The Technology
Knitted Spacer Fabrics (SF, AKA spacer mesh) have numerous uses in the fashion, automobile, safety industries, and more. Nevertheless, current SFs manufacturing suffers from some substantial limitations. The knitting machines are huge and very expensive, and the process requires a long setup and large minimal batches to cover the cost. Moreover, the SF itself has a fixed thickness, without the possibility of creating 3D shapes without further processing.
There is a need for SF that is cost-effective even in small batches and flexible enough to create complex shapes in one process.
With our 3D-Printed Spacer Fabrics (3DSF) technology, we create non-uniform FDM 3D-printed metamaterial analogous to knitted spacer fabrics using G-CODE manipulation, leveraging the bridging technique. Thus, we can induce customized properties and shapes in any printed object.
Advantages
- Low-cost standard equipment (3D printer)
- Customizable parameters
- Curved 3D geometry
- Breathable and lightweight
- Handled like knitted spacer fabric (can be sewn, washed, etc.)
Applications and Opportunities
- Award-winning and patent pending technology
- Great opportunity for cooperation with fashion and medical device industry partners
Business Development Contacts