PFI:AIR - TT: A Platform for Multi-Material Fabrication

这个PFI: AIR技术翻译项目的重点是将低成本、高分辨率和垂直集成的多材料3D打印平台推向市场。该平台将使工程师、业余爱好者和专业消费者能够构建创新的多材料物体，并将通过降低短期成本，帮助将制造业带到美国。它还将成为大学和K-12课程的有力教育工具。该项目将产生一个功能齐全的3D打印原型平台，准备由即将启动的产品。原型机将由一台创新的低成本多材料3D打印机组成，该打印机可以同时打印多达12种材料。该项目的结果将是一个丰富的廉价材料库，具有广泛的光学、机械、电气和外观特性。将完成一套功能强大的材料设计工具，使用户能够充分利用底层硬件和材料库的功能。目前领先的3D打印平台可以同时使用一种、两种或三种材料进行打印。相比之下，该平台将实现全彩色3D打印，同时使用柔性，刚性，透明和导电材料，并将实现广泛的功能3D打印。现有的多材料3D打印机价格在25万美元以上。这种低成本的解决方案将瞄准5000美元的市场细分，这将使该平台能够面向更广泛的用户。该项目解决了从研究发现到商业应用的以下技术差距：1)我们将完成将第一代打印机转换为桌面大小的打印机，2)我们将完成将大大降低硬件制造成本的关键模块，3)我们将进一步丰富我们的材料库并开发导电油墨，4)我们将把我们的设计工具集成到现有的软件管道和工作流程中，以使我们的平台能够快速采用。这种多材料3D打印平台非常重要，因为它将颠覆3D打印市场。它将大大降低多材料印刷的采购和使用成本，并实现新形式的多材料设计、功能原型和低成本短期制造。此外，潜在的经济影响预计将在未来18个月内产生，这将有助于美国在3D打印和制造业方面的竞争力。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on bringing to market a low-cost, high-resolution and vertically integrated multi-material 3D printing platform. The platform will enable engineers, hobbyists and prosumers to build innovative multi-material objects and will help bring manufacturing to the US by lowering the cost for short-runs. It will also serve as a powerful educational tool for both universities and K-12 programs.The project will result in a fully functional 3D printing prototype platform ready to be productized by an upcoming startup. The prototype will consist of an innovative low-cost multi-material 3D printer that can print with up to 12 materials simultaneously. The result of the project will be a rich library of inexpensive materials with a wide range of optical, mechanical, electrical and appearance properties. A suite of powerful material design tools that will enable users to fully leverage the capabilities of the underlying hardware and material library will be completed. Current leading 3D platforms can print with one, two or three materials simultaneously. In contrast, this platform will enable full-color 3D printing, use of flexible, rigid, transparent and conductive materials simultaneously and will enable a wide range of functional 3D prints. Existing multi-material 3D printers cost $250,000 or higher. This low-cost solution will target the $5,000 market segment which will make the platform available to a much wider audience.This project addresses the following technology gap(s) as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application: 1) we will finish translating our first-generation printer into a desktop-sized printer, 2) we will complete key modules that will dramatically lower the manufacturing costs of the hardware, 3) we will further enrich our library of materials and develop conductive inks and 4) we will integrate our design tools into existing software pipelines and workflows to enable rapid adoption of our platform.This multi-material 3D printing platform is important because it will disrupt the 3D printing market. It will dramatically lower acquisition and usage costs for multi-material printing and enable new forms of multi-material design, functional prototyping and low-cost short run manufacturing. In addition, the potential economic impact is expected to be within the next 18 months, which will contribute to the US competitiveness in 3D printing and manufacturing.