6.05 Development of additive technologies for consolidation of precious and non-precious materials for the fashion industry

REFERENCE SPOKE
OTHER SPOKES
PROJECT LEADER
Elisa Padovano
START DATE
Gennaio 2023
END DATE
Dicembre 2025
PROPOSER
Politecnico di Torino
PARTNERS

Università degli Studi di Padova, Politecnico di Milano, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Prima Additive S.R.L., ITALTEL S.p.A. 

6.05 Development of additive technologies for consolidation of precious and non-precious materials for the fashion industry

The project is focused on the use metallic and ceramic additive manufacturing (AM) technologies to produce jewelry and artifacts to be mainly used in fashion. TheIR fabrication by means of AM techniques has aroused a great interest because it combines the requirements of this specific application field with the advantages offered by these technologies.

The main aspects investigated in this project are:

Development of solutions based on L-PBF AM technologies for metallic materials

The project involves the development of solutions based on the use of Laser- Powder Bed Fusion technology for processing metallic materials showing high reflectance at standard infrared wavelength. To overcome this limitation, different approaches such as the use of a new generation L-PBF machines with short wavelength sources (blue and green), or the addition of fillers to high reflective metal matrix to increase its absorbance will be investigated. In addition, the improvement of LPBF process will also involve its digitalization and the introduction of data-driven strategies for the reduction of energy and material waste.

Another main limitation of L-PBF processes is the poor surface finishing which generally characterizes the as-built parts due to both an intrinsic limitation of the process, and to the use of structural supports whose removal can be difficult. In this context, the development of new metal electrodeposition technologies to finish the metallic parts will be investigated.

Development of solutions based on Binder Jetting and Extrusion-based AM technologies for metallic materials

The project will evaluate the feasibility of using binder jetting and extrusion-based additive manufacturing processes to obtain parts which satisfy the requirements imposed by the fashion industry, with a specific focus on copper alloys. The performance of these processes in terms of manufacturing time, costs and product characteristics will be investigated.

Additive Manufacturing of Ceramic Accessories

The development of ceramics components for fashion application is the object of great interest thanks to the unique set of properties of these materials such as high hardness, abrasion resistance, chemical inertness, and biocompatibility. In this context, the project is focused on the feasibility of using alternative sintering technologies to obtain dense ceramics and to reduce the overall impact of the process. Moreover, the development of innovative AM approaches capable of expanding the range of architectures achievable with current technologies and the use of alternative all-liquid feedstocks that can widen the range of compositions and features of ceramic components will be also investigated.

RISULTATI ATTESI

Task 1 – Development of metallic materials and techniques compatible with the demands of the fashion industry
The expected outputs of this task are:

  • density values not lower than 98% after the powder consolidation process (values valid both for L-PBF and for 3d printing plus sintering). The maximum acceptable porosity values will be defined for the various applications envisaged for the different families of alloys, as well as a correlation database established between the (eventual) thermal treatments applied and the results obtained in terms of morphology and porosity size.
  • Reduction of the surface roughness of the metal based as-built products to values close to 10um. Such an improved surface finishing will make it easier to use an additional final step of polishing capable of reaching all surfaces of the complex artifact, unlike manual polishing, with an improved degree of repeatability.
  • Development of innovative electroplating of substrates such as steel and aluminum with low environmental impact.
  • New successions of metal alloys as new barrier layers to increase corrosion resistance.
  • Set of software modules for the automated collection, management, visualization, and analysis of data, addressing relevant tasks such as machine anomaly detection, in situ monitoring of part defects, etc. These modules will be implemented as plug-and-play components of an integrated and extensible software framework, addressing the continuous improvement and optimization of the additive process.

Task 2 – Development of solutions based on Binder Jetting and Extrusion-based AM technologies for metallic materials for the fashion industry
The expected outputs of this task are:

  • selection of suitable extrusion-based AM technologies for processing copper alloy materials for the fashion industry;
  • design of test parts to assess the printing-debinding-sintering process performance in terms of manufacturing time, costs and product quality (i.e. fine feature accuracy, surface roughness, geometrical complexity);
  • process performance assessment based on suitable experimental campaigns;
  • definition of relevant case studies and the feasibility assessment of the product fabrication using the selected AM technology.

Task 3 – Additive Manufacturing of Ceramic Accessories for Fashion
The expected outputs of this task are:

  • identification of target objects that are relevant for the targeted market;
  • mapping of potential materials that can be successfully employed with the chosen AM technologies;
  • mapping of bespoke shapes that can be achieved depending on the AM technology employed;
  • mapping of feature resolution, surface finishing, general physical-chemical properties (e.g. hardness, mechanical strength, abrasion resistance, chemical inertness, density, etc.) that can be achieved, depending on the selection of material and AM technology;
  • development of at least 3 test cases showcasing the most promising products, also in terms of materials and manufacturing technologies, as informed by fashion houses and designers.