Light-based manufacturing – 07.12.2022

The objective of the workshop is to bring together a small group of companies interested in innovating by using photonic technologies in manufacturing processes.
Light-based manufacturing

Prof. Christophe Moser and Prof. Yves Bellouard will present light-based manufacturing in general and their research activities at EPFL in the field of 3D manufacturing based on both additive or post-processing techniques. Proof-of-Concept and potential applications will be described in the following application domains: glass structuring, lab-on-a-chip, high precision non-contact alignment methods, watchmaker components, medical applications, dental crowns and aligners, custom hearing aid, functional living tissues.

Agenda

8:50Welcome on-line
9:00Workshop introduction: welcome & connect – short round table of presentation
9:10Overview of PhotonHub Europe activities and photonics at EPFL
Pierre-Yves Fonjallaz, delegate for Swissphotonics in Romandy and EPFL PhotonHub
9:20Short introduction about EPFL Vice-Presidency for Innovation services
Pascale Van Landuyt, Innovation Mentor & Innosuisse specialist, EPFL-VPI
9:25Volumetric 3D printing within seconds as a new paradigm to bring manufacturing close to the user
Prof. Christophe Moser, Head of Laboratory of Applied Photonics Devices, EPFL
9:45Q&A
9:55High-precision 3D manufacturing and functionalization of complex parts by transforming materials with light
Prof. Yves Bellouard, Head of the Galatea Lab, EPFL
10:15Q&A
10:25Open discussion with professors about company needs guided by a few questions
11:20Funding opportunities & wrap-up
11:30End of the meeting

There will be time to discuss about company needs. Funding opportunities for prototyping are possible through the European project PhotonHub, for innovation projects involving partners in at least two different countries, or Innosuisse, for projects involving only EPFL and Swiss-based companies.

Speakers

Prof. Christophe Moser is leading the Laboratory of Applied Photonics Devices. His research interests include using light for fabricating 3D structures via additive manufacturing. His team pioneered volumetric printing via reverse tomography which is a method to create objects directly in 3D as opposed to layer-by-layer. Objects are fabricated in matter of seconds in different materials, polymers, silicones, ceramics, glass and hydrogels.  His team conceived the full system from the hardware to the control algorithm that include feedback. Other research interest include shaping light in multimode fibers to perform endoscopic imaging, light delivery and use them as well as optical computing neuromorphic machines.
Prof. Yves Bellouard heads the Galatea lab that explores novel paradigms to tailor material properties locally using lasers. The objective is to ‘write’ functions in materials, turning them into sophisticated components, and ultimately, systems on their own. His research is based on 3 aspects: understanding of the laser-matter interaction phenomena, investigating of new manufacturing processes based on 3D direct-write laser methods and finally, finding novel concepts of multi-scale systems based on single monolith. Applications includes photonics components and systems, high-precision 3D manufactured parts with complex shapes, optomechanics and optofluidics systems and high-precision non-contact packaging methods.

Organizers