Duplex printing of three-dimensional structures with deformation control

1. A method for printing a three-dimensional structure by depositing droplets of printing ink at least partially side by side and one above an other, comprising the following steps:

depositing droplets of printing ink in a first printing step in order to build up an intermediate first pre-structure;

depositing droplets of printing ink in a second printing step in order to build up an intermediate second pre-structure on at least one side of the first pre-structure;

rotating the first pre-structure and arranging the first pre-structure on a support structure in a rearrangement step between the first printing step and the second printing step;

wherein an extension of the first pre-structure is arranged on a carrier substructure of the support structure and a main body of the first pre-structure is arranged on a deformation-control substructure of the support structure;

wherein the first pre-structure is fixed by a fixation means on the carrier substructure;

wherein the deformation-control substructure protects at least the first pre-structure from unwanted deformations; and

wherein the fixation means comprises an electromagnetic element of the carrier substructure and an electromagnetic element located in the extension.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier substructure comprises an outer region of the support structure and the deformation-control substructure comprises an inner region of the support structure.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the first pre-structure is only partially cured at the beginning of the second printing step.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the at least one side of the first pre-structure is prepared for printing in a surface treatment step between the rearrangement step and the second printing step.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first pre-structure is printed on a substrate in the first printing step and the substrate forms the at least one side of the first pre-structure.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first pre-structure is printed on a substrate in the first printing step and the first pre-structure is removed from the substrate between the first printing step and the rearrangement step.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the support structure is printed between the first printing step and the second printing step.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier substructure and the deformation-control substructure are printed as a single piece.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier substructure comprises pillars.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the deformation-control substructure comprises a soft-condensed matter sheet.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the deformation-control substructure comprises a soft-condensed matter block.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the deformation-control substructure comprises a balloon.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a profile of an upper surface of the deformation-control substructure comprises a negative of a profile of an opposite side of the at least one side of the first pre-structure.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein droplets of printing ink are at least partially cured after deposition in intermediate curing steps during the first printing step and/or during the second printing step.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the deposited droplets are cured only after a certain time period has elapsed in order to let the deposited droplets spread and/or melt with adjacent droplets before getting cured.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein rotation and arrangement of the first pre-structure during the rearrangement step is carried out in an automated process.