John Cordonier

Modeling and Simulation of a Direct-Write Manufacturing Process 

In this project, direct writing of an ink composed of a conductive material dispersed in a polymer medium is used to create conductive pathways for use in flexible electronic devices. To develop an efficient controls system, the parameters that affect the printed fluid must first be understood. The pattern geometry and dimensions created by the direct writing method mainly depend on three main factors: the properties of the ink, the parameters used in the operation of the direct-writing machine, and the ink-substrate interaction. In this work, a detailed model of the direct-write process is developed in COMSOL. While this model provides detailed information and very high resolution, the model is computationally expensive and is not suitable for control applications. A simple model suitable for real time simulation is developed in MATLAB. The effect of different operating conditions is studied. A control strategy is developed for efficient regulation of the track dimensions. 

• Cordonier J F, Bhattacharyya D, Torres Arango M A, Sierros K A, Gupta R K, “Modeling and Validation of a Direct-Write 3D Printed Track”, Proceedings of ANTEC 2017: The plastics technology conference, Anaheim, CA, May 8-10, 2017

• Cordonier J F, Bhattacharyya D, Torres Arango M A, Sierros K A, Gupta R K, “Modeling and Validation of a Direct-Write 3D Printed Track”, ANTEC 2017: The plastics technology conference, Anaheim, CA, May 8-10, 2017