Electrophotographic powder deposition for freeform fabrication

Research at the University of Florida on electrophotographic freeform fabrication is presented. In this fabrication technique, powder is picked up and deposited using a charged photoconducting surface and deposited layer by layer on a build platform. The process enables precise deposition of powder in the desired shape on each layer. A testbed was designed and constructed to study this approach to solid freeform fabrication. Methods for charging and depositing powders on a platform using a photoconducting drum were studied. Preliminary results obtained using this test-bed are presented.