BCH Materials Science Intern — Custom Functional Ink Development, Innovative Inkjet Printing, and 3D-Printed Research Tooling

Purpose of the Internship

This summer internship is designed to provide hands-on experience in materials science, ink formulation, inkjet printing, printer repair systems, 3D modeling, 3D printing, lab testing, and technical documentation. The goal is not only to learn tools and machines, but also to complete useful BCH Technologies projects that can become internal procedures, customer-facing educational content, future product-development references, and possibly a foundation for later university-level research.

The main focus of the internship will be custom functional ink development. Many researchers have materials they want to deposit in controlled patterns, but those materials are not automatically printable. Examples include graphene, carbon black, metal oxide nanoparticles, iodine-based medical phantom materials, transparent functional coatings, biological or live materials, conductive particles, and other specialty research fluids. The practical question is: how can a researcher take a material of interest and turn it into an ink that can be tested safely and repeatably through a low-cost piezoelectric inkjet platform?

This project will use Epson-style piezoelectric printheads as an accessible test platform, but the main purpose is not to study Epson hardware itself. The main purpose is to create a practical screening method for custom functional inks. DTF white ink will be used as a real-world benchmark because it is a difficult commercial particle-loaded ink with heavy pigment settling, remixing challenges, and printhead-clogging risk. The intern will compare DTF white ink against one experimental functional ink system of choice, such as graphene, carbon black, metal oxide nanoparticles, iodine-based phantom material, or another safe and approved research fluid.

A second support project will involve Fusion 360 and 3D-printed parts for lab and printer-repair use. A third topic, epoxy bonding for printhead repair, will be treated only as an optional literature review or future research topic. It is important, but it is too advanced and risky to make the main hands-on summer project unless carefully supervised.

Phase 1: Training and Preparation

Target completion date: June 20

The first phase will focus on learning the tools and background knowledge needed for the rest of the internship. The intern should complete the Udemy Fusion 360 course: “Learn 3D Modeling, Assembly, Drawing, Rendering, Animation and Motion Study in Fusion 360 from Scratch.” The course is approximately 15.5 hours. The most important part is the first two-thirds of the course, which covers practical modeling, assembly, drawing, and design skills. The final third includes more advanced material and can be revisited later when needed.

During this phase, the intern should become familiar with BCH’s lab environment, Epson printers, ink systems, ink tanks, dampers, tubing, capping stations, printheads, cleaning procedures, filtration equipment, 3D printers, and basic repair-shop workflows. The intern should also learn how to take measurements, photograph results, label samples, document procedures, organize test data, and write observations clearly.

The goal of Phase 1 is for the intern to be ready to design simple parts in Fusion 360, understand the basic inkjet systems being tested, and follow safe lab procedures before starting the main project.

Main Project: Custom Functional Ink Development and Printability Screening

Project goal: Develop a practical method for evaluating whether a custom research material can be turned into an inkjet-printable fluid for low-cost piezoelectric inkjet printing.

This will be the primary summer project. The project should not focus only on DTF ink. Instead, DTF white ink should serve as the commercial benchmark because it is a known difficult ink system. White DTF ink contains heavy pigment particles that settle over time, and if the ink is not properly mixed or stabilized, it can cause weak white output, inconsistent printing, clogged dampers, ink starvation, nozzle loss, and printhead damage.

The larger research question is: how can a researcher make their own printable functional ink? This question is highly relevant to medical, scientific, and materials-research fields. Researchers may want to print iodine-based medical phantom materials, graphene conductive patterns, carbon-particle suspensions, transparent nanoparticle coatings, biological fluids, or other experimental materials. In these cases, the problem is not simply whether the material can pass through a nozzle one time. The real challenge is whether the material can be dispersed, stabilized, filtered, stored, remixed, jetted, dried, and deposited onto a substrate without damaging the printhead or losing its intended function.

The intern should study the complete workflow from raw material to printable ink. This includes choosing a carrier or ink base, dispersing the material, filtering it, checking for settling, evaluating viscosity and surface behavior, testing substrate wetting and drying, and only then considering controlled printhead testing.

Research Framing

A possible research-style title for the project is:

From Research Material to Printable Ink: A Practical Screening Method for Low-Cost Piezoelectric Inkjet Deposition

Alternative titles include:

A Practical Protocol for Formulating Custom Functional Inks for Low-Cost Piezoelectric Inkjet Printing

Formulation and Printability Screening of Custom Functional Inks for Research Applications

What Makes a Custom Functional Fluid Printable Through a Low-Cost Piezoelectric Inkjet Platform?

The strongest version of this project is not “how to print through an Epson printhead.” The stronger and more publishable version is “how to evaluate and formulate custom functional inks using accessible piezoelectric inkjet hardware.” Epson printers are useful because they are widely available and relatively inexpensive compared with industrial or laboratory inkjet systems, but the broader value is the screening protocol.

Technical Background

Inkjet printability depends on more than nozzle size. BCH has filtration equipment capable of filtering down to 0.22 micron. Epson printhead nozzle openings are generally much larger than 0.22 micron, often in the tens of microns. On paper, this suggests that properly filtered particles may be small enough to pass through the printhead. However, this is not enough to guarantee safety or printability.

Small particles can agglomerate after filtration. They can settle in ink tanks, tubing, dampers, cartridges, or nozzle chambers. They can change the viscosity or surface tension of the fluid. They can dry too quickly, dry too slowly, react with the printhead materials, clog filters, starve dampers, or form uneven coatings on the substrate. Therefore, a fluid can pass through a 0.22 micron filter and still fail in the printer.

For example, graphene is scientifically interesting because it may be useful for conductive printing, coatings, sensors, and research applications. However, graphene is also difficult because the flakes may be extremely thin but much wider than they are thick. Graphene flakes can stack, clump, settle, or clog filters and printheads. This makes graphene a good example for learning why “nano” does not automatically mean nozzle-safe.

Possible Experimental Ink Systems

The intern should choose one experimental functional ink system to compare against DTF white ink. The selected material must be safe, available, and approved before testing.

Possible choices include:

Graphene-based ink.
Carbon black or conductive carbon-particle ink.
Metal oxide nanoparticle ink.
Iodine-based medical phantom fluid.
Transparent functional coating based on clear pigment ink base.
Dye or pigment hybrid ink.
Another safe research material approved before testing.

The experimental ink should be selected based on safety, availability, particle size or particle-shape behavior, research value, filtration feasibility, and risk to equipment.

Important Technical Concepts

The intern should study and document the following factors:

Particle size and particle-size distribution.
Particle shape, especially for flakes such as graphene.
Agglomeration and clumping.
Sedimentation rate.
Ability to remix after sitting.
Viscosity.
Surface tension or practical wetting behavior.
Foaming during agitation.
Filtration behavior.
Whether the functional material is removed by filtration.
Damper and tubing compatibility.
Substrate wetting.
Drying behavior.
Film formation.
Adhesion to substrate.
Transparency, opacity, conductivity, or other target function.
Nozzle-check performance if printer testing is approved.
Printhead recovery after sitting.
Long-term clogging risk.

Testing Structure

The project should compare two systems.

System 1: DTF White Ink Benchmark

The intern should test white DTF ink because it is difficult, practical, and directly useful to BCH customers. The intern should observe how quickly it settles, how hard it is to remix, and which agitation method restores it best.

Suggested settling times:

1 day.
3 days.
7 days.
14 days.

Suggested agitation methods:

Hand shaking.
Magnetic stirring.
Rolling.
Ultrasonic vibration.
Other safe agitation methods available in the lab.

Suggested observations:

Visible settling.
Color separation.
Pigment layer thickness.
Ease of remixing.
Foaming after agitation.
Flow behavior.
Filter residue.
Damper flow.
Nozzle-check behavior, if printer testing is approved.
Print quality before and after agitation.

System 2: Experimental Functional Ink

The intern should choose one material system and attempt to make a simple printable formulation. The purpose is not necessarily to create a perfect commercial ink. The purpose is to learn the testing process and identify what makes the ink succeed or fail.

The experimental ink should be tested in stages:

First, test the fluid outside the printer.
Second, test settling and remixing.
Third, test filtration.
Fourth, test wetting and drying on the target substrate.
Fifth, test flow through tubing, filters, or dampers.
Only after approval, test a very small amount in a low-cost or sacrificial Epson printer setup.

Possible tests include:

Mix the material into a clear ink base or pigment base.
Use ultrasonic dispersion if appropriate.
Filter through staged filters, ending at 0.22 micron if possible.
Observe whether the filter removes too much functional material.
Let the sample sit and check settling.
Compare remixing behavior against DTF white ink.
Apply or print onto PET film or another controlled substrate.
Check drying behavior, adhesion, coating uniformity, and film quality.
If using graphene or carbon particles, test whether the dried pattern shows conductivity if suitable measurement tools are available.
Document clogging, starvation, settling, nozzle loss, or other failure modes.

Suggested Printability Screening Workflow

Step 1: Define the target function.

Examples: conductivity, transparency, opacity, medical imaging response, coating protection, biological compatibility, color, or surface property.

Step 2: Choose the carrier or ink base.

The base should support dispersion, wetting, drying, and compatibility with the printhead. A pigment ink base may be a good candidate when particles need to remain suspended because it is designed to help hold particles in a printable matrix.

Step 3: Disperse the material.

Use mixing, stirring, rolling, or ultrasonic dispersion as appropriate. Record the process, time, and conditions.

Step 4: Filter the fluid.

Use staged filtration when possible. A recommended sequence may be coarse filtration first, then finer filtration, ending at 0.22 micron if the material can pass. Record whether the filter clogs or removes too much of the active material.

Step 5: Check stability.

Let the ink sit and observe settling over time. Record whether it can be remixed and how much effort is needed.

Step 6: Check substrate behavior.

Apply a small amount to the target substrate. Observe wetting, beading, drying, adhesion, transparency, opacity, cracking, residue, or coating uniformity.

Step 7: Check flow behavior.

Before using a printhead, test whether the fluid can pass through tubing, filters, or dampers without clogging or starving the flow.

Step 8: Use sacrificial printer testing only after approval.

If the fluid passes earlier checks, test a very small amount in one channel of a low-cost or sacrificial Epson printer setup. Do not begin with an expensive printer or a full ink tank.

Step 9: Document failure modes.

If the fluid fails, identify whether the failure was caused by settling, agglomeration, poor wetting, high viscosity, poor drying, filter clogging, damper restriction, nozzle loss, or printhead incompatibility.

Expected Final Deliverables for the Main Project

By the end of the internship, the intern should produce:

A customer-facing BCH article, such as “Why White DTF Ink Settles and How to Mix It Correctly.” published at BCH Technical Blogs

A research-style article such as “From Research Material to Printable Ink: How to Screen Custom Functional Fluids for Low-Cost Piezoelectric Inkjet Printing.” use as a conference poster 

A YouTube video titled “How to Make Your Own Printer Ink: Step by Step”

A YouTube video titled “Why White DTF Ink Settles and How to Mix It Correctly”

Recommendations for future testing.

Possible Future Scientific Direction

If the data is strong and the method becomes repeatable, this project may be developed into a student research report, conference poster, technical note, or journal-style manuscript. The strongest academic angle would not be about one printer model. Instead, it would present a practical protocol for converting research materials into candidate inkjet-printable fluids using accessible equipment.

A possible paper title could be:

A Practical Protocol for Formulating Custom Functional Inks for Low-Cost Piezoelectric Inkjet Printing

Another possible title:

From Research Material to Printable Ink: A Screening Workflow for Functional Fluid Development

The paper would be most useful to researchers in medical imaging, printed electronics, coatings, sensors, nanomaterials, and materials science who want an affordable way to evaluate whether their materials can become printable inks.

Support Project: 3D-Printed Parts for Lab and Printer Repair Use

Project goal: Learn Fusion 360 and use 3D printing to design practical parts that support BCH lab work, printer repair, or testing.

After completing the basic Fusion 360 training, the intern should design and print small parts that can be used in the lab or repair shop. The purpose is to connect digital design with real-world testing and to develop practical engineering skills.

Possible parts include:

Sample holders.
Bottle holders.
Tubing clips.
Filter holders.
Damper test fixtures.
Capping-station test fixtures.
Ink-line organizers.
Small repair tools.
Printer-part adapters.
Brackets or supports for lab equipment.

The intern should learn both FDM filament printing and DLP resin printing if available. The intern should understand when to use each process and what the limitations are.

If time allows, the intern can also compare different 3D printing materials used at BCH, such as PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, nylon, and resin. The comparison can focus on heat resistance, flexibility, brittleness, dimensional stability, screw-hole durability, and resistance to ink or cleaning solution exposure.

Expected deliverables for the support project:

At least one useful 3D-designed part placed into actual lab or repair-shop use.
Fusion 360 design files.
Photos of printed parts.
Notes on print settings.
Notes on material choice.
A short recommendation chart for which 3D printing materials are best for different BCH applications.

Optional Side Project: Epoxy Bonding for Printhead Repair

This topic is important, but it should not be the main hands-on summer project. Printhead epoxy bonding is advanced and carries a high risk of damaging printheads. Instead, the intern can treat it as a literature review or future university research topic. If interested, the intern can continue studying it later when returning to school.

The basic repair problem is that a printhead nozzle plate needs to be bonded securely to the substrate underneath. Some repair methods use epoxy for this purpose. One known example is 3M 420, which is used in some XP600 ink-intake bonding applications. In some repair methods, epoxy may be applied very thinly with a silicone roller by spreading the adhesive on a smooth surface and then rolling it onto the bonding area.

There is also published research discussing epoxy adhesives used for bonding inkjet cartridges and silicon-based printheads. These studies compare different epoxy systems based on ink resistance, bonding strength, reaction or curing time, curing temperature, and manufacturing-process limitations. Epoxy systems of interest include epoxy-cationic initiator, epoxy-imidazole, and epoxy-polyamine systems. Related patents may also be useful for background research.

For the summer, work on this topic should be limited to reading, summarizing, and organizing the research unless hands-on testing is specifically approved.

Questions for future research:

Which epoxy chemistry provides the best ink resistance?
What cure time is practical for repair-shop use?
What curing temperature is safe for printhead components?
How thin and uniform does the adhesive layer need to be?
How does epoxy affect nozzle-plate flatness and alignment?
Can the bond survive pigment ink, DTF ink, cleaning solution, and heat?
Which epoxy systems are strong enough but still practical for repair work?
Can a repeatable repair-shop process be developed without damaging the nozzle plate?

Expected optional deliverable:

A short literature-review summary.
A comparison table of epoxy types.
A list of recommended future experiments.
A warning list of risks before any hands-on printhead testing.

Suggested Internship Timeline

Before June 20:

Complete the most important parts of the Fusion 360 course.
Learn basic lab safety and documentation procedures.
Become familiar with Epson ink systems, dampers, capping stations, tubing, and printheads.
Learn BCH filtration equipment.
Learn basic sample labeling and photo documentation.
Design and print one simple test part.

June 20 to July 1:

Begin DTF white ink benchmark study.
Prepare samples.
Record settling data.
Compare agitation methods.
Photograph results.
Begin notes on sedimentation and remixing behavior.
Choose the experimental functional ink system.
Define the target function of the experimental ink.

After July 1st:

Prepare the experimental functional ink.
Test dispersion and filtration.
Compare settling against DTF white ink.
Test wetting and drying on substrate.
Document failures and adjustments.
Begin limited flow or printer testing only if approved.

August 10 to August 20:

Finish experiments.
Organize photos, charts, and data.
Complete the internal report.
Create the customer-facing article draft.
Create the research-style article or video outline.
Finish the 3D-printed support part and documentation.
Prepare final recommendations for BCH.
Optional: complete epoxy literature-review notes if time allows.

Final Internship Deliverables

By the end of the internship, the intern should produce:

One internal technical report.
One DTF white ink benchmark study.
One experimental functional ink comparison.
One practical printability screening checklist.
One customer-facing BCH blog draft.
One research-style article or video outline about custom functional ink formulation.
One useful 3D-printed lab or repair-shop part.
Fusion 360 files for designed parts.
Photos, charts, and testing data.
A practical recommendation chart for white DTF ink mixing.
A practical checklist for evaluating whether a new fluid may be safe to test in an Epson printhead.
Optional epoxy literature-review notes.

Overall Goal

By the end of the summer, the intern should understand how materials science connects directly to custom ink development, low-cost inkjet printing, printer repair, particle suspension, filtration, surface energy, coating formation, 3D printing, and product development. The most important outcome is not just completing tasks, but learning how to observe a technical problem, design a test, collect data, compare materials, and turn the results into something useful for BCH Technologies, its customers, and future scientific research.