Development of  a   Prototype Embedded 3D Printer with Dual Ink-Gel Extrusion Capability

Van Driel, Adrian; Govender, Reuben A.

Development of a Prototype Embedded 3D Printer with Dual Ink-Gel Extrusion Capability

Journal Article

2025-12-12

Journal Title

South African Journal of Industrial Engineering

Department

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Faculty

Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Abstract

3D printing has advanced significantly, enabling new applications such as embedded 3D printing for materials that solidify slowly. This method prints liquid materials into a support gel that holds their shape while curing. This project developed the dual ink-gel extruder (DIGEX) to address the limitations in the print volume seen in previous projects and to enable the simultaneous extrusion of material and support gel. Various sub-assemblies and deposition techniques were tested to optimise performance. While DIGEX successfully demonstrated the concept, difficulties remain in scaling for large-format printing, requiring further refinement in hardware, software, and process configurations.