3D printing apparatus and method of using the single-printhead achieved multi-material and multi-scale printing

A 3D printing apparatus for multi-material and multi-scale printing, comprising a base, a worktable, a wafer stage, a substrate, a power source, a printhead, and a support, wherein

• the printhead comprises a feed compartment, a mixing chamber disposed at a lower end of the feed compartment, and a conductive nozzle disposed at a lower end of the mixing chamber, a plurality of material inlets being formed in a sidewall of the feed compartment, and a mixing agitator for agitating a plurality of materials disposed in the mixing chamber;
• the base is mounted at the bottom, the support and the worktable being both disposed over the base, and the printhead being mounted on the support;
• the wafer stage is fixed on the worktable, and the substrate is disposed over the wafer stage and located below the printhead;
• a positive pole and a negative pole of the power source are connected to the conductive nozzle of the printhead and the wafer stage, respectively;
• and by means of relative motions between the worktable and the support, relative motions in x direction, y direction and z direction between the printhead and the substrate are achieved, and
• wherein the wafer stage is a vacuum chuck made of a metal material, and an air inlet of the vacuum chuck is connected to a vacuum pipe;
• the wafer stage fixes the substrate by means of vacuum negative pressure;
• and the wafer stage is also provided with an electric heating device comprising an electric heating rod or an electric heating sheet.