Polymers in digital printing

Prof. Fritz Bircher | 12.11.2015

PLASTICS UPDATE

1. DIGITAL PRINTING

COMPETENCE CENTER

2. POLYMERS IN

DIGITAL PRINTING

4. DECORATION OF 3D

PRINTED OBJECTS

5. Q&A 3. DIGITAL PRINTED

DECORATION

1. DPCC DIGITAL PRINTING COMPETENCE CENTER

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Some figures

• 5 year project (2013-2017)

• Clear focus on inkjet

• 3 professors

• 10 scientific collaborators

• 2 PhD students

Objectives

• Leading institute in CH

• International reputation

• Educate specialists in

our core competences

and transfer them to our

industry partners

iPrint - a transdisciplinary institute founded in 2013

IPRINT

Overview Research focus areas Equipment Partners

Graphical printing

• Packaging printing

• Digital decoration

• Industrial printing

Material printing

• Printed electronics

• 3D printing

• Selective coating

Life Science Printing

• Precision dispensing

• Tissue engineering

• Biomedical sensors

Home built platforms

Always up-to-date in

technology

Flexibly configurable

Large stock of jetting

and dispensing units

ChemTech Institute of Chemical Technologies

iRAP Institute of Applied Polymers

Education and research in close interaction between universities and industry

Our vision is to be the inkjet center of Europe 4

DPCC - Digital Printing Competence Center

DPCC

Education (BSc, MSc, PhD) Further education Applied research and services Active network partner

BLUEFACTORY

INNOVATION PARK

CONNECTED

TO THE FUTURE

SWISS INNOVATION

PARK WEST EPFL

BLUEFACTORY

IN OPERATION

WITH 4

TECHNOLOGICAL

PLATFORMS

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2. POLYMERS POLYMERS IN DIGITAL PRINTING

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POLYMERS IN DIGITAL PRINTING

Auxiliary materials

(primers, adhesives, ...)

Graphical printing (elements for decoration)

UV color inks

Functional layers

(varnish, spot lack, …)

Substrates

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POLYMERS IN DIGITAL PRINTING

Printed support

structures

Binder in powder

based 3D printing

Glue

Material printing

Isolation layers in

printed electronics 3D printed plastic objects

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POLYMERS IN DIGITAL PRINTING

Printing in Life Sciences

Biordegradable implants

Printed support structures for tissue engineering

3. DECORATION DIGITAL PRINTED DECORATION

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DIGITAL PRINTED DECORATION

small series down to lot size one

bigger series with individualized or personalized features

(mass customizing)

complex patterns and/or multilayer structures (e.g.

inhomogeneous or graded structures)

some bioinks require non impact printing

ultrafine structures down to a

size of single nano particle

Where can digital printing be interesting compared to

conventional methods?

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SOME PRINTED DECORATION EFFECTS

UV spot varnish

Steinemann Technology AG, Dmax

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SOME PRINTED DECORATION EFFECTS

Relief

Scodix Sense™ Technology

Doming

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SOME PRINTED DECORATION EFFECTS

Metallic decoration

and embossing

Scodix Sense™ Technology

Foil transfer by digital printing glue

Inkjet printing with metal pigments

MGI JETvarnish 3D and iFOIL solution

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SOME PRINTED DECORATION EFFECTS

Luminescence printing

4. 3D SURFACES DTS - DIRECT-TO-SHAPE

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DIRECT TO SHAPE

Research program starting in January 2016 for 4 years

Digital printing on the surface of 3-dimentional objects:

DT

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• Graphical images (color, varnish, …)

• Decoration (metallic, optic, haptic, …)

• Functionalization (surface

properties, luminescence, …

intelligence)

Small size objects

jewelry, watches, etc.

Mid size objects

balls, bottles, etc.

Big size objects cars, aircrafts, etc.

CHALLENGES

Where are the additional challenges of this program?

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• Jetting at variable and higher distances

• More than one color or functional fluid, registration issues

are even more challenging on curved surfaces

• Image distortion

• High print accuracy on the trajectory (object or print system

handling)

• Substrate properties (adhesion, …)

• …

3D SURFACE DECORATION

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DCPP PARTNERS IN THE PROGRAM

Industrial partners of the program:

3 application partners

Print head supplier

Robot partner

Partner for position and orientation measurement

Ink/fluid supplier

…

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Thank you

Prof. Fritz Bircher

fritz.bircher@hefr.ch

Passage du Cardinal 1, Annexe 2

CH-1700 Fribourg

http://iprint.heia-fr.ch