Computational fluid dynamics demonstrates that integrating porous structures enhances jet formation in LIFT printing, suggesting high-throughput potential.
Laser-Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) printing is a highresolution, non-contact, laser-based direct-writing technology suitable for various materials. The LIFT process is limited by its one-to-one correspondence between laser pulses and jet formation, which restricts the printing throughput and complicates scaling for high-speed operations. To address this challenge, we propose a novel strategy to integrate a porous structure below the donor slide in the LIFT system. The porous structure is expected to facilitate the formation of multiple jets from a single laser pulse, thereby overcoming traditional throughput limitations. In this study, we developed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to verify the proposed idea. The findings confirmed that the formation of multiple jets induced by a single laser pulse can be achieved by manipulating the dynamics of bubble expansion within the porous structures. The simulations also demonstrated that variations in the size, spacing, and positioning of the porous structures, along with the initial bubble pressure, can significantly influence jet characteristics. This enables precise control over jet width and length, suggesting a viable approach to achieving high-throughput, high-efficiency LIFT printing through the deployment of porous structures.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Zhou et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: