NTU researcher Lee Jia Min working on 3D bioprinting of blood vessels. Credit: Image courtesy of Nanyang Technological University
Tissue implants customized to a patient could soon be printed using a new type of 3D-printer under development by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and a Singapore-based 3D printing start-up focused on healthcare. This new printer can print the supporting structure layer by layer and insert living cells to form a live tissue that could aid in regeneration of particular tissues or organs. The industry research tie-up is one of the many partnerships made possible by the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster, also known as NAMIC.
Since the formation of NAMIC by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore and SPRING Singapore last year, the cluster has reached out to about 400 local and international companies to help them adopt additive manufacturing, also known as 3D-printing, as part of their business. NAMIC has also successfully established joint funding for 39 joint projects between companies and academic research institutions and has 80 more projects in the pipeline.
NTU’s innovation and enterprise company NTUitive is leading NAMIC, in partnership with SPRING Singapore and the Singapore Economic Development Board. “While 3D printing has taken off for customized products in the aerospace and biomedical industries, many local companies still find the barrier of entry quite high, due to the costly printers and a lack of expertise in additive manufacturing,” Dr Ho explained. “Our objectives are to reach, educate and help link these companies to scientists and engineers at research institutes, who already have existing 3D-printing machines and the technical know-how. This way, we ensure that the innovative solutions developed through research will meet real business needs.”
A good example of meeting industry needs is the partnership between NTU’s Singapore Centre for 3D Printing and global inventions company Intellectual Ventures (IV), to develop a foolproof approach to authenticate 3D printed products. With support from NAMIC and IV’s Invention Science Fund, NTU scientists have developed a unique identifier coding that can be embedded during the 3D-printing process, similar to how authentic products have unique barcodes.
Demonstrated on 3D printed stainless steel prototypes, this Embedded Identifier Module (EIM) is impossible to remove or alter, and can be easily read by commercially available scanners and readers. This technology has the potential to help safeguard product authenticity for companies and help tackle issues relating to counterfeiting as the market adopts on-demand manufacturing through the digital supply chain.
Another ongoing partnership facilitated by NAMIC is between SUTD and Gilmour Space Technologies, where researchers are developing a 3D-printer to print prototype solid fuel mixtures for rockets. Known as hybrid rocket fuel technology, the solid fuel is made up of two or more fuels comprising wax and plastics, and is designed and printed in a way that provides the rocket its desired thrust in a more cost-effective fashion.
Local company, IDI laser, is developing an in-process monitoring system for a type of 3D printing known as Selective Laser Melting with help from NUS and support by NAMIC. When completed, the monitoring system can help to diagnose internal defects during the printing process, thus reducing wastage of printing time, raw materials and energy. http://media.ntu.edu.sg/NewsReleases/Pages/newsdetail.aspx?news=e5a1b6a7-ca7a-423c-be43-46244482c076
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