Klara Cebulla

Modern biofabrication methods are used to manufacture medical products which can be adjusted to individual requirements. For this reason, suitable materials are needed. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a thermoplastic polyester with a low melting point (60°C), being biocompatible and exhibiting a slow degradation rate. Therefore, PCL is an encouraging material for biomedical applications. The aim of this Bachelor thesis is to evaluate different 3D printing parameters for the additive manufacturing of PCL structures. These models will be developed via CAD design and subsequently characterized regarding the printing accuracy and the compatibility for the printing of bioreactors which will be used in the field of skeletal muscle tissue engineering. Furthermore, mechanical tests will be performed and the connection of adjacent deposited strands will be analyzed to obtain a dense 3D printed material.