Abstract
Additive manufacturing has developed significantly. In contrast to
established fabricated materials, low-melting-point alloys (LMPAs) are
increasingly attractive because they have favorable electrical/thermal
conductivities and mechanical strengths. However, LMPA additive
manufacturing is still in its infancy. We report a novel strategy for
fabricating the complex and/or multifunctional components of LMPAs by
extrusion additive manufacturing with two nozzles (for extruding the
polymer and for extruding the LMPA). The proposed strategy was used to
successfully fabricate complex LMPA components for the first time. We
fabricated LMPA/polymer composite parts with improved mechanical
properties, and implemented the integrated manufacturing of circuits and
3D products. The strategy will enable the use of LMPAs in applications
such as smart structures, electromagnetic shielding, biomedicine,
thermal management, energy harvesting, and advanced electronics.