UK-based product design, research and business consultancy company Fripp Design Ltd. has been granted a patent for their silicone 3D printing method called Picsima.
The revolutionary method allows for creating 3D geometries from a class of polymers using the addition curing method of vulcanisation. Their process includes a catalyst component that is extruded into a bath of silicone oil. It can cure any commercially available platinum curing silicone that is also approved for moulds. The Picsima 3D printer is able to create full colour silicone objects and could therefore also produce soft tissue prosthetics for ears or noses.
Steve Roberts, Director and co-owner of Fripp Design, explained: “Tom Fripp and the team were playing around with platinum curing silicone in the office when they all had what I describe as the “light bulb moment.” We realised that we could extrude the catalyst into a bath of silicone oil and catalyst to create three dimensional geometry. It was the combination of 11 years product design experience, being consumers of 3D Printing and learning the chemistry of addition curing silicone that gave us the knowledge and expertise to figure out the IP.”
Fripp Design was able to secure funding from Innovate UK and Horizon 2020 in order to build a test rig. They also have been granted other patents including on how to produce parts with different levels of softness within a single object.
“With the UK patent granted, our focus now turns to Europe, North America and China as we see these as the three key markets for our portfolio of IP in Picsima,” said Roberts.
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