Substitution for 3D printing application

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Andrea Ehrmann
• Subject Area: Materials in Sintering Processes and Generative Manufacturing Processes
• Term: from 2016 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 323106018

Within the planned project, 2D and 1D (fibrous) materials shall be embedded in 3D printed objects. This is, e.g., possible by inlaying carbon fiber woven fabrics, nets etc. during a short printing pause on the last layer and afterwards printing over the textile inlay. Yarns and wires can also be integrated in recessed channels and afterwards overprinted. Finally, fibers can be integrated layer by layer, similar to fiber-reinforced composites.The following basic research examinations shall be executed in the planned project:- Systematic examination of the adhesive force between diverse printing materials and combination materials to find ideal material combinations (from previous tests, e.g., it is known that NinjaFlex sticks well on copper)- Examination of possible surface modifications of both partners to increase adhesion - e.g. roughening metal surfaces, hydrophilizing textile layers, plasma or laser pre-treatments, temperature treatment before / after printing, using different glues to enhance adhesion, etc.- Examination of the mechanical properties of the multi-material fabrics dependent on material combinations, pre-treatments, layer thickness and number of layers, printer parameters (printing velocity, process temperatures, etc.) ...- Examination of the integration of additional sensors and functional elements, e.g. optical fibers, conductive wires etc.- Evaluation of further applications, e.g. 3D printing on Si Wafers for macroscopic structuring, on copper as pre-treatment for etching used in printed board production, etc.- Possibilities of transferring the procedure into the industrial scale using inexpensive FDM printers which are modified by simple (possibly 3D-printed) additional elements so that the process can be automated as far as possible

• DFG Programme: Research Grants