Project Description

Objectives:

  • Lightmotif is a spin-off company of the University of Twente (UT) and M2i and was founded in February 2008.
  • Lightmotif creates unique surface structures in metals by laser treatment.
  • FUJIFILM is evaluating new high added value products to be manufactured on their existing chill roll process line.
  • The aim is to create super hydrophobic surfaces on plastics by using a metal, laser textured, mould. These surfaces have a high potential in self cleaning applications in buildings and for medical purposes.

M2i Project: 

  • Laser processing parameters for texturing mould surfaces.
  • Injection moulding of super hydrophobic structured plastics using the laser textured mould, as a demonstrator for production on FUJIFILM’s chill roll process line.
  • Durability (weathering) of textured plastic surfaces.

Industrial Benefits:

  • Plastic with superior properties – weather resistant, and hydrophobic – can now be produced at low cost in large quantities enabling the use this technology in low cost products.
  • Cost reduction by more than a factor 250:
    cost of laser surface treatment of individual product > 25 €/cm2.
    cost per full product using injection moulding < 0.10 /cm2.
  • Cost per product can be further reduced by using chill roll process.

 

Fabrication of super hydrophobic surfaces - Fujifilm