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Printable products for new manufacturing challenges by Ana Ferrández Montero, Zoilo González, Joaquin Yus
3D printing is considered a Third Industrial Revolution, a technology that is consolidating and evolving by leaps and bounds.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is an increasingly important part of modern scientific research due to its ability to create complex features, its low waste, its ever-decreasing cost of entry and its rapid prototyping capabilities. This technology has become an indispensable part of modern life, transcending multiple industrial categories. In the last decade and especially in the last five years, many industries are betting on this type of machines in the optimization of their processes.
Nowadays the cost of certain printers are extremely affordable, a robust and reliable FFF printer can easily be purchased for less than 500 euros. This gives research groups and individuals the possibility to build parts with complex architectures in a layered approach, where conventional methods of manufacturing reach the limit.
Our company works on the development of new functional filaments which can be employed in the manufacturing of highly precise components of impeccable quality in every detail and with several functionalities. Filament to manufacture scaffolds for bone or tissue regeneration, conductive electrodes for batteries and catalytic filters used in water treatment are some examples. We are focus on combine advances materials with specific properties with a polymer matrix allowing the easy print of high-performance structures designed by experts in the field.
Ana, Zoilo and Joaquin lead the three lines of our company, COLFEED4PRINT S.L.:
FILAMENT-Oss consists in bioactive and biodegradable filaments with bone growth promoting particles for personalized bone regeneration and tissue engineering. This line contains our standard filaments with biodegradable particles as Hydroxiapatite, Magnesium or TCP particles and innovative composition at the customer's request (bioglass, metals, etc) for printing customized 3D implants.
FILAMENT-Eco line consists in developing multicomponent filaments that could offer novel solutions in energy storage manufacturing. Functional filaments based on carbonaceous species or ceramic semiconductors particles (TiO2) with application in conductive and catalytic 3D electrodes and filters. We also present basic designs of electrodes, cells and filters that can benefit all electrochemical researchers in their labs.
FILAMENT-Tile is based on the manufacturing of filaments containing glaze and pigments mixes, which can be used for ceramic decoration with reliefs, safety signs, braille symbols or so on. This line allows designing colored 3D decorations by direct printing onto tiles, pavements, cements, etc. The ratio PLA/glaze/pigment can be varied to print colors according to the customers' requirements.
Finally, we would like to mention that we are open and willing to assist researchers (new and experienced) that are looking for enhancing their research in the area of 3D printing by developing their own bespoke materials.
Dr Ana Ferrández Montero – CY Cergy Paris University
Dr Zoilo González – Universidad de Córdoba
Dr Joaquin Yus – University of Illinois
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