University of Utah researchers have demonstrated a new method of 3D printing that avoids the leaky seams that come with the layer-by-layer process. Using a nanoscale "mask" that diffracts laser light into a holographic pattern of the desired shape, it fuses its print material solid in one shot. The process takes about 20 seconds, a stark contrast to the hours other laser-based printing methods can take.
In their study published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers demonstrated they could print multiple shapes in a conveyor-belt fashion. The research was led by Rajesh Menon, a professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the Price College of Engineering, along with lab member Dajun Lin.
Menon's team used this technique to print microtubule assemblies with individual diameters as small as 6 micrometers. They tested their assemblies for physical toughness and also showed they could transport liquid via the capillary effect.
The project takes inspiration from photolithography but applies the concept to three dimensions.
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