A research student working in a engineering lab.

EPSRC Programme Grant Enabling Next Generation Additive Manufacturing

*This Programme Grant closed April 2024*

As we conclude our Programme Grant, it is with a sense of accomplishment that we reflect on the transformative journey we have undertaken together over the past six years.

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Past annual reports

During this time, we have supported the professional journey of many researchers and students, and it has been a pleasure to follow their progress to industry and academia. This certainly represents a cornerstone of our legacy beyond our significant academic contributions. The future ahead is promising.

During this Programme we set the foundations for the next generation of additive manufacturing. Latterly adopting a device-led approach, we have shown that – using specific applications upon which to focus our process, materials and computational research activity – we can clearly demonstrate the potential for multimaterial, multifunctional Additive Manufacturing (AM) across our target application areas of healthcare devices and 3D electronics.

We have intensified our focus on extracting impactful outcomes in this area, marking the trail for future advancements. Our conviction in this strategy, particularly in the realms of multifunctional materials, and the evolving domain of devices in 3D electronics, clean energy and extreme environments, positions us well for future achievements.

As we officially close this Programme, our commitment to retaining our talented researchers and preserving our standing as industry leaders persists. We will continue to actively pursue funding opportunities from EPSRC and strategic partners, whilst deepening our collaboration with esteemed associates. Our dedication also extends to the continued dissemination of our impactful work through high-impact journal publications, as well as engaging with audiences using different channels.

Though this is the end of a chapter, it is also the beginning of a lasting legacy of this transformative multimaterial, multifunctional approach to additive manufacturing. We thank each advisory board member, contributor, collaborator, and partner for their invaluable role in making this a significant journey in additive manufacturing.

Professor Richard Hague, April 2024.

(...) it has been a pleasure to see the progress being made throughout the timeline, with the multi-disciplinary, multi-party teams working extremely effectively together within and across the four Research Challenges. The programme has generated some real, fundamental understanding of the jetting of multimaterials and the mathematical modelling of this, whilst delivering on new applications in both electronics and biopharma areas.

Dr William Barton, Chair of the Advisory Board

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Prof Richard Hague, Programme Director

Flavia Villarroel, Programme Manager

Our final year at a glance

The past year has been one of significant advancement within the field of multimaterial additive manufacturing (AM). The long-term research undertaken within this Programme Grant is showing great promise, placing the UK at the forefront of next-generation AM research. This PG enabled us to develop and consolidate expertise within analytical methods, processes, modelling and functional materials – the foundations for a device-led approach. These efforts pushed the boundaries of what is possible in multimaterial AM and confirm the Centre for Additive Manufacturing as an international leading group in research into next generation AM processes and materials. Key advancements in the final year of the Programme Grant are:

Analytical methods

Advanced interface analysis to drive strategies for novel ink formulations containing nanoscale materials such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride and functionalised gold nanoparticles alongside perovskite nanocrystals and quantum dots.
With the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and concentrating on devices, we explored the use of the 3D orbiSIMS instrument to exploit its potential for multimaterial AM.

Processes

We completed the installation of a new multimaterial jetting system based on Xaar 1003 printheads to enable printing of more viscous ink formulations and developed a low-cost multimaterial jetting platform based on Xaar 128 printheads to expedite functional material development and formulation.
We completed the construction of our multi-head MetalJet platform for the co-deposition of two high temperature metallics in the same print. We also developed a new metaljetting material based on alloys (Cu-based and Al-based).
We developed 2PP deposition of functional materials and ordered sub-micron arrays for applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices and we continue to explore opportunities for the postdeposition functionalisation of 2PP structures with nanomaterials.

Functional materials and demonstrators

The development of functional demonstrators, alongside the investigation of both conductive and dielectric materials for inkjet printing.
Development of inkjet printing for perovskite nanocrystals and printing of photodetectors.
Investigation of post-deposition functionalisation of low dimensional materials for inkjet-printing electronic and optoelectronic devices, with multiple vertically stacked 2D material layers (such as capacitive sensors and digital processors), and with graphene functionalised by optically active materials (photon sensors).

With a continued eye on the future and capitalising on the advancements of this PG, we have achieved significant development of demonstrators, including:

ongoing developments of printed electronics demonstrators, including graphene sensors, fluorescent sensors, perovskite LEDs
ongoing developments in multimaterial metal printing for design freedom and applications operating in extreme environments
advancements in technology for a clean energy future, for example, printed batteries and hydrogen storage

At the same time, our focus on developing the next generation of postdoctoral researchers into future leaders continues. From an academic point of view, three of our senior researchers have accepted academic positions, which opened an opportunity to continue the development of some of the PhD students from our centre. Six research associate positions were filled, and one has already progressed to research fellow. This opportunity was possible due to the flexibility of the PG mechanism and our current device-led approach in driving the research direction, giving us significant traction in work associated with our application areas of 3D electronics, clean energy and extreme environments.

During the summer we also offered an undergraduate placement programme, with a record number of applicants and five undergraduate students joining the team. The cohort successfully delivered projects in four different areas: MetalJet, hydrogen storage device, interface investigations using Raman spectroscopy, and battery development. In the same remit of developing future generations, we have expanded our participation in outreach events. In our last year, we participated in the prestigious Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London, and joined four relevant STEM events in the Midlands. These are positive examples as to how new talent can be attracted to continue developing leading research in STEM disciplines, very aligned to our ethos.