You can 3D print complex designs with less waste
Dual-Wavelength Vat Photopolymerization with Dissolvable, Recyclable Support Structures
MIT engineers developed a technique for making intricate structures with supports that can be dissolved and reused instead of thrown away. They engineered a way to bypass this last finishing step, in a way that could significantly speed up the 3D-printing process. The solution is in a resin that turns into two different kinds of solids, depending on the type of light that shines on it: Ultraviolet light cures the resin into an highly resilient solid, while visible light turns the same resin into a solid that is easily dissolvable in certain solvents.
“You can now print — in a single print — multipart, functional assemblies with moving or interlocking parts, and you can basically wash away the supports,” says graduate student Nicholas Diaco. “Instead of throwing out this material, you can recycle it on site and generate a lot less waste. That’s the ultimate hope.”
Source: MIT news report
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