DeMANS — Design and manufacture of sustainable materials for additive manufacturing technologies

Results in brief

Design and manufacture of sustainable materials for additive manufacturing technologies

The overall objective of DeMANS - an international and intersectoral Research and Innovation Staff Exchange action - is to produce world-class innovation in the design and additive manufacture (AM) of parts, components and devices for European consumers, using sustainable (bio)polymer materials. This will be achieved through the research expertise of a global network of leading academic and industrial partners, working together to develop technologies and facilitate improvements in AM for flexible manufacturing of consumer products. This type of process is known as ‘mass customisation’ and allows for components to be produced and delivered at a scale between bespoke (often once off) and commodity (available for all). This presents a way to deliver sustainable biopolymer technologies to the market using AM and a means of developing commercial opportunities for exploitation beyond this project, leading to benefits for consumers and producers. It is clear from European and international policy and research priorities, and demonstrated through the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the focus of EU funded projects that there is a real need for work in this area driven by the environmental impact of fossil fuel derived polymers. Today, 25 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated in Europe every year. DeMANS will have significant benefit for European society by exploring new opportunities for replacing traditional synthetic plastics with biomaterials in complex consumer products, simultaneously reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and developing new innovations and markets for biopolymer-based products. This will be achieved through (1) the selection of suitable, sustainable materials for AM; (2) the development of suitable prototypes as a proof-of-concept; and (3) the development of a technical "roadmap" that will describe the future vision for AM in Europe and beyond.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

There is an urgent need to reduce reliance on fossil fuel derived plastics. The vast majority of these polymers cannot be recycled due to additives within them and developing more sustainable material approaches is an imperative. This international and intersectoral RISE has the ambitious goal of world-class innovation in the design and additive manufacture (AM) of parts, components and devices using sustainable (bio)polymer materials. DeMANS will explore replacing traditional synthetic plastics with biomaterials in consumer products, simultaneously reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and developing new innovations and markets for bio-based products, contributing to the circular economy objectives of the European Green Deal. In line with the principle of ‘transforming knowledge into innovation’, DeMANS will define the key challenges that have to be met to move from laboratory to manufacturing by demonstrating the feasibility of the approach in the area of computer peripherals. DeMANS brings together complementary world-leading expertise from a network of 7 academic and industrial organisations from 3 European and 2 Southern hemisphere countries. The technical approach includes 1) identifying suitable biopolymers with properties matching industry standards, 2) identifying printing methods and 3) fabricating demonstrators and prototypes. The information will be synthesised to define a technological roadmap for sustainable approaches in AM. Knowledge sharing will be undertaken through a series of secondments, complemented by network-wide training events. DeMANS will enhance the quality of research & innovation in Europe, leading to increased competitiveness and growth. DeMANS will develop skills, offer exposure to new research environments and widen the career perspectives of the staff involved. Project results will be disseminated to relevant scientific, industry and governmental agencies to deliver impact in the largely unexplored field of sustainable material AM.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD, OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLIN · DublinCoordinatorIreland
LOGITECH IRELAND SERVICES LIMITED · CORKIreland
LUONNONVARAKESKUS · HelsinkiFinland
NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE FOR BIOECONOMY SCIENCE LIMITED · LINCOLNNew Zealand
OCEAN PRINT LIMITED · DUBLINIreland
UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM WUERZBURG - KLINIKUM DER BAYERISCHEN JULIUS-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAT · WURZBURGGermany
UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG · WOLLONGONG NSWAustralia

DeMANS · Design and manufacture of sustainable materials for additive manufacturing technologies

Results in brief

Design and manufacture of sustainable materials for additive manufacturing technologies

Project objective

Participants

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