The University of Texas – Pan American (UTPA) has launched a start-up company that may revolutionise manufacturing. US-based FibeRio Technology Corporation is perfecting a new technology called ForceSpinning to create the microscopic nanofibers used to produce everything from traditional textiles and personal care products to medical supplies and aerospace materials, with potential applications ranging from tissue engineering to drug delivery.
Nanofibers, which are about 1,000th smaller than the diameter of a human hair, are currently made with a process called electrospinning which uses an electrostatic charge to create the ultra-fine fibers from polymers used in common plastics.
ForceSpinning technology, a concept developed by UTPA mechanical engineering professors, Drs. Karen Lozano and Kamal Sarkar, employs centrifugal force to push materials through tiny openings to create nanofibers. A wider variety of materials, including metals and ceramics, can be used with ForceSpinning technology, making it more versatile and cost-effective than electrospinning.
FibeRio will develop and manufacture ForceSpinning machinery for commercial applications. The company is projected to generate $234 million in revenue by 2014.
FibeRio is the first entrepreneurial start-up company in UTPA’s Rapid Response Manufacturing Center (RRMC) incubator – which is dedicated to developing and applying emerging technologies that improve the competitiveness of manufacturing companies, while assisting entrepreneurs to form new enterprises and providing specialized workforce education.
FibeRio is researching new materials for Santana Textiles, one of the world’s largest denim manufacturers, which is building a $180 million plant in Edinburg, Texas.