3D Printed Fluidic Systems

Abstract

This research project departs from two novel concepts, 3D printing fluid, and
fluidic interfaces.

With polyjet 3D printing, micro-droplets of different resin materials are ejected in layers and hardened instantly. Through this technology, complex 3D
parts can be manufactured with up to 8 different materials, including flexible and rigid materials. This project departs from a research study in which
a non-curing resin is used for the first time as one of the printed materials
(McCurdy, 2016), which allows for 3D printed fluid geometries to be designed
inside solid parts. However, the effect of fluid printing on the printed part
quality is not mentioned beyond a list of design guidelines.
Fluidic interfaces is a novel concept, in which fluid is visibly displaced
through small channels, as a result of deforming the flexible structure in
which fluid is placed.

The main objective of this project is to discover whether combining the concepts of fluidic interfaces and the opportunity of 3D printing three-dimensional fluid structures, will create new forms of human-product interactions.
Therefore, these two fields are researched, resulting in a haptic controlled
with 3D printed fluid mechanisms.

Fluidic system structure research
Through low fidelity fluidic system prototypes, made from silicone it is
researched how 3D fluidic systems need to be structured for creating new
human-product interaction forms. From this, it is acknowledged that the
design structure opportunities are based on an input (force), displacing the
fluid, and an output (intended result) which can be visual, physical, or the
combination of both.
With the different structure opportunities, a literature exploration is performed into existing developmental research prototypes within the established opportunities achievable with a fluidic system. With these findings,
generated fluidic system ideas are rated in terms of viability, selecting dynamic textures as the idea to be developed into a concept, and demonstrate
the design opportunities of 3D printed fluidic systems.

3D printing with fluid research
During the development of a dynamic texture concept, fluidic samples are
3D printed to observe the impact fluid has on the structural result. The effect
of this is significant, as fluid spills between printed layers (during the print
process), and severely weakens solid structures. In addition, flexible material
printed in contact with fluid will deform greatly. Thus, solutions are exposed
regarding the part printing alignment and the use of support structures to
manufacture successful 3D fluidic structures.
It is anticipated that 3D printed fluidic parts are to be integrated into a concept, based on the deformation resulting from hydraulic pressure. Therefore
an explorative analysis is carried out comparing finite element predictions to
actual test results, creating a model for further mechanism predictions.

Concept design
Dynamic textures is chosen as the idea to be developed into a concept, thus
the visual and tactile elements of texture are researched. As a result, 4 elements can be dynamically altered with a 3D printed fluidic system: surface
colour, surface height, curvature and hardness. With this opportunity, a
haptic feedback controller is selected as the idea to be developed into a final
concept.
Human tactile variables play the role in receiving information from surface
textures, from which fluidic mechanisms are designed. The mechanisms
(roughness sensor and texture actuator), vary the perceivable surface
roughness and height, with the use of deforming flexible membranes. These
mechanisms are tested on three participants to obtain the design guidelines for optimal texture perception.
The final concept is based on the communication between the user and
a product, through varying surface textures. This is tested with a proof of
concept, on three participants concluding that the product opportunities
of this concept lie in the implementation into immersiveness, or creating a
new tactile language, however a longer testing duration will be needed for
this validation.