INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
3D printing has become commonplace in the hardware industry, but because few materials can be used for it easily, the process rarely results
A Swiss startup called Spectroplast hopes to change that with a technique for printing using silicone, opening up all kinds of applications
in medicine, robotics and beyond.Silicone is not very bioreactive, and of course can be made into just about any shape while retaining
But the process for doing so is generally injection molding, great for mass-producing lots of identical items but not so great when you need
Not only that, but they may be a mixture of materials, some of which the body may reject.But with a precise MRI the researchers can create a
well-known surgical application of silicone: breast augmentation
hearing aid, the end of a prosthetic leg or some other form of reconstructive surgery
Spectroplast is just starting out, it already has some 200 customers
The main limitation is the speed at which the products can be printed, a process that has to be overseen by the founders, who work in
shifts.Until very recently Schaffner and Stefanov were working on this under a grant from the ETH Pioneer Fellowship and a Swiss national
But in deciding to depart from the ETH umbrella they attracted a 1.5 million Swiss franc (about the same as dollars just now) seed round
from AM Ventures Holding in Germany
The founders plan to use the money to hire new staff to crew the printers.Right now Spectroplast is doing all the printing itself, but in
their process for creating artificial heart valves here.
