Computer Solutions
to build the process from scratch, Pera produced initial prototypes of radio frequency identification (RFID) antennae and flexible circuit boards using this technology. Tranter believes that one of the significant barriers to future growth that needs to be overcome is product liability.
electronic atomiser technology was developed to create an innovative inhalation system for treatment of respiratory diseases. Claimed to reduce treatment time by more than
50 per cent, the device is silent, battery-powered and easily portable, with interchangeable spray heads that allow easy cleaning. More reliable and serviceable than traditional compressor-based systems, it is designed for use with all inhalation medications approved in Europe. TTP asserts its Vista 3D is the first printer
technology available with multi-material capabilities. The print head ejects droplets of various materials, the most common form of which is polymer-based but also for metals and ceramics, and even biological cell materials. “3D printing or rapid prototyping is a great tool for
Fig. 2. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne visits the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry.
Copyright: HM Treasury.
The design of a nebuliser would appear to be an unlikely breeding ground for 3D technology, but in the case of The Technology Partnership (TTP) it helped to develop a droplet printing technology which the company claims greatly simplifies both the construction of the print head and increases the range of materials. The electronic nebuliser enables liquid medication
to be inhaled through the lungs with as much as 90 per cent efficiency. In partnership with PARI GmbH, a leader in efficient aerosol delivery and pharmaceutical formulation development, TTP’s proprietary
exploring the properties and behaviour of materials for different products,” enthuses Dr Allan Carmichael from TTP. “It is also a wonderful communication tool, so instead of presenting 3D drawings which take skill and knowledge to understand, you are able to show a physical model..” One of the first things Carmichael and his team
explored was depositing metal tracks for small electronic circuits like RFID antennae, unlike conventional etching away of bulk metal material on a substrate to leave circuit tracks and antennae patterns. By thermally sintering a metal powder, the conductivity is close to that of a bulk metal on a substrate, providing the ability to print capacitors and resistors on conducting tracks. Vista 3D can print large (50 µm+) particles and
more viscous and volatile fluids. Up until now, 3D printing has been restricted to single material types or families of the same material, such as UV cured acrylic basic resins, waxes, plaster (gypsum) materials and metal powders, all of which have to be used separately. ●
Aerospace drives growth of additive manufacturing U
K Government investment in a national centre for additive manufacturing is part of the £2
billion of joint government and industry funding for the Aerospace Technology Institute that will be invested in the sector over the next seven years. It will make sure the UK has the manufacturing capability needed to meet a growing global market which already generates £24 billion a year for the UK economy. The government will provide £30 million
in funding, which will be matched by industry. The UK Chancellor made the announcement at a visit to the
Manufacturing Technology Centre, part of the government’s ‘High Value Manufacturing Catapult’ centres which promote high end manufacturing in the UK, providing world- class capability and equipment, such as the world’s largest commercial laser. The UK is currently number one for the
aerospace industry in Europe and second only to the United States globally. The aerospace facility will allow companies to develop new materials such as lightweight carbon fibre for use in planes, jet engines and civil helicopters that will be exported around the world. The High Value Manufacturing
Catapult allows companies of all sizes to
develop technology from new concepts to commercial reality using state-of-the- art machinery and expertise which is shared between members, reducing the costs to business and ensuring that the UK’s excellence in design and research is translated to marketable products. Aerospace is just one of the areas
of ‘high value manufacturing’ that the government and industry are supporting through the HVM Catapult programme to stimulate growth in British manufacturing Other high-value manufacturing includes
the development of new efficient vehicles and electronics, pharmaceuticals and nuclear technology. ●
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