A METHOD FOR CREATING ACTUATED JOINTS VIA FIBER EMBEDDING IN A POLYJET 3D PRINTING PROCESS

摘要

The Objet PolyJet direct 3D Printing process is capable of simultaneously depositing two distinct photopolymer materials in preset combinations to enable designers to create parts with graded material properties. For example, this dual-jet process offers designers the ability to combine elastomeric and rigid materials in order to create integrated assemblies featuring stiff components and flexible joints and gaskets. To expand the potential of this technology, the authors have developed a method for the direct fabrication of systems with actuated joints without post-process assembly. The method, which involves temporarily pausing the build process and embedding and anchoring fibers into the part, is described in this paper along with part design considerations. Two systems featuring actuated joints are presented as a means of displaying the embedding method's capabilities.