Researchers Develop New Method Of 3D Printing

Jul, 2022 - By SMI

Scientists at Stanford and Harvard developed a new system for 3D printing that does not need an object to be printed from the bottom up

3D printing over the time become a significant interest as novel technologies are opening up several applications with steriolithography being a specific successful approach. Now a team of researchers at Stanford and Harvard University developed a new method of 3D printing called as triple fusion upconversion. With this new technique, 3D printing of more intricate items becomes possible as it changes the color of laser light.

In 3D printing, light beams of light patters are directed at the container’s sides and transparent top that comprises photosensitive gelatinous resin. When the light is shone on this resin, it becomes solidified and the remaining resin in the container stays in gel form. The researchers developed new technique which it built on a sub-type of volumetric 3D printing known as two-photon absorption that is used for creating specific detailed objects. In this new method the team used high-energy blue laser light for polymerizing the resin in highly specific locations. However, if this beam of light is shone into the container the resin gets solidified with the whole length of the beam. In order to come over this hurdle, in the beginning the light beam comes out as low-energy red laser light and when it is focused on the specific point it becomes blue. For this the team used small droplets of particular nanomaterials that are coated with silica and dispersed them in the resin.

Furthermore, when the red light is aimed at these droplets, it converts the light low energy red photons to blue photos with high energy as a chain of energy transfer takes place. This causes polymerization resin at the exact needed point. The team of scientists is now working on accelerating the process likely with the use of multiple lasers simultaneously.