Dynamically Dual: Breaking New Ground with Resin 3D Printing
Revolutionary Dual-Light 3D-Printing Technology Unveiled: Simultaneously Prints Two Different Materials from a Single Resin
A groundbreaking collaboration between the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has led to a revolutionary resin 3D printer that churns out multiple materials from a single resin, with one of those materials being dissolvable. This innovation could revolutionize the way 3D printing handles support structures.
The realm of 3D printing is dominated by two categories of printers: fused deposition modeling (FDM) and resin printers. FDM printers are famous for expelling filament from an extruder onto a print bed, while resin printers build layers using precise light exposure in a vat of liquid resin. By tapping into this technology, the team was able to zero in on specific wavelengths to produce varying materials.
The resin concoction is predominantly made of acrylate monomers and epoxy. This combination is essential, as the printer employs two distinct types of light beams when printing: ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. By simultaneous focusing of these lights, the printer generates multiple materials from a single resin.
When UV light strikes the resin, it forms solid, permanent structures, which are used for the primary object being printed. Conversely, when visible light hits the same resin, a solid material is produced that dissolves in around 15 minutes when submerged in a lye solution, making it perfect for printing supports.
To put this tech on display, the team crafted a series of objects that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to print. They managed to create a ball suspended in a cage that moves freely once the support material dissolves, as well as a chain of interlinked rings and a checkerboard pattern.
If you're new to the 3D printing scene or searching to upgrade from your current printer, take a peek at our list of must-have 3D printers to find the ones that we personally endorse. Although you won't currently find any resin printers that can generate two materials from a single resin, this research offers hope for the future of resin printing innovation.
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Science and technology have intertwined in a groundbreaking collaboration between the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), resulting in a resin 3D printer that produces multiple materials from a single resin. This innovation, science, is set to revolutionize the way 3D printing handles support structures, while the technology employed allows for the printer to generate two distinct materials: one solid and permanent, the other dissolvable.
