Webinar promoted by PIEP highlights the role of rheology in Additive Manufacturing 

The Webinar “The Importance of Rheology in Additive Manufacturing”, promoted by INOV.AM through its partner PIEP – Innovation Hub in Polymer Engineering, took place on July 15. 

The session featured two experts in the field, Luca Gasperini (PIEP) and Dr. Loïc Hugues Gilles Hilliou (Portuguese Society of Rheology), who addressed the fundamental role of rheology in the performance of additive processes in a technical and applied way. 

Luca Gasperini presented the main rheology concepts relevant to additive manufacturing processes, with an emphasis on viscosity, strain rate and viscoelasticity. Methods for measuring viscosity and viscoelasticity were also discussed, as well as the importance of analyzing rheological results and their practical application in 3D printing, namely through techniques such as temperature sweep, time sweep and die swell analysis. Application cases with light-curing inks for medical dressings and fast-curing, on-demand materials were also discussed. 

This was followed by a speech by Dr. Loïc Hugues Gilles Hilliou, from the Portuguese Society of Rheology, who presented the topic “In-line rheometry to assist filament production and FDM printing”. His presentation dealt with the application of rheology in the control of the filament extrusion process for fused material deposition (FDM) technologies, stressing the importance of real-time monitoring to guarantee the stability and quality of the final product. 

Rheology thus plays a decisive role in optimizing additive manufacturing processes, helping to improve material performance, quality control and overall production efficiency. 

INOV.AM would like to thank the speakers and participants for their presence and technical contributions, which reinforce the agenda’s commitment to promoting research and innovation in the industrial sector through collaboration between experts, researchers and companies. 

Inov.AM - Inovação em Fabricação Aditiva