A new additive manufacturing technology for biobased polyurethane composites

Evoco Ltd. is a Toronto based company specialized in manufacturing bio-based and environmentally friendly polyurethane (PU) materials that have a wide range of applications, including but not limited to footwear, apparel, sports equipment and pet products. The company is interested in incorporating advanced manufacturing and 3D printing technologies into their PU material fabrication procedures. The Toronto Smart Materials and Structures (TSmart) Lab at the University of Toronto has the expertise, experience and capability to conduct research and developing new fabrication procedures for Evoco’s needs. Two different polymers: thermoplastic and thermoset PU, will be studied simultaneously. For each individual stream, the research will be focused on the optimization of materials properties (through modification of formulation or chemistry) as well as the development of appropriate 3D printing systems which are capable of handling the corresponding materials. The goal is to design appropriate 3D printing platforms to be used to produce complex geometries.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hani Naguib

Student:

Partner:

Evoco Ltd

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Toronto

Program: