A review of process development steps for new material systems in three dimensional printing (3DP)

Three dimensional printing (3DP) is a method for direct digital manufacturing that provides capabilities for creating a wide range of part geometries (including internal channels) in a broad variety of materials, including just about anything that is available as a spreadable powder. Taking advantage of the full variety of materials requires development of specific implementations of 3DP. This paper organizes the process of 3DP implementation into five steps (powder formulation, binder method selection, binder formulation and testing, printing process specification, and post-processing specification) and presents a review of the literature relevant to each step in 3DP implementation.