SBIR Phase I: 3-D printing of high strength-to-weight closed-cell polymer foam with gyroid lattices

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过开发一种用于快速打印具有高强度与重量比的超低密度部件的新型泡沫树脂技术来促进添加剂制造的技术水平。在制造业的所有部门，对轻质、高强度打印部件的需求都在增长。到2026年，添加剂制造市场预计将翻一番以上，高分辨率VAT光聚合将成为其最大的细分市场(10亿美元)。通过加快生产速度和克服将制造产量限制在小产品上的尺寸限制，这项技术还为一般制造打开了大门。例如，在汽车、航空和航运行业，该技术将支持轻量化设计，从而提高效率，同时降低能源消耗、材料消耗和温室气体排放，从而产生轻型打印部件。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将开发一种新方法来修改高分辨率还原光聚合法，以实现使用正在申请专利的发泡树脂进行3D打印。由于建议的技术可以适用于大多数还原光聚合系统，因此各行业可以将其应用于现有的树脂、机器和工艺。这项技术将允许制造气体分数高达75%的轻型零件，与传统的添加剂制造工艺相比，零件重量轻75%，生产成本更低。为了建立概念验证并将技术推向商业化，必须达到几个关键目标。能够使用这项技术生产坚固、轻质产品的材料将被确定。不同类型的材料将在设计的实验中进行研究，以改变固化泡沫中的气体含量，并将选择至少3种树脂配方来产生泡沫，以进一步评估其机械性能。对使用专有PrintFoam工艺打印的泡沫进行三种类型的测试(压缩、冲击和三点弯曲)的结果将与其他材料进行比较，以证明该技术提供的材料具有更高的强度与重量比。此外，还将制定扩大机器和技术规模的计划。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to advance the state of the art of additive manufacturing, through development of a novel foam resin technology for rapid 3-D printing of ultra low-density parts with high strength-to-weight ratios. The demand for lightweight, high-strength printed parts is growing across all sectors of the manufacturing industry. The additive manufacturing market is expected to more than double by 2026, with high resolution vat photopolymerization as its largest market segment ($1 B). By accelerating production speeds and overcoming size limitations that have limited manufacturing output to small products, the technology also opens the doors for general manufacturing. Within the automotive, aviation and shipping industries, for example, the technology will support lightweighted designs, thus increasing efficiency, while lowering energy consumption, material consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in lightweight printed parts.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a novel method to modify the high resolution vat photopolymerization process, to enable 3D printing with resin that is foamed using a patent-pending process. Because the proposed technology can be adapted for use on most vat photopolymerization systems, industries can apply it to their existing resins, machines, and processes. The technology will allow for the manufacture of lightweight parts with up to 75% gas fractions, translating to parts that are 75% lighter and less expensive to produce compared to traditional additive manufacturing processes. In order to establish proof-of-concept and progress the technology toward commercialization, several critical objectives must be met. Materials that can produce strong, lightweighted products using this technology will be identified. Different types of materials will be investigated in experiments designed to vary the gas fraction in the cured foam, and at least 3 resin formulations will be selected to generate foams for further evaluation of their mechanical properties. The results of three types of tests (compression, impact, and 3-point bending) on foams printed using the proprietary PrintFoam process will be compared to other materials to demonstrate that the technology delivers materials with improved strength-to-weight ratios. In addition, plans for scale-up of the machine and technology will be generated.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.