Enhancing 3D Printing with Antimicrobial Additives
3D printing has been in the media spotlight since 2012 and has now been introduced as part of the manufacturing process in a wide range of industries. How many of these industries could benefit from the addition of antimicrobials?
The growth of 3D printing in both manufacturing and domestic environments has created countless possibilities for businesses and casual users alike, allowing designers to be more creative and giving them access to printed prototypes / finished products in a matter of hours.
This growth has also prompted further research and innovation in printing materials. With this in mind, here are just a few existing examples of how Biomaster might improve 3D printed solutions.
Creative 3D Printing Ideas and How Antimicrobials Could Improve Them
3D Printed Casts
Normal plaster and fibreglass casts do a great job of holding your bones firmly in place, but they can quickly become itchy, sweaty, smelly and generally unpleasant.
This clever alternative was thought up by Jake Evill, a designer from New Zealand, after he found himself stuck with “two kilos of clunky, and soon to be smelly and itchy, plaster”, and while this design is already far more hygienic than the existing solution, the constant skin contact and close proximity to the wearer’s hand make it an ideal application for Biomaster antimicrobial additives, to provide antimicrobial protection between cleans.
Easily added to the plastic material during its initial processing, the antimicrobial protection would last for the lifetime of the material, before or after printing.
More information on the 3D printed cast.
Adidas ‘Futurecraft’ 3D-printed Running Shoe
This 3D printed midsole prototype is a result of work from Adidas and Materialise, a Belgian company specialising in additive manufacturing.
The idea is that you could walk into an Adidas store, have a quick jog on a treadmill and leave with a running shoe that fits your foot perfectly; therefore delivering the ultimate running experience.
Well, how much greater would this running experience be if your shoes didn’t become increasingly ripe with each run? Antimicrobial technology can easily be applied to TPU and any other plastic to protect against the build-up of the bacteria responsible for smelly shoes.
Adidas isn’t the only brand with plans for footwear – Nike wasted no time, filing a major patent for technology associated with 3D printed footwear back in 2012. 
The Philips 3D Printed Shaver
Shaving is part of a daily routine for many, but it can cause discomfort, usually in the form of sensitive skin, red bumps or a ‘shaving rash’. This potentially embarrassing problem can easily be exacerbated with the presence of bacteria on your shaver.
The action of shaving can cause micro abrasions in your skin which in turn gives bacteria an easy point of infection. These bacteria can be transferred from your own skin, or from the shaver itself. Once on the shaver, these bacteria may be left to grow happily in the warm and moist conditions of your bathroom.
While this project by Philips was aimed at selling just 125 personalised shaver units over 6 months, these open designs could be greatly improved with the addition of our antimicrobial technology. Ensuring that bacteria cannot remain on the shaver between uses.
Click here for more information on the Philips 3D Printed Shaver.
Antimicrobial technology has seemingly obvious applications in countless products with a negligible added cost.
If you think that your product might benefit from the addition of our technology then please get in touch with us today.
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