In less than 30 seconds from start to finish , we can now 3D print small, soft objects thanks to a new method developed by researchers at the Laboratory of Applied Photonics Devices (LAPD) at EPFL (Lausanne Federal Polytechnic School).
The team has published their findings in the journal Nature Communications , and a spin-off, Readily3D, has been created to develop and commercialize the system. You can see it in action in the following video .
High accuracy
The new technique is based on the principles of tomography, a method used primarily in medical imaging to build a model of an object based on surface scans. The printer works by sending a laser through the translucent gel , be it a bio gel or liquid plastic, as needed.
The ability to print solid parts of different textures makes it suitable for medicine and biology. The process could be used, for example, to make soft objects such as tissues, organs, hearing aids and mouth guards .
Currently, the system is capable of manufacturing two-centimeter structures with an accuracy of 80 micrometers, almost the same as the diameter of a lock of hair. As Damien Loterie , CEO of Readily3D explains:
Conventional 3D printing techniques, known as additive manufacturing, build parts layer by layer. The problem is that soft objects made that way fall apart quickly.