Development of Integrated 3D Printing and Automated Embedding System

Numerous studies have focused on the embedding of objects through 3D printing, particularly in applications involving sensors and smart materials, which hold great promise for the Internet of Things (IoT). Embedding technology in additive manufacturing presents significant advantages for future innovations. However, conventionally it often requires interrupting the printing process to manually insert objects, leading to various inconveniences and uncertainty. This study focuses on automating the embedding of components during the additive manufacturing process. A novel embedding method for bottom-up vat photopolymerization printing has been proposed in this paper. In this approach, the embedded object is fixed at the bottom of the resin tank, directly beneath the model's cavity, prior to sealing. This setup allows for continuous printing, facilitating automation without the need for modifications to the printer's hardware and leveraging the benefits of the bottom-up printing system. A prototype system was designed that incorporates the bottom-up printer alongside a device utilizing SMT technology for component placement. This setup enables the automated embedding of objects during the printing process. The demonstration of the prototype system confirmed the feasibility of the proposed method, successfully achieving the automated object embedding.