Effects of Drying Time, Ultrasonic Vibration Intensity, and Target Powder Bed Temperature on Subsystem-Level Energy Consumption in Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing

ABSTRACT: Reported studies regarding binder jetting additive manufacturing have investigated the effects of process parameters (e.g., drying time and ultrasonic vibration intensity) on a range of response variables. However, the effects of these process parameters on the energy consumption of binder jetting printers remain largely unexplored. This study investigates the energy consumption of a binder jetting printer experimentally, focusing on three parameters: drying time, ultrasonic vibration intensity, and target powder bed temperature. Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions designed to isolate subsystem contributions to power consumption, including drying tests without powder and ultrasonic vibration tests without powder dispensing or hopper traversal. Energy consumption was calculated based on the real-time measurements of the electric current drawn by the binder jetting printer during experiments at different drying times (1, 15, 30, 45, and 60 s), ultrasonic vibration intensities (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%), and target powder bed temperatures (40, 60, and 80 °C). Results showed that longer drying times and higher target powder bed temperatures significantly increased energy consumption, while ultrasonic vibration intensity had a negligible effect on energy consumption. These results provide a basis for understanding energy consumption at the subsystem level, supporting future studies on subsystem-level energy optimization.