Digital Twin-Enabled Extrusion Control for High-Fidelity Printing of Polymers
Kantawatchr Chaiprabha1, Chaiwuth Sithiwichankit1, Worathris Chungsangsatiporn1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Polymers
|August 28, 2025
Summary
This study presents a dual-mode electropneumatic extrusion system for advanced direct ink writing (DIW). The innovative platform enables precise control over materials with complex rheology, improving fabrication accuracy and efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Additive Manufacturing
- Robotics and Control Systems
Background:
- Direct ink writing (DIW) is a versatile additive manufacturing technique for fabricating functional structures.
- Current DIW systems face limitations with materials exhibiting heterogeneous or time-dependent rheological properties.
- Addressing these limitations is crucial for expanding DIW applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate a novel dual-mode electropneumatic extrusion system for rheology-adaptive DIW.
- To demonstrate the system's capability in handling diverse material characteristics.
- To provide a framework for high-throughput and multi-nozzle DIW applications.
Main Methods:
- Development of a dual-mode electropneumatic extrusion platform integrating a motorized pneumatic cylinder and an electropneumatic pressure regulator.
- Implementation of a real-time digital twin for system monitoring and control.
- Evaluation of system performance across five material characteristics: homogeneity, heterogeneity, time-dependent rheology, self-curing ability, and thermoplasticity.
- Utilizing feedback current control, adaptive pressure ramps, and hybrid velocity-pressure operation.
Main Results:
- Feedback current control achieved linewidth variability of approximately 2% and a settling time under 250 ms, even with a four-fold viscosity increase.
- Adaptive pressure ramps maintained variability at or below 4% throughout material curing.
- Hybrid velocity-pressure operation preserved variability at or below 4% and a pore geometry error below 4% over 20 layers.
Conclusions:
- The developed dual-mode electropneumatic extrusion system offers a robust solution for rheology-adaptive direct ink writing.
- The system demonstrates significant improvements in precision and adaptability for complex materials.
- Findings provide practical guidelines for implementing advanced DIW control in industrial settings.
