Intertronics supports 3D printed bioelectronics research

When the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (ACSE) at The University of Sheffield was looking for a way to accurately 3D print bioelectronic sensors, it reached out to Intertronics for support.

The company supplied mixing and dispensing equipment to improve the consistency and quality of the mix, achieve better printing definition, and reduce blockages in the nozzle of the 3D printer.

To improve the way recovery from injury and the progression of neurological/musculoskeletal conditions are monitored, the ACSE team is developing a diagnostic glove that includes several flexible bioelectronic sensors. The sensors are formed from elastomers mixed with various conductive nano or micro particle compounds, like graphite, platinum, and silver, which are 3D printed onto the glove’s material.

To dispense tiny amounts of material, the ACSE team uses an extrusion-based 3D printer. However, during dispensing, particle aggregates were forming and particle distribution was being altered, causing material to clog in the nozzle. The ACSE team contacted Intertronics, who recommended Preci-Tip Precision Dispensing Tips. Their design has a streamlined conical fluid path that delivers smoother, higher fluid flow rates and lower dispense back pressure compared with most standard dispensing tips, resulting in improved accuracy and much reduced clogging. Their industry standard Luer Lock fitting meant they were compatible with the University’s existing equipment.

“The customer reported that the Preci-Tips worked well on their highly viscous silicones, they offered good flow, good fluid break off, and stopped agglomerations,” said Paul Whitehead, strategic accounts manager at Intertronics. “The results were better definition and a more reliable system, without blockages during the 3D printing process. However, further discussion revealed that they had challenges with the mixing of the filled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mixtures.”

The process involved mixing nanoparticles into the very viscous PDMS to produce a graphite composite. The ACSE team were adding an organic solvent to reduce the viscosity of the mixture and therefore aid mixing. The solvent had to be removed post printing, and this required testing to confirm there was no remaining contaminating solvent. There were health and safety considerations for the team in using this approach.

Intertronics then suggested the team consider trialling a THINKY Mixer to achieve better mixing success. These industrial non-contact planetary centrifugal mixing machines use both rotation and revolution of material in a container under an acceleration of 400 G to achieve consistent mixing results. In a THINKY Mixer, even materials of very high viscosity, such as those used by the ACSE, can be mixed in a matter of minutes. The THINKY Mixer enables the team to document the exact time and speed of the mixing, which makes the process parameters trackable.

“The THINKY Mixer is a huge improvement on our previous process and means we can achieve consistent outcomes more quickly,” said Tom Paterson, postdoctoral research associate at The University of Sheffield. “We’ve removed the need for solvents, which removes a step from the process, improves health and safety, and removes the regulatory requirement to prove this compound has been removed. The mix quality is extremely good, the mixer doesn’t introduce air into the mix, and we’re making a substantial time saving.”

Flexible wearable electronics have a great deal of potential for future applications and the ACSE team is currently working with clinicians on translational projects in human health monitoring.

Intertronics

Station Field Industrial Estate
Banbury Road
Kidlington
OX5 1JD
UNITED KINGDOM

+44 (0)1865 842842

info@intertronics.co.uk

www.intertronics.co.uk

More news
5 days ago
Southco launches a new wireless access system with the Keypaniontm app
Southco has launched a new wireless access system featuring the Keypanion app, a revolutionary smart access app that lets users wirelessly actuate latches from their smartphones.
6 days ago
Food Manufacturing Live – May 1st 2024 – National Motorcycle Museum
Specialist engineering publisher and exhibition organiser The Engineering Network (TEN) has just announced an all-new event for suppliers of engineering solutions to the food and drink manufacturing sector, Food Manufacturing Live.
1 week ago
Essentra’s Kidlington site switches to 100% recyclable packaging
Essentra Components has completed the switch within its UK manufacturing and distribution centre in Kidlington to using paper-based packaging. The new packaging contains recycled content and is widely recyclable after use, supporting both its own and its customers’ ambitions for a more sustainable future.
1 week ago
Intertronics launches adhesive and dispensing technology seminars
In a bid to help grow the adhesives, dispensing, and curing technology knowledge base of British manufacturing companies, Intertonics is offering seminars for customers under the adhere academy brand.
2 weeks ago
Coloured super glue enables automated QA in optical component assembly
A manufacturer of optical components was faced with an assembly challenge, needing an adhesive not only that could be applied around the complete diameter of the part, but one which also contained a pigment such that the application of the adhesive could be checked by camera before the next stage of the process. For a solution, the company turned to Advanced Adhesives.
3 weeks ago
Intertronics becomes UK distributor of Scigrip adhesives
Adhesives supplier Intertronics has partnered with Scigrip to distribute its methyl methacrylate structural adhesives (MMAs) in the UK.
3 weeks ago
SD Products now official UK distributor for King Slide
SD Products has announced an exciting new partnership with King Slide, Taiwan’s leading furniture hardware manufacturer. With over 30 years of experience in their industry sector King Slide has earned a strong reputation and trust among leading tech companies as well as high-end home furniture and appliance brands.
4 weeks ago
RS celebrates Formula Student team successes at milestone event
RS is celebrating the award-winning success of three of the teams it supported at the recent UK Formula Student 25-year milestone event. Sixty-one teams subjected their single-seat race car prototypes to rigorous testing at Silverstone race track in Northamptonshire, in the annual challenge organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
1 month ago
Rolec enclosures get special mention in German Innovation Awards
Rolec’s aluDOOR industrial electronic enclosures have gained a Special Mention in the German Innovation Awards. Judges praised the “high added value for users”.
1 month ago
Live webinar to demonstrate LOCTITE value in assembly automation
LOCTITE is hosting a live webinar on 26 September at 11.30 am, focusing on its equipment assembly automation solutions for various market applications.

Login / Sign up