The University of Nottingham has been granted funding for creating a 3D printing test lab with £2.7 million ($4.2 million/€3.7 million) in 3D printing equipment.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is providing the money for the research lab, which will primarily be for scientists looking into from the Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Research Group (3DPRG) looking into pharmaceuticals, 3DPrint.com reported. The 3DPRG is working alongside the School of Pharmacy, analyzing how 3D printing can be used in dosages, delivery, as well as developing implants.
Another element to the research is ‘Added Scientific’, a spinoff aimed to “encourage and assist business across a multitude of sectors both to explore 3D printing and see how it can benefit them”, such as medicine, aerospace and nanotechnology. This last sector is already being investigated with conductive 4D printed smart materials which morph depending on their environment.
The lab will be kitted out with a bespoke PiXDRO JETx six head ink jetting system from Roth & Rau, a machine for printing drugs that can be customised for the individual patient, along with common vaccines, with materials including metallic and ceramic inks and sensitive polymer. It will also feature a two-photon lithography system from Nanoscribe, designed for manufacturing smart materials “that are sensitive to [the] environment and variations that might indicate flaws or a need for adaption”, such as lenses and antennas.
Additionally, the facility will have a four head metal-jetting system, developed in partnership with DEMCON, for experimenting with and producing items that are not only 3D printed, but featuring electronic qualities owing to their manufacture from conductive materials.
Richard Hague, Project Leader for 3DPRG and Director of the university’s EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Additive Manufacturing, said: “We aren’t about printing just shapes or creating objects for their own sake, but about using science and engineering to find new ways to apply additive manufacturing to the real world.
“The state-of-the-art equipment in our new lab will allow us to refine the process of multi-functional 3D printing, working with research organizations and industry partners to make 3D printed electronics, pharmaceuticals, and conductive materials a safe, viable, and cost-effective reality.”
Karen Brakspear, Manufacturing Portfolio Manager at EPSRC, said: “The EPSRC is dedicated to developing UK innovation by providing grants and funding for science and engineering research. 3DPRG’s work at The University of Nottingham continues to drive the capabilities additive manufacturing forward.”
She added: “We are pleased to be behind a team performing such ground-breaking research and look forward to its continued impact on not only the scientific community, but on the UK business, engineering and industrial communities.”