MIT has created a new multi-material extrusion platform, capable of printing a fully functional electric motor in a single automated processrequiring only a small subsequent step to start it up.
This technology has been developed in the Microsystems Technology Laboratories from MIT and has been demonstrated by making an electric linear motor, a type of device that generates motion in a straight line instead of rotating an axis.
These types of motors are commonly used in pick-and-place robotics systems, optical positioning equipment, and conveyor belts, where travel accuracy is more important than rotation speed.
What differentiates this technology from other multi-material printers It is its real ability to integrate different functional materials in a single construction. The printer incorporates four extrusion tools capable of working with different raw materials and depositing up to five different materials in the same process.
These include a structural and dielectric material for the body and insulation, a conductive material for current paths, a soft magnetic material for shaping magnetic fields, a hard magnetic material with permanent magnet behavior, and a flexible material for areas where elasticity is required.
The integration of these components represents a considerable technical challenge, since conductive materials are usually used in the form of ink that requires dispensing by pressure, while traditional filament systems work using heat.
Additionally, insulation can degrade if exposed to elevated temperatures or ultraviolet radiation during curing. Even small alignment errors between tool changes can ruin the device.
To avoid it, MIT system uses sensors and a control framework that ensures precise alignment of each nozzle layer after layer. Once printing is complete, the only additional step required is to magnetize the hard magnetic material, after which the motor is operational.
According to the researchers, The printed device showed performance comparable to, and even superior to, linear motors manufactured using more complex processes.. In addition, they estimate that the cost of materials is around $0.50 per unit, which opens the door to manufacturing or replacing customized electromechanical components directly on site, reducing dependence on the supply chain.
The team’s next goal is to integrate magnetization into the printing process itself and move towards fully 3D printed rotary motors.