Heidelberg University relies on 3D printing from BMF

Heidelberg University has expanded its research infrastructure with the microArch S140 3D printer from Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF), which works with projection micro-stereolithography (PμSL). This technology enables the production of micro components with exceptionally high precision and smooth surfaces, which is particularly important for microfluidic applications. The printer has been in intensive use at the Microfluidics Core Facility of the Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials (IMSEAM), which was founded in 2022, since September 2023.

IMSEAM is dedicated to the development of new materials and technologies at the molecular level. The Microfluidics Core Facility supports numerous research groups, including through the production of microfluidic chips and “organs on a chip”. After a thorough market research and analysis of various manufacturers, the microArch S140 was chosen.

“The challenge for us is to print narrow channels with the smoothest possible walls so that there is no turbulence later on,” explains Dr. Sadaf Pashapour, project manager at the Core Facility. “Only BMF was able to produce the sample part perfectly.”

The microArch S140 is a compact desktop model that achieves a resolution of 10 micrometers. Its precise manufacturing technology is based on the PμSL, which is optimized for the production of complex microstructures. “We chose a microArch S140 from BMF, a desktop model with 10µm resolution,” says Dr. Pashapour. “This incredible device produces very good results.” The surface quality of the printed components is of crucial importance for the functionality of the microfluidic systems. “The S140 meets our requirements for accuracy and precision every time – the surfaces become just as smooth as we need them to be,” says Dr. Pashapour.

In the future, the team plans to test elastic materials in addition to solid resin. These could be used, for example, to develop synthetic organs such as a “lung on a chip”. The use of the microArch S140 thus opens up new perspectives for the research and production of microfluidic systems and organic spare parts.