Master thesis – New inks for 3D multi-material inkjet printing of personalized implants

Improving the life quality of Europe’s increasingly elderly population is one of the most pressing challenges our society faces today. The need to treat age-related degenerative changes in e.g. articular joints or dental defects will boost the market opportunities for tissue regeneration products like implants. 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare system by providing highly sophisticated, tissue engineered implants personalized to the patient. State of the art 3D printing technologies can provide biocompatible implants with the right macroscopic shape to fit a patient-specific tissue defect. However, for a real functionality, there is a need for new biomaterials, technologies and processes that additionally allow the fabrication of an inner multi-material microstructure that induces tissue-specific regeneration. Among the different available technologies for tissue engineering applications, 3D multi-material inkjet printing has an immense potential to address the complexity required for implant inner microstructure fabrication. However, the advance of this technology is mainly hindered by the lack of inks that exhibit the required properties to be used in a multi-material process.

PROFACTOR is an applied research center located in Steyr. We conduct research in the field of industrial assistive systems and additive micro/nano manufacturing. Our team consists of around 70 employees from 15 different academic fields. We work across disciplines to find solutions for the manufacturing industry and set standards in robotics, machine vision, simulation, 3D printing, functional surfaces and nanostructures.

 

Your tasks

The goals of this master thesis are

• to develop new inkjet ink formulations based on biocompatible and biodegradable materials for 3D multi-material inkjet printing
• to optimize the printing and curing processes of those materials
• to investigate the interface issues and compatibility among the different materials to make possible the multi-material process
• to perform 3D multi-material inkjet printing of biocompatibility and biodegradable materials

 

We are looking for

Motivated students with a hands-on mentality in the field of chemistry, material science, polymer chemistry or similar studies.

 

We offer

• the possibility to work in cutting edge R&D projects with renowned industrial partners
• flexible working hours
• the chance to be part of a young, interdisciplinary and cooperative team

 

Benefits

Start/Duration

Now / 6 months (extendable depending on performance)

 

Our Mission

PROFACTOR’s research improves the competitiveness of European Industry. We are pioneers of the thinking production. We bring production back home.

We offer for master thesis a compensation of  515,- EUR per month.

DI Dr. Thomas Köpplmayr (Head of Functional Surfaces), +43 7252 885 – 429