Advanced Materials

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Platform (AMMP)

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Platform (AMMP) specializes in cutting-edge technologies related to thermoplastics, composites, resins, and adhesives. The centre is focused on the development of novel manufacturing processes and the application of advanced materials to create affordable solutions for a wide range of industries, from medicine to automotive and beyond.

At AMMP, our main interest lies in the development of high-performance thermoplastics and composite materials. These advanced materials are engineered to exhibit novel or enhanced properties that offer superior performance compared to conventional materials. By leveraging our expertise in polymer processing, 3D printing, mass customization, and hybrid manufacturing, we aim to create innovative solutions that address the challenges faced by industries today.

One of our core themes at AMMP is affordability. We believe that by creating products and devices that are less expensive, we can make them more accessible to the greatest number of people in society. This guiding principle shapes all of our research endeavours, and we are committed to developing solutions that are both effective and cost-efficient.

AMMP is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and capabilities that enable us to develop and test new materials and manufacturing processes. Our high-temperature thermoplastic composite pilot line is designed to create new composite materials with a wide range of resin, fibre, fillers, and additives. This pilot line, when combined with our secondary processing equipment in injection moulding and 3D printing, allows us to create ASTM test coupons and demonstrator parts.

AMMP also houses an additive manufacturing suite that includes FDM, SLA, and DLP processes, as well as an Arburg Freeformer that produces parts through a unique melt droplet deposition process with similar performance to injection moulded parts. The centre’s FDM capabilities include a high-temperature FunMat printer for PEEK and a MarkForged printer for fibre composites.

The Entex Planetary Roller Extruder is a brand-new extruder capable of producing thermally sensitive material compounds with high dispersion, making it ideal for biocomposites and other biomaterials.

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Platform (AMMP)

AMMP is focused on research in novel manufacturing processes and the application of advanced materials in manufacturing. The work is interdisciplinary, with applications ranging from medicine to automotive, using polymer materials and processing to create solutions. An overarching theme for AMMP is affordability, making products or devices less expensive and thus more accessible to the greatest number of people in society.

Our Scope
Advanced Materials are materials that are specifically engineered to exhibit novel or enhanced properties that confer superior performance relative to conventional materials. Main interest for AMMP is on high performance thermoplastics and composite materials. Advanced manufacturing is the use of innovative technologies to create existing products and the creation of new products.

Our Capabilities
High-Temperature Thermoplastic Composite Pilot Line
our state-of-the-art TPC pilot line enables the development of new composite materials with a wide range of resin, fibre, fillers and additives. When combined with our secondary processing equipment in injection moulding and 3D printing we have the ability to make ASTM test coupons and demonstrator parts.

Additive Manufacturing Suite
In addition to FDM, SLA and DLP processes, our Arburg Freeformer manufactures parts through a unique melt droplet deposition process, which have similar performance to injection moulded parts. Our FDM capabilities include a high-temperature FunMat printer for PEEK and a MarkForged printer for fibre composites.

Entex Planetary Roller Extruder Our brand new PRE extruder is capable of producing thermally sensitive material compounds with high dispersion, ideal for biocomposites.