High-performance green binders for ink-jetting advanced additive manufacturing of metallic structures (continued)

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Binder jetting is an advanced additive manufacturing technique capable of 3D printing metallic structures. It**works by printing a binder formulation onto a bed of metal powder, allowing that layer to solidify and adding a**subsequent layer. Once the 3D part is formed, it is placed in a high-temperature oven to burn off the binder and**sinter the metal particles. Les Industries Sautech Inc. has developed a variant of binder jetting that allows for**the very rapid fabrication of 3D metallic structures (500 times faster than its competitors), but it is faced with**issues pertaining to the binders used. Specifically, the binders are non-renewable, and can have detrimental**effects on the environment and final product quality following burn-off. In collaboration with Polytechnique**Montreal, Sautech conducted collaborative research through an Engage grant. During this period, a CRD grant**application was submitted (under review), along with a matching Prima application (awarded). The Engage**Plus grant aims to pursue the developments efforts initiated during the Engage grant, while we await the**beginning of longer-term support (in the form of the CRD grant). Specifically, the present project will focus on**the 2 candidates identified during the initial study (a liquid binder and a powder binder), aiming to resolve**issues that are not projected for study in the CRD grant. Through this Engage Plus project, the fluid**characteristics of the liquid binder will be quantified to prevent the issue of printhead blockages and how**binder composition affects mechanical properties of printed components. Further, the effect of moisture uptake**in the powder binder systems will be assessed to formulate a processing and storage window for green printed**parts. The completion of this project will continue our efforts to situate Canada as a leader in advanced additive**manufacturing, allowing Sautech to innovate and stay competitive in this evolving field.