Kinematical analysis of melt electrowritten jet at various print speeds

Abstract

Melt electrowriting (MEW) is an extrusion-based additive manufacturing technology to create a complex construct with micro-scale fidelity. The elevated nozzle-to-collector distance of MEW needs a high requirement to control the charged jet, which relies on the understanding of the corresponding jet kinematics at different printing conditions. This study focuses on investigating the effect of printing speed on jet diameter and jet speed along the spinline from Taylor-cone to landing point, suggesting that the fiber diameter decreases linearly with the increment of printing speed; the jet speed along the spinline has a nonlinear change for printing at various speeds, i.e., the elongation rate is not constant.