Innovation Meets Accessibility in Melt Electrowriting 3D Printer Design: Continuous Process Monitoring and Automation via Modular Software and Hardware
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Significant efforts have been made to develop printers, monitoring systems, and closed‐loop control to enhance the complex melt electrowriting (MEW) process. However, the lack of standardization and modularity hinders the adaptation and integration of previous advancements, slowing technological progress. To address these challenges, an innovative hardware design that incorporates multiple cameras and a rotating collector platform, combined with an adaptable software architecture based on a standard open communication protocol, is presented. The software modules are created using open‐source and widely recognized commercial scientific libraries and applications and are shared via GitHub. As a hardware platform, standard Cartesian kinematics are utilized and enhanced by a turntable collector. This design enables continuous in‐process monitoring with fixed cameras, while ensuring straightforward motion planning. The versatility of the hardware and software was validated through automated parameter studies and 3D printing of structures with intentionally introduced defects, generating large process data volumes and demonstrating in‐process print defect detection. The previously unreported impact of nonideal camera perspectives is investigated, and future directions for kinematic‐agnostic monitoring systems are outlined. Overall, this work aims to motivate engineering and application‐focused research communities to adopt modularity and interoperability. This enhances the accessibility and reproducibility of MEW, thereby facilitating its adoption.
Source: Advanced Materials Technologies
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,680
OpenAlex ID: W7124251501