3D Printing Customized Food and Drug Products with Binder Jetting

In this webinar, Dr. Anson Ma, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Polymer at the University of Connecticut, presents his research titled "3D Printing Customized Food and Drug Products with Binder Jetting".

Abstract

3D printing (3DP) uses computer-aided design to build objects layer-wise or drop-wise. 3DP has been successfully used to create complex, topologically optimized parts that are otherwise extremely difficult or impossible to manufacture using conventional subtractive methods, while reducing lead time, tooling costs, and material wastage. The additive nature of 3DP is also well-suited for mass customization of edible products, where the product texture is modulated and multiple drugs or micronutrients are combined at predetermined levels to tailor for individual needs and genetic profiles.

This presentation will summarize our research in using binder jetting (BJT) 3D printing for personalized food and pharmaceutical applications. The presentation will begin by explaining the basic principle of binder jetting (BJT) and sharing our lessons learnt in adapting a commercial turnkey printer. This will be followed by a discussion of scaling up the BJT process through the design and development of a custom-built “HuskyJet” printer. This printer has been successfully used for producing confectionaries, pea-based snacks, and both fast-disintegrating and sustained-release drug solid dosage forms. To accelerate and automate the optimization process, we have also explored the concept of “autonomous 3D printing” by integrating this printer with the latest imaging and machine learning methods. The presentation will end with a summary of outstanding technical challenges and our most recent research on direct powder patterning.