A review on droplet deposition manufacturing - A rapid prototyping technique

Droplet deposition is a liquid phase rapid prototyping technique which is used to create 3D components. This paper provides an overview of the droplet deposition process. In particular, the paper deals with the process parameters, experimental setup, and the role of computers. It is inferred that in recent year's computer play a vital role in simulating and controlling the droplet deposition process. The review shows that a heating furnace is mostly used to produce molten droplets which need to be controlled using a nozzle. Alternatives such as using laser as a source to melt wires to produce droplets can be adopted to reduce the complexity of controlling the molten droplets formed. The future challenge lies in shooting the molten droplets at an angle by using robots to create complex parts instead of moving the substrate at all times as done at the present. Copyright © 2019 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.