Additive Layer Manufacturing

Additive Layer Manufacturing
Laser sintering
3D printing
Stereolithography
Light Polymerising
Ink jet resin injection
Fused Deposition
Laser Sintering
The laser traces out layers of the component in a fusable
metal powder. The table is lowered after each pass and
the fresh layer of powder spread across the surface.
Effectively it is a sintered powder so suffers from inherent
microcracks and poor surface finish. It can be used for
physical tests, but generally lacks mechanical strength. It
has been used for some medical implants.
Electron beam has also been used as a source of energy
to melt the surface.
3D Printing
3D Printing is a rapidly evolving technology consisting of many different methods for the
fabrication of a new generation of advanced components and structures.
The most important aspect of this technology is that 3D Printing is a sustainable, scalable and
viable future manufacturing method.
Research focuses on making complex components from a range of innovative and functional
materials. These are being used to make new machines and functioning devices of all sizes.
The process starts by the creation of a virtual 3D model either in CAD or from data captured
using a 3D laser scanner or camera based IR system to replicate an object. The 3D printing
builds up the object in layers so the virtual object has to be sliced into layers. As all these
processes build from a base upwards any over hangs or moving components have to be
supported during printing. This normally requires support structures to be added to thge
design which are removed after printing. You then press the button, sit back and wait and
wait..............
Stereolithography
The object to be produced is first cut into layers which are traced out by
the laser on to a table in a tank of UV curable polymer to create a plastic.
The table is then lowered and the next layer traced. It has a good surface
finish but low mechanical strength and temperature resistance. It produces
components that are suitable for fit and function analysis, can be used to
replace low strength components during prototype development and be
used to create the master for casting or for plastic moulding.
Photo Sensitive Resin 3D Printing
This process uses blue UV light from a Digital Light
Processing source to cure whole layers of photo
sensitive polymers.
For high-end applications this process results in the
production of a professional standard.
Photo sensitive resin printers are the vanguard of 3D
Printing technology, producing 10-25m layers to a
high degree of precision.
The technology uses one whole layer curing at a time.
This technology can be used to produce high resolution
and high quality parts for biomedical applications or
integrated moving parts.
Inkjet 3D printing
The 3D inkjet prints one layer at a time, much like 2D
printing. Liquid binder is used in place of ink to bond a
coloured powder. The build platform drops one layer at
a time so that a new layer of powder is spread out and
the machine prints the next layer. This process repeats,
layer by layer, until the model is complete. This process
is capable of making multi-coloured moving parts.
Footwear
Automotive
Printing Time: 8 hours Consumer Products
Printing Time: 6 hours
Printing Time: 6 hours
Medical Concept Modeling

Printing Time: 14 hours Printing Time: 24 hours
Fused Deposition 3D Printing
Fused Deposition 3D Printing is a process of making a three-dimensional object by laying down and fusing
materials together. This 3D Printing technology is the most flexible, low cost and popular method of 3D
Printing today. Using extrusion processes then complex components can be produced to a 25m degree of
accuracy at 50m layers.
WCPC 3D Printing Research
High Precision 3D-Printing
Controlling the deposition properties allows for the accuracy of objects to be increased almost exponentially.
This process has been developed to make low volume high impact components.
Research has been successful in producing low price high accuracy surgical replicas.
The two most critical factors to control carefully in 3D Printing are the layer resolution and the deposition of the exterior
shell. It are these two significant properties which controls the edge and surface accuracy.
Bioplastics
This is working to develop processes to make
components from controllable biodegradable polymers.
These poly-lactic-acid based materials can be
controlled to degrade at a predictable rate. This could
allow us to make parts which controllably dissolve i.e.
the opening pin on a tin of food that is out of date.
For this we need to use a special nozzle and in-situ
cooling system in order not damage the polymer.
Material Additions
By putting different powders or
particles into a PLA polymer then
we can 3D Print components
with desirable structural and
aesthetic properties.
It was this research which also
allowed for more realistic objects
to be 3D printed with different
contrasts and texture.
Brass Ceramic Timber Natural Titanium

Optical Fibres
By 3D Printing PMMA-based optical fibres at low cost then
we can make integrated optical communication systems.
This can be used to build optical fibre backbones to transmit
communications through on a circuit board or produce
unique 3D optical fibres on demand.
We need to carefully control the drive wheel and the
temperature so as not to damage the fibre as it is deposited.
3D Printed circuit boards
Recent work has focused on the development 3D
Printed circuit boards made from carbomorph which is
a combination of carbon conductive filler and
polycaprolactone to form a conductive matrix polymer.
Carbomorph ploymer is both conductive, temperature
and moisture sensitive and piezoresistive, in which
circuit boards and touch-sensitive components can be
integrated together in the form of 3D-printed objects.
Devices as circuit boards
Because of these properties, solid state force
feedback devices can be constructed.
An example of this is a lead screw which can detect
torque, temperature and subsequently if it is touching
a liquid and feedback stress during rotation.
As a result, devices become their own circuit boards.
Another example of this is an egg cup that can tell
when it has an egg in it or even the weight of the egg.
Thermochromic materials
By printing colour change
thermochromic filaments
then we can build complex
colour change products.
This has focused on
making two colour
materials for camouflage,
displays within circuit
boards or integrated
components which change
colour on operation.
Advanced 3D Printed Sensors
Currently this is being developed to make a special
sensor that is made up of individual lines of
conductive polymer which is embedded into a
system, these encapsulate a PMMA fibre optic core.
This can be used to indicate stress and strain when a
machine is distorted.
3D printed PMMA fibre optic
core 5MHz @ 650 nm
Carbomorph
Polymer
Carbon Fibre
By working with tenax carbon then we can make a
carbon fibre filament and subsequently carbon fibre
components.
The good thing with carbon-based polymer composites
is that we can make lightweight custom structures.
Applications such as Cams for compound bows and
nocks for arrows are two such current applications
which are being developed at the moment.
3D Printing Foods
Using direct extrusion an a precise temperature then we can print 3D
Chocolate components on demand. These structures can be made on of
any size, bespoke and with controllable layers.
Auger-based deposition systems are being developed to extrude and cool
chocolate materials to form high resolution 3D structures.
Printing Integrated Machines
By carefully controlling the process parameters then
we can build integrated machines.
This research focuses on finding ways to automate
the design and subsequently fabrication process.
Using shape memory polymers we can print origami
inspired machines that are 3D printed flat and then
they self assemble themselves into actual parts.
Integrated parts Separate parts Moving parts

3D Printed Biosensors
Fabrication of an integrated 3D printed polymer SiNW-based microfluidic point of
care system for detecting 8-OHdG, which is a biomarker linked to the presence of
many different types of cancer.
Photo polymerising resin technology is going to be developed to make high
resolution objects with layers of polymers and electrically conductive polymer
connections.
This is a process which can be used to produce the microfluidic that have integrated
connections via microchannels.

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Additive Layer Manufacturing

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Additive Layer Manufacturing

Medical Concept Modeling

Brass Ceramic Timber Natural Titanium

Integrated parts Separate parts Moving parts

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