World's smallest 3D printer unveiled
The concept draws on research conducted by a team of mechanical engineers led by Professor J"urgen Stampfi, along with the help of a chemical research team led by Professor Robert Liska. A prototype was put together by Klaus Stadlmann and Markus Hatzenbichler.
The device uses “additive manufacturing technology”, printing objects in a synthetic resin that hardens when illuminated with intense light. As the desired parts of a layer harden, the remaining resin is irradiated and a new layer can be added.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the printer's resolution is excellent. The individual layers hardened by the light beams are just a 20th of a millimetre thick. Therefore, the printer can be used for applications which require extraordinary precision - such as construction parts for hearing aids.
Unlike previous models, the printer at TU Vienna uses light emitting diodes, with which high intensities of light can be obtained at very well-defined positions.
In an interview with Thinq.co.uk, Stadlmann said: “We will continue to reduce the size of the printer and the price will definitely decrease too, if it is produced in large quantities.”
The team's 3D printer works via a special resin developed by the chemistry department generated from an LED projector integral to the printer.
Each layer of the material is illuminated in the spots required to produce the finished article, before a new layer of resin is added - a process known a 'additive manufacturing.'
Share