Process design for multi-material manufacturing with binder jetting

Abstract

Binder jetting is an emerging additive manufacturing technique that offers significant advantages in production speed and material versatility compared to more established methods such as powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition. This study focuses on advancing binder jetting processes for the fabrication of multi-material components. Key aspects of process development are examined, including build strategies and a tradeoff matrix to guide the selection of optimal parameters. To produce components with varying magnetic properties, the research details the selection of materials, sintering conditions, and design of experiments. The resulting multi-material samples simulate the manufacturing of electric motor components, with face-to-face and concentric sinter-joined regions evaluated at both the brown and final stages using optical microscopy and visual thresholding. Additionally, unsupported powder, printed using a commercial binder jetting machine, is investigated as a potential material component, with its quality assessed in the context of multi-material integration.