Conformal Projection Printing Method to Increase the Accuracy of 3D Printed Nails

Incorporating technologies such as 3D printers and the Internet of things (IoT) can improve the nail art industry by making it more efficient, and, most importantly, safer. It eliminates the need for physical shops such as nail salons. Nail art by 3D printing technology can achieve higher resolution and accuracy than before with conformal projection printing method (CPPM). The conventional method of painting nails manually leads to acute exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light that can contribute to minor health hazards. This research illustrates the benefits of using 3D printing for nail art. This study uses the IoT system, which can be stationed in a distinct location from the customer. The product on the nail is printed at least once and up to three times within 5 µm to achieve precise resolution through laser marking and CPPM, which can increase the accuracy by repeated projection to attain the required settling ratio. The correlation between the numbers of printed layers and different incident angles of the printing head on the conformal surface is discussed. The ratio of projected weight to the ideal weight for high-definition printing condition is illustrated, and comparison studies with conventional nail art techniques are conducted to validate the results.