Center Smart Materials and Adaptive Systems CeSMA
Center Smart Materials and Adaptive Systems CeSMA

3D printing with ORMOCER® and ORMOCER® based nanocomposites

Fraunhofer ISC develops materials and technologies for advanced 3D printing.


The underlying technology for printing resins and inks are hybrid polymers, which can be tailored towards applications-specific requirements. This so-called ORMOCER® features excellent physical and chemical properties, that go beyond conventional printing materials. ORMOCER® can be formulated to be photopolymerizable. Hence, any light-based printing technology is applicable. Fraunhofer ISC focusses on material and process development for

ORMOCER® can be formulated with nanoparticles to form nanocomposites. These can contain a broad variety of different functional particles, e.g. silica particles to tailor to surface roughness, quantum dots to control the optical emission/absorption of the material, and magnetic nanoparticles.

 

2PP Gyroid CeSMA
© Fraunhofer ISC
3D-printed microstructure “Gyroid” made from Ormocer®-silica-nanocomposite
2PP Different microoptics CeSMA
© Fraunhofer ISC
2PP printed microoptical elements
3D-printed Siemens-star as resolution test
© Fraunhofer ISC
3D-printed Siemens-star as resolution test for optical components

Benefits

  • High stability against yellowing and mechanical wear
  • Storage stable
  • Excellent optical properties
  • Broad application spectrum due to huge variety of nanoparticles that can be integrated

© pixabay

Our competences

  • Development of ORMOCER®-based inks or resins with tailored properties
  • Process development for well-established 3D-printing technologies
  • Advanced technologies for optical printing and functionalization of printed components