Ai-designed fiber writing platform with digital twin for non-woven materials

Overview

This platform pairs a physics-informed AI digital twin with an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) fiber writing system to manufacture non-woven fiber networks that match a target pore-volume distribution. Rather than attempting to replicate a reference material geometry, the system treats non-wovens as statistical objects and engineers their pore statistics directly. A hybrid deposition approach uses a deterministically written scaffold for coarse architecture and controlled jet buckling to generate fine pore statistics and specified fiber curl. Micro-CT imaging closes the loop, driving iterative refinement to ≤5% deviation from the target distribution.

The technology is operated under pharmaceutical-grade process discipline, with full parameter traceability and deviation control as core competencies. It is designed for prototyping and producing fiber coupons and sheets with tailored porosity, mechanical, optical, and fluid-handling properties.

Technical specifications

Digital twin and AI control:

• Physics-informed AI trained on 250+ fiber production runs, extended to solve the inverse problem of generating toolpaths and process parameters from a target pore-volume distribution
• Operates at ~25 µm fiber resolution with 5–10% solid fraction
• Closed-loop iteration using micro-CT ground truth at staged z-build checkpoints

EHD fiber writing platform:

• Hybrid deposition combining deterministic scaffold writing with controlled jet buckling for fine pore statistics
• ~5 µm resolution in scaffold architecture
• Curl and fiber coiling treated as a specified parameter governed by translation speed and stand-off distance
• Operated under GMP-aligned process discipline with deviation control

Production envelope:

• 1.5 × 1.5 × 0.5 cm coupons require ~110–220 m of filament, achievable in 2–8 hours of deposition
• Scalable to 50–100 cm² sheets, stacked layers, and full-product geometries in later phases

Technology readiness level

The platform has been validated through prior fiber production under GMP conditions. Phase 0 (0–3 months) focuses on ingesting a reference digital twin, building the pore-volume-distribution metric pipeline, establishing micro-CT ground truth, and mapping the 25 µm / polyolefin regime. Phase 1 (3–9 months) targets fabrication of 1.5 × 1.5 × 0.5 cm coupons at ~5 µm resolution with ≤5% deviation, delivering full parameter traceability and a fidelity-versus-deposition-time trade curve. Subsequent phases scale to larger sheets and full-product geometries with additional characterization and selective bonding, suitable for co-development engagement contingent on Phase 1 results.