Traditionally, the 3D printing industry was a discipline dominated by men, but that did not discourage women from also stepping into the industry and standing their ground. In fact, at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Health Sciences, women are at the forefront of research in this regard.
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process in which physical objects are created by depositing materials in layers based on a digital model. All 3D printing processes require software, hardware and materials to work together.
Prof Lissinda du Plessis is one of the NWU women who are on the forefront of 3D printing research.
She is a professor in pharmaceutics and her main research concern is the relationship between the physiochemical properties of drugs (tablets, capsules, creams, lotions, etc.) and the effects on the human body, with a focus on infectious diseases and cancer.
Prof Du Plessis is particularly interested in 3D bioprinting. Bioprinting is the spatial patterning of living cells and other biologics by stacking and assembling them using a computer-aided layer-by-layer deposition approach for the fabrication of living tissue and organ analogues.
“This project aims to provide insight into the opportunities of additive manufacturing technologies and 3D printing in biomedical applications,” explains Prof Du Plessis.
“Ultimately it will provide state-of-the-art examples of how biofabrication is currently translated from the bench to the bedside. The on-demand production of biomimetic skin (artificial skin that mimics biological skin) may help provide a platform for skin grafts to be used in wound healing in skin burn victims.”
It may sound unlikely that skin tissue can be printed and applied to a human body in order to help burn victims, but that is exactly what happens. With a complex procedure, bioprinting is possible, and Prof Du Plessis’ cutting-edge research will develop this further.
The 3D printing industry is not merely research that will stay within the university’s walls. “The impact we can make both nationally and internationally in our field of research is what drives me most,” says Prof Du Plessis, who is excited about how many lives they can change.
“If we can make a difference in patients’ everyday lives, helping them heal and improving their quality of life, it will be immensely satisfying.”
It seems as if 3D printing technology is a total game changer in most industries, but do we know enough about its side effects yet? Luckily, Dr Sonette du Preez, an occupational hygiene researcher and lecturer at the NWU, points her research in this direction.
Dr Du Preez completed her master’s degree in occupational hygiene at the NWU. In 2014, while she started researching for potential topics for a doctoral thesis, the South African metal additive manufacturing industry had experienced exponential growth. This led to a need for the investigation of potential health effects associated with metal powder-based additive manufacturing processes.
Numerous studies have investigated the emissions from smaller desktop FDMTM printers using ABS and PLA filaments. However, limited information is available on emission and exposure in other 3D printing processes, making Dr Du Preez the pioneer in this research field.
Through her research she is developing a safer workplace for the operators working on these machines. “The findings of my study serve as a starting point to create awareness of what 3D-printer operator working with metal products can be exposed to, and to assist industrial facilities in identifying hazards,” explains Dr Du Preez.
There definitely are hazards to take note of. “During my research, I found that the particle size and chemical composition of the metal powders may be harmful to the operators’ respiratory health,” she says.
Both these women know that they have entered an industry not traditionally favoured by women. “The South African 3D-printing community is mostly male-dominated, but I was fortunate enough to be welcomed at every additive manufacturing facility I visited. I also learned to trust my own voice and to not take ‘no’ for an answer,” says Dr Du Preez.
Although it is a male-dominated industry, they would like to encourage more women to bring their expertise to the table. “To make it more enticing to women, I would like to encourage them to see the similarities between their fields of expertise and 3D printing, and to use their unique skills to advance 3D printing,” explains Dr Du Plessis.
These women deserve a standing ovation, not only for their research in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the NWU, but also for taking an industry by the horns, women or not!
Prof Lissinda du Plessis
Dr Sonette du Preez
