Rapid liquid printing to replace 3D?

December 22, 2017

[caption id="attachment_65275" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Copyright: Self-Assembly Lab, MIT / Christophe Guberan / Steelcase[/caption] While the various limitations of 3D printing prevent it being implemented in mainstream manufacturing, rapid liquid printing could have more potential. As Wired reveals, 3D printing’s “limitations outweigh its potential” as it is “limited to small scale production at a relatively slow speed”. However, rapid liquid printing could provide a feasible alternative, as it is “fast, designed to tackle large-scale production” and, additionally, does not rely on prototype materials but uses foam, rubber and plastic. Rapid liquid printing is a new technology created by MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab together with Steelcase which “physically draws in 3D space in a liquid gel suspension” as well as enabling “the precise creation of customised products.” Described as “an impressive thing to witness”, rapid liquid printing works via direct injection into the gel, “physically drawing the objects into existence.” This process can be used to make objects of any size. Skylar Tibbits, co-director of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab with Jared Laucks, explained: "The gel is similar to a hair gel or hand-sanitiser and has two key functions. The first is that it can suspend objects so that we aren't fighting gravity and we don’t require layer-by-layer printing or support materials, which are time consuming to print. This means that a part can be printed quickly within the gel and then removed and simply washed off with water. The second is that the gel self-heals after the nozzle passes through. This allows you to continuously move and print within the gel and not create tunnels or cavities which would fill up with printed material." The preparation of the gel takes approximately an hour but once it is produced it “works immediately to suspend the printed materials.” Tibbits said, “We have been able to suspend plastics, foams, rubbers and even metals without any issue." The use of rapid liquid printing could conceivably “change fields of design” and “be customised and produced to specific requirements.” In addition, it could “open up new avenues for production in automotive and aerospace industries”. Tibbits explained: "The size limit is really only constrained by the size of the machine and the quantity of gel. But it could also be used for smaller printed structures with high-resolution features, but they would likely be slower to print." He also noted that he has plans for further development. "We're excited to experiment with new materials [looking to create] larger printed structures and faster, more efficient processes."