Files and links (1)
PDFOpen Access (License Unspecified), Open Access
Thesis
Modification of FDM 3D printer to a DIW printer for printing soft materials
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
May 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011047
Abstract
This thesis project took a previously used Fused Deposition Modeling, or FDM, 3D printer and modified it to allow for the printing of soft materials through Direct Ink Writing, or DIW. The motivation for this work comes from the high cost and limited accessibility of dedicated hydrogel and soft material 3D printers, which can pose a barrier for research groups operating under financial constraints. By repurposing an existing FDM printer, this project aims to provide a cost-effective platform for rapid prototyping soft materials. The conversion from a FDM printer to a DIW printer involved a new extrusion mechanism, replacing the standard thermoplastic extrusion mechanism with a custom syringe-based system. The original motor that guided the plastic filament was exchanged for a stepper motor with a lead screw, and then a new assembly was designed and printed for it. To evaluate the performance of the modified, multiple test samples were printed and compared against poured samples using tensile tests to determine if the material properties remained consistent across the methods.
Metrics
64 File views/ downloads
72 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Modification of FDM 3D printer to a DIW printer for printing soft materials
- Creators
- Hope Marie Wilson
- Contributors
- Yue Zheng (Advisor) - Drexel University, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- vii, 44 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Engineering (1970-2026); Mechanical Engineering (and Mechanics) [Historical]; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022058935304721