Prototyping of Porous Structures from Digital Models

Procter & Gamble seeks advanced manufacturing technologies that can rapidly translate digital models of non-woven materials into physical prototypes for absorbent product development, with emphasis on high-resolution fabrication, microstructural accuracy, and scalable approaches that accelerate product testing and innovation.

Overview

• Sponsored research funding of up to $100,000 for proof-of-concept studies
• Access to digital twin CAD files (.stl or .step format) and detailed fiber specifications
• Collaboration with Procter & Gamble experts in non-woven materials, absorbent product design, and performance evaluation
• Access to internal characterization and validation capabilities, including micro-CT analysis
• Partnership opportunities include sponsored research, co-development, licensing, fee-for-service, pilot engagements, and supply or purchase agreements

Priority Areas

Digital Fabrication of Non-Woven Materials

Melt Electrowriting and Controlled Microfiber Deposition: Develop technologies capable of precisely depositing microfibers in controlled architectures to replicate complex non-woven structures.

Near-Field Electrospinning and Electrohydrodynamic Fiber Printing: Explore high-resolution fiber deposition techniques using polymer solutions to produce accurate physical representations of digital designs.

Voxel-Based Microprinting of Porous Fibrous Structures: Investigate additive manufacturing approaches capable of producing fiber-like porous architectures with controlled microstructural properties.

Hybrid Fiber Deposition and Selective Bonding: Develop integrated fabrication approaches that combine fiber deposition with controlled bonding strategies to reproduce non-woven material characteristics.

Eligibility & Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

• Academic researchers
• Startup companies
• Consultants
• Service providers (CROs/CMOs)
• Suppliers

Technology Requirements:

Projects should demonstrate:

• The ability to fabricate a physical non-woven layer measuring approximately 1.5 cm × 1.5 cm × 0.5 cm from a provided digital twin at approximately 5 µm resolution
• No more than 5% deviation in pore volume distribution as verified through micro-CT analysis
• Capability to reproduce structures spanning centimeter-scale prototypes with micrometer-scale features, including fiber diameters of 1–30 µm and pore sizes of 50–500 µm
• Ability to replicate curly or twisted fibers with primarily round cross-sections, including occasional trilobal or elliptical geometries
• Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3–9, ranging from experimental proof of concept through commercially available products

Preferred Qualifications:

• A clear roadmap demonstrating how the technology can scale to replicate mechanical, optical, and fluid-handling properties of commercial non-woven materials
• A phased development strategy beginning with a simplified proof of concept
• Identification of key technical challenges and proposed approaches for overcoming them

Out of Scope:

• Scale-down or pilot-line approaches that replicate conventional non-woven manufacturing processes, including traditional fiber preparation, web formation, and bonding methods

Evaluation Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Ability to translate digital models directly into physical prototypes
• Reproducibility and control of non-woven microstructure
• Potential for scaling toward manufacturable solutions

Timeline

• Application deadline: August 7, 2026
• Question-and-answer period: Open through the application deadline, with responses provided by the Procter & Gamble team through the Halo Marketplace

How to Submit

• Submit proposals through the Halo Marketplace platform
• Describe the proposed approach for fabricating a proof-of-concept non-woven layer from the provided digital twin
• Demonstrate how the proposed technology satisfies the required fabrication and microstructural performance criteria
• Identify the preferred partnership model, including sponsored research, co-development, licensing, fee-for-service, or related arrangements
• Include a phased development roadmap, if applicable

Please note: The full RFP is attached in the "More Information" section of this page. Faculty and researchers interested in applying for these opportunities based on technologies developed or disclosed at Vanderbilt must submit their proposals through the CTTC.