Additive Manufacturing, or 3D Printing as it is often termed, is now beginning to gain traction in both the public's imagination as well as becoming a seriously considered and implemented manufacturing tool by leading industry. The lecture will explore why additive manufacturing has the potential to disrupt current thinking in the context of:• Its role as the enabler for low volume production and the democratization of manufacturing• The dramatic increases in design complexity & flexibility that are afforded by taking an additive approach• The cost effective product personalisation and customization possibilities• The reduction of the environmental burden of manufactured goods• The potential for new business models and supply chain realignment• Increased part functionality today, and multifunctionality in the coming years.The lecture will draw on real world industrial and consumer examples as exemplars and will also review the leading research that is being undertaken in the area.
Conventional embossing printing technology which can be used to produce metallic glossy images on stereo-shaped objects needs a pressing plate with the image patterns specially arranged. Accordingly, the embossing system is relatively expensive and lacks the adaptability for high-mix low-volume production. Considering these facts, we developed the Digital Quasiembossing Technology (DQT) which consisted of the technology combined with UV-curable inkjet printing and hot foil-stamping. We reported the DQT for the first time at NIP 28 in Quebec City last year. This paper is a continuation of the last report and describes the following facts. (a) We have improved the adhesion of UV-curable ink to a metallic foil, and consequently we can make not only relatively small-sized products but also large-sized ones with pictures and letters printed thereon. (b) The improved DQT system can produce higher gloss than the last system reported at NIP 28.
Two-dimensional paper networks (2DPNs) area new set of devices allow complex chemical processing in a very low-cost format. We have, for the last 5 years, been learning how to translate what we have learned about point-of-care diagnostic technologies in conventional microfluidics into the language of porous media. The wicking of fluids in porous materials (like paper, nitrocellulose membranes, etc.) allows us to discard pumps, which permits great savings in complexity and cost, and the potential to perform complex tests without any permanent instruments. However, there are many physical and chemical differences between open ducts and porous media. We have put a good deal of effort into understanding the performance and design rules of simple paper systems. Furthermore, application of reagents to the papers in liquid and dry form is central to device development, testing, and economical manufacture. Currently, the primary applications for this technology in our lab are highlysensitive multiplexed immunoassays and multiplexed isothermal nucleic acid amplification assays. All assays are designed with visible optical readout that can be captured and quantified using camera-equipped cellular phones.
The focus of this present work is to develop a novel paper sheet which includes Kapok fibers containing Solid fluorescence particles inside. The Kapok fiber is natural half-transparent hollow lube whose inner and outer diameters are 18 and 20 μm respectively. This fibers exhibit superior water repellent properties and absorb oil due lo capillary force. Furthermore, the fibers have a high hollow rate. In general, synthetic fibers have a hollow rate of under 50%, however, those of Kapok fibers are about 90%. In this paper, we made Kapok fibers containing Solid fluorescence particles inside, and a paper sheet containing the composite fibers as described above. We found that the paper sheet exhibits strong luminescent and high solvent resistance. The Kapok fibers including Solid fluorescence particles have a beneficial effect on anti-coun terfeit technologies.
“Printing is dead now that we have these new devices.” We've all heard that said. “Young people don't want to print anymore!” We've heard that endless times. “Office work is changing so printers will become obsolete.” Yup, old news. “The way people take and share pictures make printing photos unnecessary.” Way too many times! “Communication and people have evolved that paper is just passé” Volumes have been written on this! Oh wait – you thought I was talking about recent news with mobile devices and wearables. I was talking about the last several compute revolutions and the pundits predictions on printing. They were wrong before (sort of) and they are wrong again (sort of).
The result of 10 years of research, LumeJet is bringing to market a new photonic ‘inkless’ technology for ultra high quality printing and patterning applications. Similar to Ink Jet – but without the inks – LumeJet comprises custom designed print heads (moving or static) with multi-LED arrays and special fiber taper optics. Using light, rather than ink, increases throughput and image quality, whilst reducing media costs. LumeJet is a continuous tone process that can resolve down to 1pt colored text and graphics, which would require at least 8-colours and over 4000dpi with inkjet and toner systems. Applications for LumeJet technology have also been identified in label and package printing and printed electronics.
Nano bio innovation studies on iPS cell, ES cell, DNA and miRNA are highly focused to clear pathogenic mechanisms and develop personalized medicines. On the other hand, 3D organ is required for donor shortage problem. To fabricate 3D organ, printing technology is suitable because 3D structures will be fabricated by repeatable print, and position of cells and biomaterials is easy to control by 3D image data. Electrostatic patterning (electrostatic inkjet, electrospray, and electro spinning) is highly focused. Electrostatic patterning has good merit that is possible to eject highly viscous liquid. Electrostatic inkjet has another merit that is high resolution to print. These characteristics are suitable to fabricate precision 3D cell structures. Electrospray and electro spinning are suitable to fabricate scaffolds and extracellular matrix (ECM) those are composed of biomaterials. In this presentation, I would like to introduce products fabricated by electrostatic patterning.
In this paper, we explore both the physical and mathematical models of electrostatic adhesion. Addressed topics include, review of the dipole and analytical field expansion models of adhesion, addition of an applied field in the analytical model for electrostatic detachment, parametric studies of adhesion and detachment, and analysis of the model for non-uniform particle charge distribution.
Twenty years ago, when Captain Jean-Luc Picard ordered: ‘Tea, Earl Grey, hot’ it emerged in a pot from the Star Trek replicator, a machine which made everything and anything from seemingly nothing. An image was created which is so ingrained in our perception of the possible future that 3D printing is perceived by many to be todays' equivalent of the replicator. Does it make sense to print everything and anything on a 3D printer? The media and countless amateur videos suggest that the possibilities are boundless, from a cake to a door handle, from designer shoes to a washer and 3D printing will replace traditional assembly line manufacturing in the near future. Traditional manufacturing has its drawbacks, especially mass production, but it can produce high quality for an amazingly low cost. 3D printing, on the other hand, generates items within a few hours which can be customized each time they are made. However, only in a very few cases can the quality of a mass produced item be attained via 3D printing. In this paper, we discuss glass manufacturing in the UK as an example.
We investigate the influence of fluid properties on jet breakup in the context of drop-on-demand inkjet printing. In drop-ondemand printing, each drop remains connected to the printhead by a ligament which thins while the drop is in flight. Upon pinchoff the severed ligament may recoil into the leading drop, or (more commonly for high-speed printing) the ligament may fragment into ‘satellite drops’ which reduce printing resolution. A key goal of inkjet research is to prevent or impede the creation of satellite drops without compromizing on printing speed. Viscoelastic and shear-thinning fluids may, in rather different ways, exhibit enhanced resistance to fragmentation in jetting flows compared to Newtonian fluids of similar viscosity. In this work we seek to explore and exploit this behaviour with the overall aim of increasing the proportion of ejected ink contained within the main drop when printing at a prescribed drop velocity. Using Lagrangian finite-element simulations under realistic industrial inkjet conditions, we consider a non-Newtonian fluid model which incorporates both viscoelastic and thixotropic effects simultaneously. We discuss how appropriate values of the rheological parameters may be chosen so as to optimize the fluid's transient viscosity at different key stages of a drop-on-demand flow cycle, and how our results may be beneficial to industrial and commercial applications of inkjet technology.