The printed object is fully supported by the thick resin, removing the need for the support structures typically required for creating complex designs with more standard printing methods.
The new 3D printing system could also make it easier to print increasingly intricate designs while saving time and material, the researchers believe.
“The ability to do this volumetric printing enables you to print objects that were previously very difficult,” said Dan Congreve, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Stanford. “It’s a very exciting opportunity for three-dimensional printing going forward.”
The technique uses a focused laser which is shone through a lens into a gelatinous resin that hardens when exposed to blue light.
Image credit: Dan Congreve
Rather than using a blue laser...