Method and system for operating a metal drop ejecting three-dimensional (3d) object printer to form electrical circuits on substrates

A metal drop ejecting apparatus comprising:

• a melter configured to receive and melt a bulk metal;
• at least one ejector operatively connected to the melter to receive melted bulk metal from the melter;
• a platform configured to support a substrate, the platform being positioned opposite the at least one ejector;
• at least one actuator operatively connected to at least one of the platform and the at least one ejector, the at least one actuator being configured to move the at least one of the platform and the at least one ejector relative to one another;
• a user interface configured to receive model data and user input data;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the melter, the at least one ejector, the user interface, and the at least one actuator, the controller being configured to:
• identify a bulk metal material to be received by the melter using the model data and the user input data;
• identify a substrate onto which the at least one ejector ejects melted bulk metal drops using the model data and the user input data;
• identify operational parameters for operating the at least one ejector, the at least one actuator, and the melter using the identified bulk metal material and the identified substrate;
• and
• operate the at least one ejector, the at least one actuator, and the melter using the identified operational parameters to form metal traces on the identified substrate.