Formulation for 3D printing: Creating a plug and play platform for a disruptive UK industry

3D打印缺乏完全成为一种成熟的大规模制造工艺所需的材料。材料开发方面的进展仍在继续，但需要一步一步的改变，这将通过高通量方法实现。高通量发现是自动识别有前景的材料的既定方法。在诺丁汉，它已经被开发成理解生物材料的工具，最近在寻找表面可以抵抗细菌附着的材料方面发挥了作用，有可能避免不必要的抗生素使用。在这里，我们汇集了一个跨学科、跨社区的团队，我们将采用这一理念，在我们的行业合作伙伴代表的一系列行业中快速确定可用于3D打印的配方。这将使创建一个经过验证可用于3D打印(特别是喷墨、挤出、热熔挤出)的材料库、材料组合和配方库。虽然这一方法的形成最初是一个具有挑战性和耗时的步骤，但这套图书馆的建立将使下游迅速采用，同时该方法本身可以被其他寻求材料的部门利用。我们的库将随时扩展，为英国工业创建一个选择3D打印配方的工具。

3D printing lacks the materials required to fully become an established mass manufacturing process. Progress in materials development continues but a step change is required, and this will be realised through high throughput methods. High throughput discovery is an established methodology for automated identification of promising materials. At Nottingham it has been developed as tool for understanding biomaterials, and recently was instrumental in finding materials whose surface would resist bacterial attachment, potentially avoiding unnecessary use of antibiotics. Here, drawing together a multi-disciplinary, cross-community team, we will adapt this philosophy to rapidly identify formulations that can be used for 3D printing in a range of sectors represented by our industry partners. This will enable the creation of a library of materials, material combinations and formulations that are proven for 3D printing (particularly ink jet, extrusion, hot melt extrusion). Whilst the formation of this methodology is an initially challenging and time consuming step, the establishment of this set of libraries will enable rapid adoption downstream whilst the methodology itself can be utilised by other sectors seeking materials. Our libraries will be readily extended to create a tool for UK industry for selection of 3D printing formulations.