Additive Manufacturing @UGent-FEA
Open Product and Materials Test Center
Centre for Polymer & Material Technologies
Prof. Ludwig Cardon
CPMT staff
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1 ZAP
1 Postdoc
4 PhD’s
5 Research assistants
 3 joined PhD researchers
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Education
Chemistry & ElectroMechanics
BSc & MSc courses
Specialization polymers (1955)
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Research (1970)
Physical and physical-chemical analyses
of polymers-textiles-materials/metals
Polymer processing - composites
Mould making – hybrid moulds
Flow simulation (Moldex3D)
Biobased polymers & biomedical applications
Re-processing of polymers & composites
Additive manufacturing
Education (1955)
 Engineering in Chemistry & Electromechanics
 Related BSc/MSc courses
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Mouldmaking
Polymer Processing
Additive Manufacturing & Prototyping & Product Development
Polymers - Composite Materials & Characterization
Engineering projects (@ BSc and MSc level)
MSc final project work (& involved in research projects)
Post graduate  IVPV
 Additive Manufacturing
 Polymers & Polymer Processing
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Research (1970)
 EU Leonardo da Vinci projects
 Rapid Design (1999-2001)
 E-Learning Hybrid Moulds (2003-2006)
 Pro-Mould (2008-2010)
 Re-Mould (2012-2014)
 EU & other
 EFRO 916 (2013-2014)
“Open Product and Materials Test Center”
@ Technologiepark 915 Zwijnaarde
together with TPVision & partners
>1.4 million euro
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Research
 EU & other
 Common PhD & MSc projects together with
 KULeuven
 UMinho
 TUDelft
 Aalen
 Birmingham
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 ERA-SME BioMoulding
 Sichuan University Chengdu – China
 Summer Courses
 joined PhD research
 State Key Lab Polymer Engineering & AM
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Research
 Flemish projects
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IWT-HOBU SLS materials (2003-2005)
IWT-TIS Additive Manufacturing (2004-2006)
IWT-TETRA HybridMoulds (2005-2007)
IWT-TIS HybridMoulds (2006-2010)
IWT-TETRA AM Valorization (2008)
IWT-TETRA MicroMoulding (2008-2010)
IWT-TETRA BioMoulding (2010-2012)
IWT-TETRA Recycling (2013-2015)
IWT-SBO DiRaMAP (2008-2012)
SIM-SBO STREAM-PolyForce (2013-2017)
IWT-VIS “Pack4Food – intelligent packaging” (2011-2015)
IWT-VIS “DURBIO – sustainable products for T&P” (2012-2015)
IWT-TETRA “Re-processing of postconsumer PE/PP” (2013-2015)
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Research
 Recent approved projects at startup phase
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AO-KMO “TataSteel”
AO-KMO “AM for vacuum applications”
EFRO 916 ”Open Product and Materials Test Center”
Hercules “FLAMINCO”
Hercules “E-Beam Lithography”
IWT – CICI “PUPA 1.0”
New printing heads for FDM based technologies
Re-processing of postconsumer polymers
 Current applications
 IWT-VIS “FDM4TP” (Sirris & Centexbel)
 IWT-SBO “Compohex”
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Service
 Collaborative research with industry
 Collaborative research with collective institutes such as
Flanders’ PlasticVision, Centexbel, Sirris, …
 Agentschap Ondernemen
 DV.T210166
 Technologieverkenning
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Publications
 Over 80 publications in the field of AM
 >10 A1
 >10 P1
 >60 C1
 Bi-annual International PMI Conference
Joined organization with UMinho Portugal
www.pmiconference.eu
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Polymer processing facilities
 4 injection machines
(Engel 80T, Engel 28T, Boy 22T, Klockner 70T)
 3 single screw extruders
2 Brabender lab extruders, 1 axson compounder
 2 twin screw extruders
Coperion 18D & 1 reactive extruder (Prof. Du Prez)
 1 extrusion blow moulderBekum
 1 Stretch blow moulderBekum
 1 Co-injection/intrusionMain
 3 thermoset presses
 Comming soon: plate & foil co-extrusion unit equiped with
2 single screw extruders and 1 conical twin screw extruder
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Polymer processing moulds
 Injection moulds for research
 Co-extrusion 2 layer plate die 120 mm
 Extrusion plate die 150mm
 Extrusion blow film die diameter 150mm
 Extrusion blow moulding bottle 1L
 Extrusion stretch blow moulding bottle 1L
 Thermoforming mould for packaging applications
 Comming soon: co-extrusion plate die 500 mm (1/3/5
layers) and co-extrusion blow film die (1/2/3 layers)
 Collaborative equipment of other FEA research groups
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Polymer characterization
Dynamometers up to 5kN (including heating chamber)
 Impact tester
 Peel tester
 HDT-VICAT
 MFI
 Dart drop
 Weatherometer
 Viscosimeter
 DSC-TGA-STA-FTIR
 Collaborative equipment of other FEA research groups
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AM facilities
 3D BioScaffolder
 4 FDM based & modified machines for research
 2 new printing head methods
 LowCost printers in collaboration with the FEA
department of Material Sciences and Engineering and
other FEA departments
 Tool & equipment for AM extrusion based wire production
 Joined equipment with project partners (SLA, SLS, SLM,
FDM, EBM, ...)
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Research lines
“Processing of polymer materials” is a result of the large experience
related to conventional polymer processing technologies (injection,
(blow/film)(co)extrusion and thermoforming).
This research studies the processability of polymers (conventional,
nano-filled, bio-based, recycling, biomedical, thermal sensitive and
high-tech polymers), related to aspects such as:
The influence of specific material characteristics and/or –composition on the
processability into functional products
Special processing techniques for conventional and high-tech materials such as
micro-injection, gas assisted injection, intrusion, micro-extrusion, 3D-plotting
en multi-material production (co-extrusion)
Sustainable use of materials: processing and evaluation of post-industrial and postconsumer recyclates for re-processing
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Research lines
“Additive Manufacturing” (AM) focusses on:
The selection and development of new polymer based materials for
Laser Sintering (LS) en Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) or
extrusion based AM technologies.
The development of printing heads and equipment for polymer
extrusion based techniques.
The use of AM metal inserts for applications in mould making (hybrid
moulds).
The use of AM for biomedical applications (scaffolds for tissue
engineering).
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Research lines
“Material Characterization and Product Optimalization” are
applied to validate the processing results of the other research lines.
It defines the relation between material properties and - selection,
product development and related processing technologies.
Using physical (mechanical, microscopy, density, ...) and
physicochemical (DSC, TGA, FTIR, ...) tests, the processing and/or
processed materials are evaluated, which provides insight into the
relationship between structure/composition and properties, which
ensures scientific feedback loop to the other research areas.
Where necessary, tests are requested to partner laboratories for
techniques that are not available (SEM, TEM, XPS, NMR, GPC, ...).
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Open Product and Materials Test Center
 Joined contact point for expertise and networking for
education - industry - spin-offs - …
 Follow up for UGent via CPMT
 Open innovation center for existing companies, starters,
students (entrepreneurs),…
 Collection of current equipment of both CPMT and
TPVision and planned expansion related to current needs
 Focuss on:
 Additive Manufacturing
 Materials Test Center
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Open Product and Materials Test Center
 Within the scope of:
Nieuw Industrieel Beleid van de Vlaamse regering om de
maakindustrie in Vlaanderen te versterken
 The center also offers the opportunity to translate
business expertise and technology that fits in the Key
Enabling Technologies of Advanced Materials, Advanced
Manufacturing (Additive Manufacturing), Nanotechnology
and Nano-electronics and implement them into concrete
products.
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