Capillary-Driven Flow in Open Microchannels Printed with Fused Deposition Modeling
Abstract
The fundamentals of fluid flow in 3D printed, open microchannels created using fused
deposition modeling (FDM) are explored. Printed microchannels are used in microfluidic devices
and have potential applications in embedding electronics in plastic substrates. However, FDM
parts possess rough surfaces, and in this study, surface topography is shown to have an important
impact on flow behavior, causing the liquid to travel down the channel with a characteristic
‘pulsing’ movement. We also analyze the influence of print orientation on capillary flow, where
microchannels printed in specific orientations are shown to exhibit different flow dynamics.