Printing Technologies

Our printing facilities can be divided into two topics; structural printing using commercial 3D printers and functional printing using a commercial laboratory printer. The structural printers are used to create components for our scientific setups, while in functional printing the structures created have unique new features.

Structural Printing

• 1 Fused deposition machine with the following features:
  • Layer resolution: > 50 µm
  • can handle: PLA, ABS, PC, Nylon
• 3 Stereolithography machines with the following features:
  • Various materials available
  • Resolution down to 25 µm

The Roland ARM 10 as an example for the stereolithography printers.		The Ultramaker 2+ fused deposition modeler.

Functional Printing

In our research, we focus on using inkjet printing based on a FujiFilm Dimatix printer to achieve new functionality mainly in the area of magnetic resonance imaging. The following examples show the versatility of the technology.

The bottom of the trenches are covered with inkjetted silver tracks, which were also used as shadow masks to create the trenches.		A µCT image of an inkjet printed rolled up MRI coil.		Under the Kiwi is a planar MRI coil that was inkjekt printed on Kapton foil. The MR image can be seen in the inset.

The printers can be used for various materials and chemicals that have particles belows 1 µm and can be modified to a viscosity of ~10 mPas.