Welcome to the Direct Writing Association

The Direct Writing Association is a group of organisations whose joint aim is to facilitate the development of cost effective Direct Writing Technologies across the globe.

The term Direct Writing describes a range of technologies which can fabricate two or three dimensional functional structures, in situ, directly onto flat or conformal surfaces in complex shapes. This can be on a large scale or on the nano scale.

Direct Writing can address potentially difficult substrate materials, demands of high precision forms, reconfigurable designs and direct fabrication of a robust finished product.

There are diverse benefits for business from Direct Writing technology. From rapid and cost-effective prototyping to novel functionality, it is expected to deliver major advantages to business in the long term.

In the short term, using known applications, Direct Writing technologies could have an impact of many hundreds of £ millions around the globe. The potential in the medium and longer term is for a huge disruptive impact on the global manufacturing economy.

At present there are exciting developments across a range of sectors including automotive, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industries. Leading universities are working with companies on applications in the field of health, electronics and consumer products on both planar and conformal structures.

Images shown were kindly supplied by BAE Systems, Dr K. Dalgarno, Ferro Corporation, and Johnson Matthey Colour Technologies.