costs.
No five-axis or six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm is required; a standard three-axis linear motion platform can accomplish conformal printing on curved surfaces, enabling small and medium-sized laboratories and enterprises to avoid substantial capital investment in equipment.
- NURBS native parsing incurs no discretization printing errors.
Unlike STL, which introduces surface distortion and high‑curvature offsets when slicing triangular meshes, directly using a CAD‑based continuous‑surface mathematical model ensures that the print path perfectly conforms to the designed surface.
- Non-contact oblique stable deposition, with full coverage of curved surfaces.
Aerosol‑based linear deposition enables the print head to be oriented at an angle to the curved surface (oblique printing), ensuring complete formation of arcuate and recessed areas without any loss of line integrity.
- Digital, fully automated path generation—no manual programming required.
The imported curved‑surface model automatically generates three‑axis motion code, eliminating the need for manual point‑by‑point debugging of complex, irregular substrates and shortening new‑product iteration cycles by more than 70%.
III. Five Key Technological Innovations
Innovation 1: An innovative NURBS-surface-driven three-axis aerosol conformal printing algorithm
Innovation 2: A Constant-Interval Three-Axis Interpolation Motion Control Strategy
Innovative 3-in-1 CAD–Path–G-code Automatic Generation Link
Innovative Mechanism for Stable Formation of Oblique Aerosol Deposition
Innovation 5: A Standardized Framework for Universal Conformal Printing
IV. Current Industry Challenges and Corresponding Solutions for Overcoming Them
Challenge 1: Conventional STL mesh slicing suffers from discrete truncation errors, leading to printing distortions on high-curvature surfaces.
Challenge 2: Curved-surface printing relies on a five-axis robotic arm, resulting in extremely high equipment procurement and maintenance costs.
Challenge 3: Inkjet/direct-write contact‑type processes—any slight curvature or unevenness can cause the print head to collide, resulting in line breaks.
Challenge 4: The printing path for irregular curved surfaces requires manual point-by-point programming, resulting in a lengthy development cycle.
Challenge 5: Most printing processes require the print head to be perpendicular to curved surfaces, making it impossible to form recesses or sidewalls.
V. Future Diversified Industrial Application Scenarios
- Curved-Surface Sensor Circuit for Medical Interventional Catheters
- Wearable electronic curved strain sensor
- Aerospace Structural Health Monitoring Sensors
- Microfluidic Curved-Surface Electrodes and Biochips
- Curved Surface Thermal Management Conductive Circuitry
Figure 1. NURBS surface generated using the nurbs-Python library
Figure 2. Volume generated by NURBS surfaces when using an SLA printing substrate.
Figure 3. Conformal printing of a serpentine pattern. (a) Region of interest projected onto the curved surface; (b) The serpentine pattern to be printed; (c) The serpentine pattern actually printed on the curved surface using AJP technology.
Figure 4. Print bed with a zero point (indicated by the yellow arrow on the left) and the substrate aligned to it.
Figure 5. Comparison of deviations between the NURBS model (left) and the coarsely tessellated STL model (right)
Figure 6. A robotic arm with six degrees of freedom
Figure 7. Comparison of oblique deposition and surface-normal deposition in AJP
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