TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018

SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING

FOR TONY STARK AND THE IRON MAN SUIT
JUHA NIITTYNEN*1 AND JUKKA PAKKANEN2
1
Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland
2
Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy

Received: 21st February 2018 // Revised: 5th April 2018 // Published online: 25th April 2018

* Corresponding author: [Link]@[Link]

ABSTRACT
For decades we have used printers to print superheroes on the pages of comic books but could
printing technologies actually be used to print real life superheroes? 3D and functional printing
technologies have advanced greatly in recent years and even though these technologies cannot be
used to print heroes themselves, they can certainly be used for equipment manufacturing. One
character that could or may use 3D printing to rapidly produce prototypes and final versions of new
technologies is Tony Stark. As the inventor and primary user of the Iron Man suit, Stark has designed
a wearable suit that is not only a weapon but also protects him. However, in battle the suit can
become damaged and require urgent repairs. To aid in these repairs, Tony Stark could turn to 3D
printing technologies to produce new components for the suit. In this paper we will outline 3D
printing technologies and describe their current applications. We will then discuss how 3D printing is
being used to print electronics and the ramifications for Tony Stark, his Iron Man suit and the
potential use for a real Iron Man suit.

PROLOGUE
Back in the Avengers compound, Stark assesses the damage. As he turns the helmet in his hands,
flecks of Hot Rod Red paint fall to the floor, shimmering as they catch the sunlight from a nearby
window. The right arm of the suit has sustained severe damage. It’s time to start the repairs. It’s time
to 3D print.

INTRODUCTION Hollywood films. Developed by Tony Stark, the

suit allows the wearer to fly thanks to thrusters
The Iron Man suit is one of the most famous in the boots and gauntlets or gloves, protects
inventions in the superhero comic books and the wearer, has advanced computing systems

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 1 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
J.
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

and a number of weapons located around the new parts for the suit. One approach that Tony
suit. The suit even includes a mobile phone and Stark could use to swiftly build parts for the Iron
can be controlled over the Internet as shown in Man suit is 3D printing technologies.
the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming [1].
Alongside Spider-Man's web slingers and
Batman's Batmobile, the Iron Man suit is one of
INTRODUCTION TO 3D
the foremost superhero technologies that many PRINTING
people around the world would like to have at
home [2]. Nowadays, 3D printing is a very common term
that can refer to anything that has been
In the 2008 film Iron Man [3], Tony Stark
manufactured by a machine from a digital
built the Mark I Iron Man suit in a cave in
design model by adding layers of material on
Afghanistan from sheet metal in a process that
top of layers of material. The standard
took many hours. This was a tough
ISO/ASTM 52900 defines the general principles
manufacturing approach undertaken by Stark
and terminology that are widely used [11].
and while the Mark I suit allowed him to escape
However, in this article, we will use the term 3D
his captors, it was big, clunky and not very
printing as a broad term and another phrase for
aerodynamic. After returning home, Stark
additive manufacturing. We will review two very
designed and built the Mark II suit, which turned
different approaches and uses for additive
out to be a sleeker and much more reliable suit.
manufacturing or 3D printing technologies.
Although Tony did not have to hammer sheet
First, we consider 3D printing as used for
metal to make the Mark II suit, he still had to
various materials and second, we will look at
use manufacturing methods that might have
the printing of functional materials that could be
been used in industry, and this would have
used in electronic devices. In the section on 3D
taken some time. Over the years, Stark has
printing, we will focus on the manufacturing of
faced off against many villains, and even
physical structures such as golf balls, while the
heroes, in the films and comic books. For
section on functional printing covers the
example, in the 2012 film The Avengers [4], Iron
printing of materials that can be used to
Man faces off against an alien invasion in New
perform specific functions. In the ideal case, a
York City, while in the 2015 film Avengers: Age
hybrid printing technology, involving the printing
of Ultron [5], he battles Ultron, an artificial
of both functional and structural materials in a
intelligence focused on destroying the planet. In
3D printer platform would be highly desirable.
the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War [6], he fights
the powerful Thanos. After such battles, unlike
other Avengers such as Captain America [7] 3D PRINTING
and Hawkeye [8-10] whose powers are
biologically based, Stark must repair his suit Undoubtedly 3D printing has received
before using it once again. If the suit does not considerable attention in recent years [12]. The
operate correctly then he is just plain and technology has become cheaper, and thus
simple Tony Stark, a man without any inherent more accessible to more and more people, and
superpowers. This means that he needs a fast has allowed for the rapid manufacturing of
way to repair his suits and, if required, make dependable equipment and tools. Most 3D

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 2 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
J.
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

printers currently available to the general public if Captain America's vibranium shield cracks
print plastic materials due to their easy and breaks just like a brittle material without
processing and low price. 3D printing, in denting or if the Iron Man suit breaks under
general, consists of a wide selection of thermal and mechanical stresses of flight and
techniques that allow for the processing of combat.
materials such as metals, concrete, paper, Plastics can be 3D printed with fewer
ceramics, glass and even edible ingredients like
issues, as there is less of a need to print
chocolate [13]. Each material type has tailored
support structures during the build. In addition,
manufacturing requirements for the successful the properties of plastics are different to metals
manufacturing of parts and structures. Prior to
or ceramics. When a plastic part that must
printing, the structure of a part is designed
include support structures is printed, a different
using computer aided design (CAD) software. A
plastic can be chosen for the support
typical 3D printer design is shown in Figure 1
structures. This plastic can be dissolvable in a
with moving printhead and substrate table. solvent while the primary plastic part remains
unaffected. Ceramic 3D printing requires more
caution in comparison to plastic or metal
printing as the parts produced are much more
brittle. Often a mixture of ceramic powder and
plastic matrix is 3D printed to create a plastic-
ceramic hybrid part. Afterwards, the item is
heat-treated to remove the plastic and to fuse
the ceramic particles.

There are several 3D printing techniques

available, with each having unique benefits and
disadvantages. Selection of the appropriate
printing technique depends on the application
Figure 1: 3D printer design by LulzBot [14].
requirements and materials to be printed. The
Depending on the material and product most commonly used technique is known as
requirements, post-processing of the 3D- Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), which is
printed part may be needed. The simplest based on material extrusion [11]. In material
option is to use the part directly after printing. extrusion, the source material, usually a plastic
However, this is not always be possible as parts filament is fed into a heated print head where it
or materials themselves might need further is melted. The plasticised thermoplastic is then
processing to be usable. For metal parts, extruded or pushed outwards from the print
printed support structures may need removal head layer by layer onto a build platform. The
and the parts can be subjected to a heat printing process is entirely computer controlled
treatment cycle to prevent future deformation of by moving either the nozzle or the build
the part. With heat treatments, ductility and platform to achieve the desired 3D model. After
impact resistance of the material are enhanced, deposition the material cools and becomes rigid
which could be beneficial for many [15, 16]. In this paper we will mainly focus on
superheroes. For example, it would not be good material extrusion techniques in 3D printing.

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 3 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
J.
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

Another 3D printing technology that can machines, tools must be able to remove
be used for plastics is stereolithography material from the part. However, in additive
apparatus (SLA), whereby an object is made manufacturing, this is not required. As a result
from a plastic resin by curing it with light source the product complexity can be increased
[17]. The 3D object is solidified with light from a without additional processing steps.
laser [18, 19] or even a mobile phone [20] after The freedom of design and material
which the object is lifted from the resin bath.
choice allows for the manufacture of hollow
After the build process, the part is weak and is
support structures with the mechanical strength
cured with UV-light to strengthen it. SLA and durability of bulk materials with a fraction of
produced parts are smooth and have good
the weight. One material being used to create
optical properties, clear structure and a smooth
3D structures is graphene, which is one of the
outer layer, making them highly suitable for use
strongest known materials. The discovery of
as lenses in optical devices. For example,
graphene won the Nobel Prize in Physics in
Formlabs clear resin can be used to 3D print 2010 [23]. Researchers at Massachusetts
lenses with SLA technology [21]. On the other
Institute of Technology (MIT) have 3D printed a
hand, hard plastics, such as nylon (polyamide),
graphene metamaterial structure with a material
are manufactured with laser sintering in which a
density of only 5%. This means that only 5% of
laser selectively melts the part from a powder
the entire volume of the object is made from
[19]. Parts created with laser sintering
graphene. Nonetheless, the structure has 10
outperform FDM pieces in terms of material
times the strength of steel [24, 25]. The 3D
strength and homogeneity of material
printed graphene structure is shown in Figure 2.
properties. Polymers used in laser sintering
behave in a brittle fashion whereas polymers
used in FDM are more ductile. In other words,
laser sintered polymer pieces are harder and
the shear strength is lower than ductile FDM
specimens.

BENEFITS AND APPLICATIONS OF 3D PRINTING

Regardless of the technique, 3D printed pieces
and components can be fabricated using less
material and contain intricate internal details
Figure 2: 3D printer graphene structure fabricated
that would be almost impossible for a tool in a at MIT [24]. The size of this structure is roughly 7
conventional manufacturing device to craft. A cm by 7 cm.
prime example of complicated parts are the The major drawback with 3D printing
turbine blades manufactured by Avio Aero for technologies is that any part produced is
the jet engines [22]. These 3D printed engine weaker along one direction in comparison to
blades includes cooling channels and a turbine the other directions. For example, a part could
nozzle where several individual parts have been be very strong when subject to shear or
integrated into a single part reducing tangential forces. However, the same part could
manufacture costs, processing steps and time. be extremely weak to normal forces, which are
In conventional tooling involving industrial perpendicular to tangential forces. This effect is

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 4 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
J.
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

called anisotropy and presents unique uniformity. Anisotropy is also present in other
challenges in the design and use of 3D printed 3D printing methods. However, with metals and
products [26]. The different directions in ceramics, post treatment can be applied to
building an object using 3D printing are reduce the effect of the anisotropy.
indicated for the model of Captain America in
3D printing of composite structures is
Figure 3. From the figure it is clear that objects also possible with hybrid 3D manufacturing
are built along the z-direction.
methods and combining different
manufacturing methods. Layer-by-layer
fabrication can lead to large variations within a
part that is completely printed using one
process. Hollow structures with closed surfaces
can be created to optimise the mechanical load
distribution evenly in the material, and therefore
reduce the mass of the material. Microstructure
in metals can also be tailored depending on the
application and additional functional layers can

Figure 3: Image created using Materialise Magics be added on top of materials. For example, a
[27] using a stereolithography (STL) file 3D printing robot can extrude, weld or spray
downloaded from Cults3d [28]. If Tony Stark different materials on top of a substrate, thus
needed to print objects for his suit on the fly, it is creating a hard thermal insulating coating [30].
possible that he could download STL files from Such a thermal insulating coating would be
his servers at Stark Tower and print the designs highly important for Tony Stark and the Iron
using portable 3D printing technologies. Man suit. It could protect Stark's body,
3D printed parts and products are particularly his legs, back and hands, from the
weakest in the z-direction or along the height of extreme heat coming from the use of his flight
the material, which is the plane over which the thrusters. He certainly would not want to be
material layers are added. This layer printing burnt while using the suit!
can create a weak spot during the build and
lead to local mechanical weakening of the part.
In the case of FDM, each layer of polymer
chains is extruded from the nozzle in one
direction. Mechanical weakening is caused by
the inability of new layer to exactly join with the
previous layer below it. In FDM, when printing
with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), the
tensile strength of the material is halved with
Figure 4: 3D printed engine cylinder head [31].
moving from printing along the x-direction to
An example of a 3D printed structure that
along the z-direction [29]. Such a change can
accounts for issues with mass and thermal
have large effects on the print quality. In
energy is the engine cylinder head shown in
addition, defects, such as missing layers, can
Figure 4. By changing to an additive design and
be created, which significantly lower the part
using 3D printing, the mass of the cylinder head

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 5 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
J.
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

was reduced by over 65%, while also moulds, for a new design or product. The
increasing the cooling surface area by 635% largest costs come in the form of the printer,
and reducing the mechanical vibrations [31]. materials and labour. This revolutionizes the
This demonstrates the benefits of hollow traditional “economy of scale” in manufacturing:
internal structure over traditional block-based price per product is the same regardless of the
manufacturing. Tony Stark could also employ a production quantity. Therefore, customized
similar approach to increase surface cooling of products are cheaper to make with 3D printing
the Iron Man suit, particularly in areas near the than in large-scale manufacturing. In mass
flight thrusters. production using 3D printing, the number of
parts printed does not affect the price.
However, in traditional production, the price of
a unit decreases with increased manufacturing
frequency. The same factors make 3D printing
an ideal technique for rapid prototyping and
design testing.

Interestingly, 3D printing can also be

used to repair damaged structures in a part
Figure 5: 3D printed golf ball by Nike. This image
since material can be added to specific
shows the difference layers and materials in a
golf ball [32].
locations that needs to be repaired. As a result,
it is possible to fix damaged products and
In some manufacturing cases, several
structures rather than having to completely
materials with different characteristics must be
replace the part, thus reducing wasted material
combined. 3D printing is an approach that
and energy usage. A prime example is in the
enables smooth material transitions and
fabrication of titanium parts where the
combination of materials. A smooth transition
manufacturing process involves the machining
between materials is ideally possible when the
of a part from a larger piece of titanium. This
materials have similar properties. For example,
can be a time consuming process and result in
Nike has developed a novel fabrication method
large amounts of waste material. With 3D
for golf balls utilising the capability of 3D
printing it is possible to create the same part on
printing to tailor the shape and structure of an
a layer-by-layer basis and then remove any
individual layer, thus using several different
excess material via machining. The same
materials inside the ball [33]. Different layers
process can be used to repair a broken
and materials in a 3D printed golf ball are
segment of a part by first removing the broken
shown in Figure 5. Nike is using an elastomeric
segment and then 3D printing a replacement
material for an inner core and a rigid material for
segment using the same material or even a new
an outer core. This enables combining soft and
material. In conjunction with heat treatments,
hard characteristics for optimal results.
parts repaired using 3D printing and
As 3D printing is entirely a digital subsequent machining can yield parts that feel
fabrication process, there is no need to initially and appear as new.
make large and costly application specific
preparations, such as masks or extrusion

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 6 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
J.
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

RELEVANCE OF 3D PRINTING FOR TONY STARK parts from self-healing materials such that the
Rapid prototyping, intricate light and durable materials could repair themselves during
new structures and quick damage repair are all combat [34].
phrases that could be easily associated with For Tony Stark, 3D printing would allow
Tony Stark and the Iron Man suit. In the films of for even lighter and mechanically stronger suits
the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), we are made from exotic materials such as self-healing
not directly shown how Tony Stark fabricates materials, graphene-based materials or
the various Iron Man armours that he uses to advanced titanium-gold alloys, making them
face off against villains such as Whiplash, Loki faster, more agile and more durable. Tailored
and Ultron. Nonetheless, 3D printing sections of surface structures could improve aerodynamics
the suit would offer a number of interesting and even be made to reflect light and energy
benefits to Tony Stark. In the 2012 film The based attacks [35].
Avengers [4], J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony Stark's artificial
intelligence assistant, informs Stark that a new
armour is in preparation. However, we are not FUNCTIONAL PRINTING:
informed of the process used by Stark. Given INKJET-PRINTING
that the suit is made in Stark Tower, it is highly
unlikely that Tony uses a large assembly facility WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL PRINTING?
consisting of metal works and casting. An
obvious choice for Stark would be to use a 3D
printing facility along with a small machining
shop that is located in one of the top-level
floors, close to the Avengers' headquarters.

In the 2015 film Avengers: Age of Ultron

[5], Tony uses the Hulkbuster suit, a special
add-on build for the Iron Man, and also known
Figure 6: Inkjet-printer by Meyer Burger
as Veronica, that is stored in a low-orbiting
Netherlands B.V.
satellite for easy and fast global deployment.
3D printing can be used to fabricate some
Rapid prototyping with 3D printing would
interesting and novel parts such as golf balls
enable Stark to fabricate new Hulkbuster suits
(Figure 5). However, the majority of these parts
as required. These suits can then be delivered
simply act as support structures and do not
to the low-orbiting satellites using a Soyuz-style
fulfil any other tasks. To use these parts for
spacecraft that would simply insert itself into
other applications such as in electronic devices,
the satellite. This would allow Stark to reuse the
suitable functional materials are needed. One
satellite, which could also have been 3D
method of fabricating functional devices and
printed, while saving on materials, time and
patterns is via inkjet-printing, which uses a
decreasing space junk or debris. It is
similar technology to that found in regular home
conceivable that any damage caused to the
printers. However, the difference is that high
Hulkbuster during combat could be repaired on
quality and precision printheads enable the use
the fly using in-built 3D printing technologies.
of functional inks and accurate deposition
Another approach would be to 3D print the

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 7 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
J.
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

methods [36]. Figure 6 shows inkjet-printing on a variety of materials, such as those with an
equipment manufactured by Meyer Burger irregular topography or materials that are highly
Netherlands B.V. that uses a moving printhead sensitive to physical contact. For example,
and substrate table similar to 3D printer design some rubber-like elastomers and very thin
shown in Figure 1. substrates are too touch-sensitive to be used

Functional inks can range from with some production technologies. An

example of an inkjet-printed conductive pattern
conductive nanoparticle metals to magnetic and
printed on varied topography or non-flat
semiconductive composites [37]. Inkjet-printing
is an accurate method for material deposition substrate is presented in Figure 8.

and arrangement that enables fabrication of

complex multilayer functional devices [38, 39].
Picolitre-sized printheads, which are printheads
that can dispense very small ink droplets,
enable relatively small features to be printed
and high pattern definition [40]. An inkjet-
printed conductive trace forming a transistor on
stretchable elastomer is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 8: Inkjet-printed conductive pattern on a

varied topography [42]. Linewidth of the silver
traces is about 200 μm and height difference
between the two levels in the image is 2mm.
Inkjet-printing is an entirely additive
manufacturing process since the material is
only added and not removed as with traditional
electronics manufacturing processes. As a
result, inkjet-printing saves on material and
energy usage. The method also allows for the
Figure 7: Inkjet-printed transistor on a stretchable
easy repair of damaged patterns as products
elastomer substrate [41].
do not need to go through several process
The inkjet-printing method is a non-
steps such as etching or chemical treatments
contact fabrication method given that the
given that such treatments would actually
printhead does not need to be in physical
damage the printed pattern.
contact with the substrate material. Non-
contact means that printing can also be done Inkjet-printing, just like 3D printing, is a
on a variety of topographies and geometries, completely digital process since the design is
which no other printing approach can achieve. stored as a digital file and there is no need to

This allows for the printing of functional patterns make physical masks or moulds. As with 3D
printing, this enables rapid prototyping and

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 8 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
J.
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

eliminates the traditional “economy of scale” body, external humidity, measure of nearby
view. New designs can be made by simply electric and/or magnetic field, detection of
modifying the digital image. This makes product physical motion and vibrations, and the
customization as trivial as mass production is in detection and analysis of gases [46].
the manufacturing industry today.
An example of an inkjet-printed thermal
FUNCTIONAL PRINTING FOR TONY STARK sensor element on stretchable polyurethane
substrate is shown in Figure 9 [43]. The
stretchable substrate makes the sensor highly
conformal and it can be worn on skin without
discomfort. The functional sensor element is
made by inkjet-printed ink mixture of graphene
and PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedi-
oxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate) and
connected with screen-printed silver ink.
Biosensors are, in general, a popular research
Figure 9: Inkjet-printed thermal sensor element on
topic. For example, printed glucose and
polyurethane substrate [43].
bacteria sensors can be fabricated with both
Inkjet-printing can be used to make functional inkjet- and screen-printing [47-49].
patterns on very thin and stretchable substrate
Just as sensors are able to sense their
materials, such as a poly(dimethylsiloxane)
environment, actuators are able to affect their
(PDMS). PDMS-based electrical structures have
surroundings. Actuators can also be fabricated
been shown to endure stresses up to 188%.
with inkjet-printing. The simplest actuators to
The transistor in Figure 7 endures repeatable
manufacture are thermal and mechanical, i.e. to
stretching up to 50% with no significant
heat or move a target near the actuators
decrease in electrical properties [41, 44].
surroundings [45, 50]. When sensors and
Electronic devices made from these materials
actuators are combined with computational
can be kept very close to the skin for long times
elements they can form smart systems that can
without discomfort, making these devices
sense, react and interact with their
optimal for different sensor functions [43, 45].
surroundings. With the development of new
As of yet, it has not been revealed in the Marvel
smart materials and smaller and more powerful
films exactly how Tony Stark controls the Iron
computational elements, these reactive smart
Man suit. The use of very thin, stretchable and
systems can advance even further. If these fairly
conformal sensor elements on either his skin or
simple systems also have communication
clothing certainly offer very viable methods for
capabilities, they can work together and form
Stark to control the suit. Nonetheless, printed
what is called swarm or collective intelligence
sensors in the suit would provide Stark with a
that are far more capable and powerful than the
very effective way of gathering invaluable data
single units [51]. These types of tools and
regarding his biological functions, the integrity
equipment would prove invaluable to Tony
of the suit and the position of enemies when in
Stark on his missions with the Avengers.
battle. Data measured by such sensors could
include temperature measurements from his Inkjet-printing can also be used to
fabricate optical elements such as microlenses

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 9 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
J.
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

that can change and control the optical

CONCLUSIONS
properties of the surface. When microlenses are
produced on a substrate they can be used to Printing methods for the production of both
control the behaviour of light on the surface; structural and functional parts is becoming an
either the light generated by the device itself or integral approach of not only the prototyping
light the surface reflects. In combination with and design of parts but in the establishment of
other components, these lenses could be used new and sustainable manufacturing approaches
to create holographic projectors, active [15]. Therefore, it should come as no surprise
camouflage and cloaking devices [52, 53]. that Tony Stark would turn to 3D printing
Inkjet-printed microlenses are shown in Figure methods for the design of new parts and to
10. These small lenses, typically with a diameter quickly produce replacement parts for his Iron
of 100 μm, and can be produced in highly Man suits. By turning to functional printing,
repeatable patterns on a surface. Tony would take advantage of the many
benefits of the associated printing methods,
allowing him to easily modify his suits for the
ever-changing demands he places on his
technologies [54]. In this paper, 3D and
Figure 10: Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
image of inkjet-printed microlens array. (a) Whole functional printing approaches have been
microlens array. (b) Close-up on a few individual discussed as two separate technologies.
lenses. In both images the scalebar represents However, recent technological advances seek
100 μm [52]. to combine the benefits of both technologies.
The aforementioned functional printing This means that both mechanical and electrical
techniques would be very valuable for Tony structures can be fabricated during the same
Stark. They would help in both changing and step, and even embedded into hybrid structures
adding new capabilities to the Iron Man suit in a that function as mechanical support structure
much faster and more flexible manner. For with associated electrical functionality [55].
example, what if Tony needed a new antenna to As of yet, we have not developed the
transmit and intercept communications at technology to build a workable Iron Man suit.
different wavelengths? With functional printing Nevertheless, we have produced many of the
in the Iron Man suit he would be able to almost technologies in the suit separately such as the
instantly print a new antenna that could be titanium-gold alloy on the front of the suit [35],
integrated with existing subsystems. If Tony biosensors, elements of the helmet [56] and the
wanted to allow the suit to become invisible at a exoskeleton component [57]. The various 3D
certain wavelength, he could 3D print a printing techniques presented in this paper
microlens array for the suit. On occasion Tony certainly show that 3D printing offers some new
may also require customized miniature sensors and unique benefits in bringing us closer to
and actuators. To facilitate this, he could use technological marvels, and, most importantly,
inkjet-printing to produce single or multiple use making life for Tony Stark and the
sensors in a matter of moments. Such manufacturing of his Iron Man suits a little
innovative approaches could prove vital to Tony easier.
and his allies when facing dangerous enemies.

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 10 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

REFERENCES
1. Watts, J., Spider-Man: Homecoming (motion picture). 2017, Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios/Columbia Studios.
2. Fitzgerald, B.W., Secrets of Superhero Science. 2016: BW Science.
3. Favreau, J., Iron Man (motion picture). 2008, Marvel Studios.
4. Whedon, J., The Avengers (motion picture). 2012, Marvel Studios.
5. Whedon, J., Avengers: Age of Ultron. 2015, Marvel Studios.
6. Russo, J. and A. Russo, Avengers: Infinity War. 2018, Marvel Studios.
7. Brown, S.P., et al., Superhero physiology: the case for Captain America. Advances in Physiology Education, 2017. 41(1):
p. 16-24.
8. Fitzgerald, B.W., Using Hawkeye from the Avengers to communicate on the eye. Advances in Physiology Education,
2018. 42(1): p. 90-98.
9. Fitzgerald, B.W., Using superheroes such as Hawkeye, Wonder Woman and the Invisible Woman in the physics
classroom. Physics Education, 2018. 53(3): p. 035032.
10. Fitzgerald, B.W., Superhero Science and Technology: A New Open Access Journal. Superhero Science and Technology,
2018. 1(1).
11. ASTM, ISO/ASTM 52900 Additive Manufacturing - General Principles and Terminology. 2015.
12. Pacchioni, G., 3D printing: May the strength be with you. Nature Reviews Materials, 2017. 2.
13. BBCNews. Scientists 3D-print transparent glass. 2017 [cited 2018 24-02-2018]; Available from:
[Link]
14. LulzBot. LulzBot TAZ 6. [cited 2018 25-03-2018]; Available from:
[Link]
15. Lipson, H. and M. Kurman, Fabricated: The New World of 3D printing. 2013: John Wiley & Sons.
16. [Link]. [cited 2018 24-02-2018]; Available from: [Link]
17. Kodama, H., Automatic method for fabricating a three-dimensional plastic model with photo-hardening polymer. Review
of Scientific Instruments, 1981. 52: p. 1770-1773.
18. Bártolo, P.J., Stereolithography: Materials, Processes and Applications. 2011: Springer US.
19. Bourella, D.L., et al., Performance limitations in polymer laser sintering. Physics Procedia, 2014. 56: p. 147-156.
20. Molitch-Hou, M. T3D Smartphone 3D Printer Could Democratize 3D Printing. 2017 [cited 2018 24-02-2018]; Available
from: [Link]
[Link].
21. Formlabs. Creating Camera Lenses with Stereolithography. [cited 2018 24-02-2018]; Available from:
[Link]
22. General_Electric. The Blade Runners: Take A Look Inside This Factory 3D Printing Jet Engine Parts. 2017 [cited 2018 24-
02-2018]; Available from: [Link]
printing-jet-engine-parts/.
23. Shekhawat, A. and R.O. Ritchie, Toughness and strength of nanocrystalline graphene. Nature Communications, 2016.
24. Chandler, D.L. Researchers design one of the strongest, lightest materials known. 2017 [cited 2018 24-02-2018];
Available from: [Link]
25. Zhao Qin, G.S.J., Min Jeong Kang and Markus J. Buehler, The mechanics and design of a lightweight three-dimensional
graphene assembly. Science Advances, 2017. 3.
26. 3DMatter. What is the influence of infill %, layer height and infill pattern on my 3D prints? 2015 [cited 2018 24-02-2018];
Available from: [Link]
27. Magics, M. Materialise Magics: Data preparation tool for Additive Manufacturing. 2018 [cited 2018 06-02-2018].
28. Cults3d. Captain America low polygon superhero STL-model. [cited 2018 06-02-2018].
29. Hernandez, R., et al., Analysing the tensile, compressive, and felural properties of 3D printed ABS P430 plastic based on
printing orientation using fused desposition modeling, in Solid Freeform Fabircation 2016: Proceedings of the 27th Annual
International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium. 2016.
30. Cotell, C.M., J.A. Sprague, and F.A. Smidt, ASM Handbook, Volume 5. 1994: ASM International.
31. Doyle, G. Metal 3D Printed Concept F1 Cylinder Head. 2018 [cited 2018 2018-02-24]; Available from:
[Link]
32. Nike. Innovation shapes the new Nike RZN tour golf ball. 2018 [cited 2018 25-03-2018]; Available from:
[Link]
33. Smock, D. Nike Develops Improved 3D-Printed Golf Ball. The Molding Blog 2017 [cited 2018 24-02-2018]; Available
from: [Link]
34. Milena Nadgorny, Z.X.a.L.A.C., 2D and 3D-printing of self-healing gels: design and extrusion of self-rolling objects.
Molecular Systems Design & Engineering, 2017. 2: p. 283-292.
35. Svanidze, E., et al., High hardness in the biocompatible intermetallic compound β-Ti3Au. Science Advances, 2016. 2(7).
36. Molesa, S., Ultra-Low Cost Printed Electronics, in Electrical Engineering. 2006, University of California at Berkeley:
Berkeley, California, USA.
37. Gerard Cummins, M.P.a.Y.D., Inkjet Printing of Conductive Materials: a Review. Emerald Insight, 2012. 38(4): p. 193-213.
38. Benjamin C. Cook, B.T., James R. Cooper and Manos M. Tentzeris, Multilayer Inkjet Printing of Millimeter-Wave
Proximity-Fed Patch Arrays on Flexible Substrates. IEEE Antennas and Propagation Letters, 2013. 12: p. 1351-1354.
39. Jorge Alaman, R.A., Jose Ignacio Pena and Carlos Sanchez-Somolinos, Inkjet Printing of Functional Materials for Optical

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 11 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT
TU DELFT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL APRIL 2018
SUPERHERO SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY (SST) DOI:10.24413/SST.2018.1.2106

and Photonic Applications. Materials (Basel), 2016. 9.

40. Joshua Lessing, A.C.G., S. Brett Walker, Christoph Keplinger, Jennifer A. Lewis and George M. Whitesides, Inkjet
Printing of Conductive Inks with High Lateral Resolution on Omniphobic “RF Paper” for Paper-Based Electronics and MEMS.
Advanced Materials, 2014. 26(27): p. 4677-4682.
41. Le Cai, S.Z., Jinshui Miao, Zhibin Yu and Chuan Wang, Fully Printed Stretchable Thin-Film Transistors and Integrated
Logic Circuits. ACS Nano, 2016. 10(12).
42. Koskinen, S., Johdinkuviointi kolmiulotteiselle pinnalle, in Department of Electronics. 2009, Tampere University of
Technology: Tampere, Finland.
43. Tiina Vuorinen, J.N., Timo Kankkunen, Thomas M. Kraft and Matti Mäntysalo, Inkjet-Printed Graphene/PEDOT:PSS
Temperature Sensors on a Skin-Conformable Polyurethane Substrate. Scientific Reports, 2016. 6.
44. Lipomi, D.J., et al., Electronic Properties of Transparent Conductive Films of PEDOT:PSS on Stretchable Substrates.
Chemistry of Materials, 2012. 24(2): p. 373-382.
45. R. Chad Webb, R.M.P., Philippe Bastien, Joshua Ayers, Juha Niittynen, Jonas Kurniawan, Megan Manco, Athena Lin,
Nam Heon Cho, Viktor Malyrchuk, Guive Balooch and John A. Rogers, Thermal Transport Characteristics of Human Skin
Measured In Vivo Using Ultrathin Conformal Arrays of Thermal Sensors and Actuators. PLOS One, 2015. 10(2).
46. Ando, B. and S. Baglio, All-Inkjet Printed Strain Sensors. IEEE Sensors Journal, 2013. 13(12): p. 4874-4879.
47. Ertl, P., et al., Rapid identification of viable Escherichia coli subspecies with an electrochemical screen-printed biosensor
array. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2003. 18(7): p. 907-916.
48. L. Setti, A.F.-M., I. Mencarelli, A. Filippini, B. Ballarin and M. Di Biase, An HRP-based amperometric biosensor fabricated
by thermal inkjet printing. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2007. 126(1): p. 252-257.
49. Rafiq Ahmad, M.V., Nirmalya Tripathy and Yoon-Bong Hahn, Wide Linear-Range Detecting Nonenzymatic Glucose
Biosensor Based on CuO Nanoparticles Inkjet-Printed on Electrodes. Analytical Chemistry, 2013. 85(21): p. 10448-10454.
50. Oliver Pabst, J.P., Erik Beckert, Ulrich S. Schubert, Ramona Eberhardt and Andreas Tünnermann, All inkjet-printed
piezoelectric polymer actuators: Characterization and applications for micropumps in lab-on-a-chip systems. Organc
Electronics, 2013. 14(12).
51. Brambilla, M., et al., Swarm robotics: a review from the swarm engineering perspective. Swarm Intelligence, 2013. 7: p.
1-41.
52. Loïc Jacot-Descombes, V.J.C., Arne Schleunitz, Susanne Grützner, Jan J. Klein, Jürgen Brugger, Helmut Schift and Gabi
Grützner, Organic-inorganic-hybrid-polymer microlens arrays with tailored optical characteristics and multi-focal properties.
Optics Express, 2015. 9(11).
53. Hamanaka, K. and H. Koshi, An Artificial Compound Eye Using a Microlens Array and Its Application to Scale-Invariant
Processing. Optical Review, 1996. 3(4): p. 264-268.
54. Ehab Saleh, F.Z., Yinfeng He, Jayasheelan Vaithilingam, Javier Ledesma Fernandez, Ricky Wildman, Ian Ashcroft,
Richard Hague, Phill Dickens and Christopher Tuck, 3D Inkjet Printing of Electronics Using UV Conversion. Advanced Materials
Technologies, 2017. 2(10).
55. Zastrow, M., Four-in-one 3D printer paves way for custom-made robots and phones. Nature, 2018. 555: p. 569.
56. Song Lv, et al., Design, fabrication and feasibility analysis of a thermo-electric wearable helmet. Applied Thermal
Engineering, 2016. 109: p. 138-146.
57. Bogue, R., Robotic Exoskeletons: a Review of Recent Progress. Industrial Robot: An International Journal, 2015. 42(1): p.
5.

J. NIITTYNEN AND J. PAKKANEN

IMPORTANCE OF 3D AND INKJET PRINTING FOR TONY STARK AND 12 / 12

THE IRON MAN SUIT