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Sensor Fabrication by 3D Printing
C. Hauser+, D.M. Lewis†, K.F. Morris†, P.J Broadbent† and M. Dunschen*
+MSERC, Department of Engineering, University of Liverpool, UK
†Department of Colour and Polymer Chemistry, University of Leeds, UK
*FreeSteel, Liverpool, UK (www.freesteel.co.uk)
ABSTRACT - This paper details a medley of plans, progressions and early developments from an ambitious project started in September 2007 to manufacture sensors using 3D printing technology. The project is supported by the UK government and a number of industrial and academic partners. The projects principle aim is to integrate a high speed rotary printing device with novel ink formulations which when printed, react on the substrate to form solid material layers with a finite thickness. This powderless approach to 3D printing will allow spatial composite material geometries to be realised. The focus of this paper is twofold. Firstly, the development of application software for sliced image data acquisition from STL assembly data is presented. This includes necessary work to geometrically transform images in preparation for rotary printing. Secondly, the development of ink jet printable material systems including ceramics, polyamide plastics, conductive metallic systems and epoxy polymers is discussed. This work is supported by early experimental results which show conductivities of silver approaching 1.42x105 Siemens/m.
Biography
Dr Hauser's career in research began at Leeds in 1996 when he started on an EPSRC funded project to build the first UK based metal powder selective laser melting machine. This work led him to consult in numerous research projects with topics ranging from laser/powder interaction phenomena to SLM hardware design. The work culminated with Carl gaining a PhD in 2003. (Thesis title: Selective laser sintering of a stainless steel powder). In 2004 Carl moved to Liverpool University as a research associate assisting with the development of a high speed 3D printing apparatus (Spiral Growth Manufacturing). In 2007, he successfully secured £0.5m of funding from the government technology programme to further develop the rotary 3D printing apparatus for the printing of reactive inks. His dissemination activities include over 15 academic journal papers and international conference papers. He has been an invited speaker for numerous industry events and conferences and he is a member of the international Scientific Panel for the Texas based SFF Symposium.
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