Advanced additive manufacturing using high-performance, eco-friendly binder jetting

PROJECT COST:

448 000$

PRIMA CONTRIBUTION:

179 200$

PROJECT DETAILS:

Binder jetting is an additive manufacturing method capable of 3D printing metal structures. It works by successively spraying a liquid binder onto a bed of metal powders to form a three-dimensional hybrid part. The part is then sintered at high temperature to burn off the binder and fuse the particles together. Sautech Industries Inc. has developed a variant of this technology that enables the ultra-fast fabrication of metal parts. In collaboration with Kinova Robotics and Polytechnique Montréal, Sautech aims to develop and validate new binder formulations. Through this collaborative research project, new binder formulations will be identified and implemented in Sautech’s printing systems.

The screening will be based on an investigation of particle-binder adhesion, penetration into a powder bed, and the resulting thermomechanical properties. Long-term improvements to the binder jetting printing technique will also be pursued by exploring two innovative avenues: the design of a “binder-free” system based on the use of powders coated with thin layers, and the adaptation of the technique for use with high-performance thermoplastic polymers. The completion of this project will position Quebec and Canada as leaders in additive manufacturing, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Sautech and Kinova in this rapidly evolving field.