Innovation in Industrial Inkjet Technology: I4T

I4T: a project to investigate how ink-jet print technology could revolutionise manufacturing processes.

 

I4TI4T 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 nine 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
  • Inca Digital Printers Ltd
  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • Linx Printing Technologies plc
  • Fujifilm Sericol UK
  • Xaar plc
  • Sun Chemical Ltd
  • Xennia Technology Ltd
  • Merck Chemicals.
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