Inkjet Research Centre: I4T Innovation in Industrial Inkjet Technology
I4T Project
A consortium, led by the University of Cambridge, has been awarded a multi-million pound grant to investigate how ink-jet print technology could revolutionise manufacturing processes.
The group, headed by Professor Ian Hutchings of the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), has been awarded £5m by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The consortium comprises collaborators from two other Cambridge departments, the Universities of Durham and Leeds, and a group of ten companies which include the major UK players in the ink-jet sector.
The award, with additional funding from industry, will support a five-year programme of research to study the formulation, jetting and deposition of specialist printing fluids, and develop an overall process model. This work will improve the robustness of industrial ink-jet printing and help companies develop new applications for the technology. such as flat-panel displays, printed electronics, and photovoltaic cells for power generation.
Academic partners:
Professor Ian Hutchings and Dr Graham Martin, University of Cambridge: Department of Engineering
Professor Malcolm Mackley, University of Cambridge: Department of Chemical Engineering
Professor John Hinch, University of Cambridge: Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
Professor Jas Pal Badyal and Professor Colin Bain, University of Durham: Department of Chemistry
Dr Oliver Harlen University of Leeds: Department of Mathematics;
Professor Simon Biggs University of Leeds: Institute of Particle Science and Engineering
Dr Mark Wilson University of Leeds: Department of Mechanical Engineering;
Industrial partners: Domino UK Ltd, FFEI Ltd., Inca Digital Printers Ltd, GlaxoSmithKline, Linx Printing Technologies plc, Fujifilm Sericol UK, Xaar plc, Sun Chemical Ltd, Xennia Technology Ltd, Merck Chemicals.