Design, simulation, and experiments for direct thixotropic metal 3D printing

Compared with current powder-based 3D metal printing, thixotropic metal 3D printing has great potentials and advantages in equipment cost, product quality, and process efficiency. In this paper, detailed problem statement, technique challenge, and development method regarding thixotropic metal 3D printing are discussed. A shear mixing and extruding prototype machine for thixotropic alloy fabrication was designed. We developed a direct thixotropic metal 3D printing machine and conducted a modeling and simulation process for the system. The printability of this direct metal 3D printing machine was studied. At the end, conclusions and future directions are also presented.