Multimaterial magnetically assisted 3D printing of composite materials

TLDR

3D printing is widely used for complex geometries, and recent multi‑material advances expand its design space beyond shape alone. The study demonstrates that controlling the orientation of anisotropic particles during direct ink‑writing adds a new design dimension. Orientation is achieved by applying low magnetic fields to inks containing magnetized stiff platelets, while multimaterial dispensers and a two‑component mixing unit further control local composition. The resulting MM‑3D printing platform spans a five‑dimensional design space, enabling fabrication of functional heterogeneous materials with microstructural features previously only seen in biological systems.

Abstract

Abstract 3D printing has become commonplace for the manufacturing of objects with unusual geometries. Recent developments that enabled printing of multiple materials indicate that the technology can potentially offer a much wider design space beyond unusual shaping. Here we show that a new dimension in this design space can be exploited through the control of the orientation of anisotropic particles used as building blocks during a direct ink-writing process. Particle orientation control is demonstrated by applying low magnetic fields on deposited inks pre-loaded with magnetized stiff platelets. Multimaterial dispensers and a two-component mixing unit provide additional control over the local composition of the printed material. The five-dimensional design space covered by the proposed multimaterial magnetically assisted 3D printing platform (MM-3D printing) opens the way towards the manufacturing of functional heterogeneous materials with exquisite microstructural features thus far only accessible by biological materials grown in nature.