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Nature-inspired materials and structures using 3D Printing.
Amit Bandyopadhyay1, Kellen D Traxel1, Susmita Bose1
1W. M. Keck Biomedical Materials Research Laboratory, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
Materials Science & Engineering. R, Reports : a Review Journal
|May 14, 2021
Summary
Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing (3DP), enables the imitation of complex natural materials. These advanced 3D printing techniques offer improved properties for specialized applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomimetics and Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing (AM) / 3D Printing (3DP)
Background:
- Emulating natural materials' complex structural, compositional, and functional gradients is challenging with traditional methods.
- Recent advancements in additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing (3DP), offer a new platform for imitating natural structures.
- AM/3DP enables the creation of structures with varied material composition, structure, and performance, surpassing traditional manufacturing capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review fundamental advances in naturally-inspired design enabled by 3DP/AM.
- To explore the potential of these techniques for new application areas.
- To identify challenges hindering widespread implementation and provide an example for total hip arthroplasty.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent innovations in additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing (3DP) for biomimicry.
- Analysis of the capabilities of AM/3DP in creating graded material compositions and structures.
- Case study application to total hip arthroplasty design.
Main Results:
- Additive manufacturing (AM)/3D printing (3DP) provides a viable design-for-manufacturing approach for complex, naturally-inspired materials.
- These techniques allow for enhanced material properties and functionality compared to traditional methods.
- The study highlights the potential for AM/3DP in specialized industrial applications, including medical implants.
Conclusions:
- Additive manufacturing (AM)/3D printing (3DP) is a transformative technology for emulating natural materials.
- Further exploitation of AM/3DP can unlock new applications and overcome limitations of traditional manufacturing.
- Widespread implementation requires addressing existing challenges, with potential shown in areas like total hip arthroplasty.
