Process Adapted Materials

In the field of production-adapted materials, Fraunhofer ILT is developing novel functional photopolymers – based on acrylic, epoxy or thiol-enes – which enable selective light curing in the micrometer and submicrometer range. Here, the institute is pursuing a consistent material development closely aligned with the manufacturing process; different polymers were processed with adapted laser beam sources (l = 266nm to 1μm) or incoherent LED projections (SLM: spatial light modulation) in coordination with the desired function of the product. Highly resolved structures were generated in the process. On the one hand, this can be done on a surface (2D) or with additive production processes in 3D (polymer 3D printing). In the field of additive manufacturing, the institute is focusing its development on faster basic processes, continuous process management and serial production with lot sizes >> 1. In addition to the processes, the institute is developing and adapting materials that can provide special properties of the polymer products. These properties encompass, for example, mechanical, optical (high transparency & power), electrical and particular chemical surface properties (for functionalization), as well as biological compatibility for biofabrication.