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

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.