Researchers from the Lincoln Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are showing the world that there are still plenty of new innovations to come in the world of 3D printing. We’ve reviewed really fun 3D printers like the Cocoa Press that 3D prints chocolate, but this is the first time we’ve seen anyone 3D print with glass.
When making things out of glass the usual way (sans 3D printer), there’s a need for extremely high temperatures to not only shape the glass but also anneal the final creation. The thought of parsing hot material like molten glass through a machine sounds unreasonable to manage, and that’s because it is. That’s why the team at MIT developed a new technique that allows the team to produce glass structures at a much lower temperature.
According to the MIT team, their new technique makes it possible to print things out of glass that would otherwise be impossible to create using traditional means. They hope that the new development makes it easier for people to manufacture a wide variety of glass devices, giving examples like high-temperature electronic components and microfluidic systems.
The team refers to the glass-based filament as an inorganic composite glass, while the overall process is known as low-temperature additive manufacturing. This material apparently resolves stability concerns found in other filaments while still allowing for flexibility when it comes to structural versatility.
This inorganic composite glass is made of inorganic materials, with nanoparticles and silicate solution confirmed by the team as part of those materials. Once the glass filament has been printed, it’s placed in an oil bath where the temperature is then raised to 250°C. An organic solvent is then used to clean any residue from the print.
We don’t expect to see glass filament on the shelves anytime soon, but it’s exciting to know this possibility is out there and being actively pursued. In the meantime, we’ll stick to what we know best—3D printers that print plastic and chocolate.
Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
