Additive Manufacturing for Custom Package Design

Additive manufacturing (AM) processes for packaging currently operate with layer resolutions between 16-100 microns and build volumes up to 800 x 400 x 500mm. While these specifications enable intricate geometries, the challenge lies in maintaining material properties - particularly for designs requiring specific mechanical strength, barrier properties, and regulatory compliance for food or medical applications.

The fundamental tradeoff exists between achieving complex package geometries through AM while meeting the strict material performance requirements that traditional manufacturing methods reliably deliver.

This page brings together solutions from recent research—including polymer composites with enhanced mechanical properties, multi-material printing approaches that optimize both structure and function, and new process controls that ensure consistent material performance. These and other approaches focus on making AM-produced packaging commercially viable while meeting industry standards.