Additive Manufacturing covers a group of processes used in applications of all sizes and across many different industries, and as technologies advance, the range of applications continues to grow.
Research in this area is becoming increasingly active, and the University is leading the way in a variety of applications. One such area is the introduction of antibacterial properties to components produced using Laser Sintering, a powder-based Additive Manufacturing process. This is particularly topical in a time when levels of hygiene and sanitisation are under scrutiny, since components with anti-bacterial properties can be used in every-day, high-contact components, such as door handles, but the technology is equally applicable to complex invasive medical devices inserted into the human body.
Research led by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, in collaboration with the School of Clinical Dentistry, has recently been published in Scientific Reports. Moreover, the article reporting the discoveries was the 16th most downloaded papers from this journal in 2020 - clear recognition of the quality and relevance of the research.
In this overview, Dr Candice Majewski, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, describes the research for a general audience.