Communications of the ACM
Laser-Based 3D Printer Produces Complex Objects in Any Order
Said Stanford University's Dan Congreve, "This is a brand-new technology, and we are just starting to scratch the surface of what it’s capable of.”
Credit: Dan Congreve
Stanford University researchers have developed a three-dimensional (3D) printing system that can construct objects in any order, instead of layer by layer.
The system directs a red laser at a specific point in a pool of resin containing particles that convert red light into blue light when a certain energy threshold is reached; the surrounding resin then hardens in reaction to the blue light.
This enables certain areas of the material to be fixed without curing the resin throughout.
The system makes it possible to rotate lasers around a pool of resin and print an object while it remains suspended in the resin.
Said Stanford's Dan Congreve, "Because our resin is self-supporting during the printing process, we don't need to print any supports, making post-processing of the parts much simpler."
From New Scientist
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