A new printing technology based on ultrasonic actuation (~1 MHz) is presented that has the
potential to print high viscosity fluids. In this paper, we describe the print-head’s operating
principles and construction. Acoustic focusing in the nozzles produces high pressure gradients
that help eject the fluid which, under the proper conditions, forms droplets. Two types of models
are presented to attempt to predict print-head behavior over a range of conditions. The first
model borrows from simple fully developed, laminar flows to estimate printing conditions based
on fluid properties, as well as printing pressures. The second model captures the dynamic
behavior of the print-head to estimate cavity resonances that lead to acoustic focusing and
potentially droplet generation. We report on experiments with several types of fluids that
demonstrate the technology’s potential.Mechanical Engineerin
