2023-07-15 14:00:00
An innovative method of 3D printing has emerged thanks to the team led by the Dr Jose Marques-Hueso from the Institute of Sensors, Signals and Systems at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. This new process uses near-infrared (NIR) light to create complex structures composed of multiple materials and colors.
The group succeeded in pushing the limits of multi-material integration by modifying a well-established 3D printing method, stereolithography. A typical 3D printer typically uses a blue or UV laser on a liquid resin which is then selectively solidified, layer by layer, to build the desired object. However, one of the main constraints of this approach was the limitations regarding the intermixing of materials.
A Deeper Impression Method
What sets this latest project apart is the use of a NIR light source to print at much greater depths in the resin reservoir, without the need to print in layers.
“The originality of our new method, which has never been done before, is to use the materials’ NIR invisibility windows to print at a depth of more than 5 cm, while conventional technology has a depth limit. of regarding 0.1 mm.” said Dr. Jose Marques-Hueso.
Considerable opportunities for the industry
The discoveries offer tremendous opportunities for industry, especially those that rely on specialized parts such as in the healthcare and electronics sectors. For example, the team can print a hollow cube, sealed on all sides, and then come back and print an object of a totally different material inside this box.
The NIR laser will pass through the previous material as if it were invisible, because in fact it is totally transparent to NIR.
Innovative resins and materials
A key component of their project was the development of specially designed resins containing nanoparticles exhibiting the phenomenon of optical upconversion. These nanoparticles absorb NIR photons and transform them into blue photons which solidify the resin.
This innovative 3D printing method makes it possible to produce several materials with different properties in the same sample, such as for example soft elastomers and rigid acrylic, very useful for many companies such as the production of shoes.
Affordable technology
Despite the fascinating future prospects this technology offers, the costs are surprisingly low.
According to Dr Marques-Hueso, the complete machine can be built for less than £400, while other advanced technologies requiring the use of lasers, such as Two-Photon Polymerisation (2PP), require ultra-fast lasers costing tens of thousands of pounds.
Synthetic
In conclusion, this new 3D printing method represents major progress in the field, opening up new perspectives in terms of multi-material integration. Despite significant advances, challenges remain to bring this technology to an industrial scale. The potential implications for industry are vast, but partnerships with companies will be essential for the future development of this technology.
For a better understanding
What is this new 3D printing method?
The new method, developed by Dr. Jose Marques-Hueso’s group at Heriot-Watt University, modifies a well-established 3D printing process, stereolithography, to push the boundaries of multi-material integration. Unlike a conventional 3D printer, this new approach uses a near infrared (NIR) light source capable of printing at much greater depths in the resin tank, without the need to print in layers.
What are the advantages of this new method compared to conventional 3D printing?
The main innovation of this method is its ability to print at a depth of more than 5 cm, once morest a depth limit of around 0.1 mm for conventional technology. In addition, it allows printing with one material and later adding a second material, solidifying it at any position in 3D space, not just on top of external surfaces.
What is the role of nanoparticles in this 3D printing method?
A key part of this project has been the development of ingenious resins containing nanoparticles that exhibit the phenomenon of optical upconversion. These nanoparticles absorb NIR photons and transform them into blue photons, which solidify the resin. This phenomenon is “non-linear”, which means that it can get the blue photons mainly at the focus point of the laser, and not on the path through it.
How can this new 3D printing method be used in industry?
This new method of 3D printing offers enormous possibilities for industry, especially for sectors that depend on specialized parts, such as healthcare and electronics. For example, it makes it possible to create 3D integrated circuits, which is very useful for the electronics industry.
What is the cost of this new 3D printing method?
One of the big advantages of this technique is that the complete machine can be built for less than £400. Other advanced technologies that use lasers, such as two-photon polymerization (2PP), require expensive ultra-fast lasers on the order of tens of thousands of pounds, but that is not the case here, because specialized materials allow the use of inexpensive lasers.
The project, titled Multimaterial Stereolithography by Crosslinking through Luminescence Excitation, received £280,000 in funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). His results were published in the journal Applied Materials Today.
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