ALF: Additive Layer Flexomer manufacturing

Complex metal and polymer substrates produced in a digitised additive layer manufacturing workflow will be subjected to a new value adding digititised additive layer Flexomer process flow to improve the performance of current devices and enable entirely new high value products and sub-components.

Composite, multi material elastomeric structures will be built up layer by layer on additively manufactured complex geometrical parts by accurate manipulation of deposition sources and substrates with computer controlled 6 axis robot arms and multi-axis work piece holders. Initial focus will be elastomeric structures which enhance osseointegration whilst providing potent antimicrobial function. Follow on applications will be new world components in space & aerospace, semiconductor equipment, sensors and instrumentation....

Flexomer materials developed from perfluoroelastomer will be tuned at their different stages in the digitised manufacturing workflow using high quality analytical tools. Fluids will be characterised using both rotational and extensional shear rheometry to build up the knowledge which relates particulate type and concentration in Flexomer fluids to the quality of the layer-by-layer deposition.

Bond strengths of the additive layer Flexomer materials to the 'modified surface ' of additive layer substrates will be assessed using Instron peel testing equipment. Surface modification will be assessed using automated microabrasive powder blasting and high energy laser processing.

The academic research team will assess two types of layer by layer deposition heads for highly accurate deposition of three dimensional structures. Firstly microsyringing will be optimised to define build Flexomer lines a fine as 0.1mm wide and microjetting will be optimised to create dots of 0.2mm diameter

The aim of the research will be to help establish a UK owned digitised manufacturing technology which produces advanced additive layer elastomeric structures on high value additive layer components seamlessly. The design of the workflow will allow customer from different sectors to submit job files in established formats, interface with the workflow to determine type and location of the elastomeric additive layer structures, and commit to either free issue supply of additive layer substrates to the workflow or purchase full workflow manufacturing of advanced high value components.

Global medical devices manufacturers pursuing next generation anatomically matched functional implants for human and veterinary will be the immediate commercial beneficiaries of the new digitised additive manufacturing workflow. The ultimate beneficiary will be the patients receiving implants with much reduced post implant complications.

atients requiring orthodontic interventions and reconstructive and cosmetic surgery will benefit from improved maxillofacial
and dental implants. The fit will be precise and the time to complete healing will be reduced, free up hospital beds and
increase availability of clinicians. Short term and long term loosening of the implant will be reduced due to antimicrobial
efficacy of the coatings. The stress shielding apparent in many cementless implants will be reduced leading
to fuller osseointegration of the patients own bone into the implant.
Surgeons will be able to input into the design of better anatomical implants for treating their patients and leads to better patient outcomes and an increase likelihood of recruiting new surgeons to request the additive layer flexomer process on additive layer manufactured implants for their patients. Contact time between the patient and nursing staff will be reduced, reducing the costs and increasing nursing staff availability. The cost benefit analysis will encourage healthcare providers to adopt the new technology. A workflow which uses input data from MRi, CBCT & CT scans and computes the physical and biochemical map of the required implant and a dedicated adaptable manufacturing flow will reduce the time to surgical intervention which will improve patient outcomes. This will improve the welfare of the patient and close family, free up hospital beds, and reduce healthcare provider costs. The improvements may encourage healthcare insurance providers to specify the new
technology and for the regulatory authorities to promote the new technology and standards agencies to develop new standards.
The companies involved in the value chain associated with the new technology will benefit from increased sales, such as -
- Producers of polymers, solvents, and functional additives used to formulate advanced Flexomer fluids.
- Manufacturers of processing and quality assurance metrology equipment used to sustain/monitor the manufacturing workflow.
- Software developers who create interfaces between imaging systems and additive layer manufacturing systems.
- Electromechanical and mechanical component manufacturers who supply to Attenborough to build advanced manufacturing systems.
ESP will be able to exploit its IP in new sectors with increase sales of its proprietary Flexomer fluids. ESP and Attenborough will be able to build equipment for and sell access to the new digitised manufacturing workflow. These activities will create new high value manufacturing jobs
The flexibility and automation of the new workflow will enable one offs to volume manufacturing to be targeted. Automation will improve prodcutivity as well as efficient scheduling of work into the workflow. This will ease entry for Attenborough to expand operations to enable manufacture of multiple skeletal replacement implants as well as anatomically matched vascular prostheses, spinal disks and small joints.
In mature high value manufacturing sectors the ability to integrate extremely high performance elastomeric coatings will enable new products, with reduced number of parts, reduced weight to be produced (components with integral smart gaskets).
Socially the impact would reduce the number of lost working days because people would return to work earlier post-implant
and stay in work longer due to the reduced complications associated loosening and infection. High value jobs, in space, aerospace, instrumentation, oil & gas, semiconductor tool manufacture, inductrial bioprocessing,... would be maintained due to new improved products being developed and produced.
The impact will be increased adoption of the new technology leading to new exports of patient specific implants, new high value manufactured component and licensing and supply agreements of the work flow into other countries.