Additive manufacturing technologies: an overview of challenges and perspective of using electrospraying

Additive manufacturing (AM) is integrated into almost each industry, with an objective to improve product functionality and decrease costs. Ever since from its introduction four decades ago, AM technologies have used numerous kinds of materials in polymers and composite materials to create complex 3D structures which were almost impossible to manufacture through conventional techniques. However, many concerns remain for widespread applications of 3D-printed materials, which include inhomogeneous distribution of particles, unavailability of spherical particles, poor surface finish, inadequate accuracy, shrinkage in the material, and mismatch in desired mechanical properties. To meet the high standards of part quality, immediate emphasize should be given to these pertaining issues and challenges needs to addressed from the grassroots level. It is understood that, electrospraying, a powder particle production technique, may hold great potential to address these challenges and needs of AM by synthesizing fine spherical particles of any material with high scalability and reproducibility. A comprehensive review has been done to discuss the necessity of electrospraying for AM by providing an extensive summary/insight in current material advances and also attempted to bring the connection between the electrospraying and commercialized AM methods. This article also encourages the readers in obtaining an understanding the leading-edge technology electrospraying and makes them to contribute toward the future generations more effectively.