Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T09:37:01.414Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Water-based Engineering & Fabrication: Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing of Biomaterials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2015

Laia Mogas-Soldevila  and
Neri Oxman
Laia Mogas-Soldevila
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture and Urban Panning, Media Lab, Mediated Matter Group, 75 Amherst St., Room E14-333, Cambridge, MA, 02142 U.S.A.
Neri Oxman*
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture and Urban Panning, Media Lab, Mediated Matter Group, 75 Amherst St., Room E14-333, Cambridge, MA, 02142 U.S.A.
*
2Corresponding author’s email: neri@mit.edu
Get access

Abstract

In nature, water assembles basic molecules into complex multi-functional structures with nano-to-macro property variation. Such processes generally consume low amounts of energy, produce little to no waste, and take advantage of ambient conditions. In contrast digital manufacturing platforms are generally characterized as uni-functional, wasteful, fuel-based and often toxic. In this paper we explore the role of water in biological construction and propose an enabling technology modeled after these findings. We present a water-based fabrication platform tailored for 3-D printing of water-based composites and regenerated biomaterials such as chitosan, cellulose or sodium alginate for the construction of highly sustainable products and building components. We demonstrate that water-based fabrication of biological materials can be used to tune mechanical, chemical and optical properties of aqueous material composites. The platform consists of a multi-nozzle extrusion system attached to a multi-axis robotic arm designed to additively fabricate extrusion-compatible gels with graded properties. Applications of the composites include small and medium-scale recyclable objects, as well as temporary largescale architectural structures.

Keywords

biomaterialwaterstructural
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1800: Symposium NN – Adaptive Architecture and Programmable Matter―Next Generation Building Skins and Systems from Nano to Macro , 2015 , mrss15-2135989
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Wiggins, P.M. Role of water in some biological processes. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews 1990; 54:(4)432–449.Google ScholarPubMed
Lieleg, O., Ribbeck, K. Biological hydrogels as selective diffusion barriers. Trends in Cell Biology, 2011; 21:9: 543–551 10.1016/j.tcb.2011.06.002.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ashby, M. F., Gibson, L. J., Wegst, U., et al. The Mechanical Properties of Natural Materials: Material Property Charts. Proceedings: Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The Royal Society. 1995;450;1938;123–140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
US Environmental Protection Agency, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States: Facts and Figures. MSW Characterization Reports 2012 (online resource: http://epa.gov.)Google Scholar
Dumitriu, S. Polysaccharides: Structural Diversity and Functional Versatility. Marcel Dekker, New York, NY, 2005.Google Scholar
Vincent, J.F.V. Structural biomaterials. Macmillan, London, 2012.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raven, P.H., Evert, R.F., and Eichhorn, S.E. Biology of Plants. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York, 1999.Google Scholar
Miserez, A. el al. The Transition from Stiff to Compliant Materials in Squid Beaks. Science 2008; 10.1126/science.1154117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rinaudo, M. Chitin and chitosan: Properties and applications. Progress in Polymer Science 2006; 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2006.06.001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kieback, B., Neubrand, A., Riedel, H. Processing techniques for functionally graded materials. Materials Science and Engineering 2003; 10.1016/S0921-5093(03) 00578-1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gutowska, A., Jeong, B. and Jasionowski, M. Injectable gels for tissue engineering. The Anatomical Record 2001; 10.1002/ar.1115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fernandez, J. G. and Ingber, D. E. Manufacturing of Large-Scale Functional Objects Using Biodegradable Chitosan Bioplastic. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering 2014; 10.1002/mame.201300426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fernandez, J. G. and Ingber, D. E. Bioinspired Chitinous Material Solutions for Environmental Sustainability and Medicine. Advanced Functional Materials 2013; 10.1002/adfm.201300053.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fernandez, J. G. and Ingber, D. E. Unexpected Strength and Toughness in Chitosan-Fibroin Laminates Inspired by Insect Cuticle. Advanced Materials 2012; 10.1002/adma.201104051.Google ScholarPubMed
Omenetto, F. G. and Kaplan, D. L. New opportunities for an ancient material. Science 2010; 10.1126/science.1188936.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duro Royo, J., Mogas Soldevila, L. and Oxman, N. Flow-based Robotic Fabrication: Model for Design and Fabrication of Functionally Graded Structures, Computer-Aided Design, Elsevier (in review).Google Scholar
Hiller, J., Lipson, H. Design and analysis of digital materials for physical 3D voxel printing. Rapid Prototyping Journal 2009; 10.1.1.375.6436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mogas-Soldevila, L., Duro-Royo, J., Oxman, N. Water-based Robotic Fabrication: Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing of Functionally-Graded Hydrogel Composites via Multi-Chamber Extrusion. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing 2014; 1:1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duro Royo, J., Mogas Soldevila, L. and Oxman, N. Methods and Apparatus for Integrated Large Scale Robotic Fabrication of Functionally Graded Materials and Structures. US PPA Num. 17388T, 2014.Google Scholar
Oxman, N. Variable property rapid prototyping. Virtual and Physical Prototyping 2011; 10.1080/17452759.2011.558588.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krieg, O., Christian, Z., Correa, D., Menges, A., Reichert, S. et al. HygroSkin: Meteorosensitive Pavilion, in Gramazio, F., Kohler, M., Langenberg, S. (eds.). Fabricate: Negotiating Design and Making, Zurich 2013; 272–279 (ISBN 978-3-85676-331-2).Google Scholar
Reichert, S., Menges, A., Correa, D. Meteorosensitive Architecture: Biomimetic Building Skins Based on Materially Embedded and Hygroscopically Enabled Responsiveness. CAD Journal, Elsevier 2014; 10.1016/j.cad.2014.02.010Google Scholar
Tibbits, S. 4D Printing: Multi-Material Shape Change. AD 2014; 84.1:116–121.Google Scholar