Heated Piezo For Jetting Wax

Release status: experimental

Description	A Piezo design that can be heated for jetting wax.
License	GPL
Author	User:Mike Alden
Contributors
Based-on	[[Scratchbuilt_Piezo_Printhead , Reprappable-inkjet]]
Categories	Extruders
CAD Models
External Link

Introduction

I'm working on a Stainless Steel piezo that can be heated to jet colored wax. This is to be used as a "Mask" for printed circuit board fabrication.

This process eliminates the need for photo resist and development of a copper clad board. Instead, I use my 3-D printer as a 2-D printer where a board can be placed on my bed and printed directly from Eagle PCB layout software. Then the copper board can be etched and used.

This device can be used for SO many other things besides PC board fabrication. The wax might be able to make 3-D objects but at the very least it can be used to label numbers and letters of your PLA, ABS, or Nylon parts. And an image could be applied to a surface of any 3-D printer device.

Basic Part

My part consists of 3 layers that are sandwiched together with a 20mm piezo on top. This design also works with a 12mm piezo and would most likely work with a 9mm piezo if the dimensions are adjusted slightly.

Inlet Port

There needs to be some way to replenish the wax as it is jetted out. No valves are required but the pressure head must be maintained constant at close to neutral so no dripping occurs and no air is drawn in.

Electronics

Electronics Text

Getting it working

Remember that the piezo has a polarity: you want the short mark to eject the droplet and the longer space to allow refill from the tank. You may have to swap the leads to make things work.

Pictures

My Part 1
My Parts 1
My Parts 2
My Parts 3
My Parts 5
Solid Ink Droplets 04-22-2013 A
Internal Chamber-02
A014 - 20130426 120558
A017 - 20130429 161406
Image1
Image2
Image5

Video

These are screen captures from video of the experimental results. Click on the link below each screencap in order to download or play the video in WMV format.