Posted on 12/30/2016 7:30:07 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
As 3D printing continues to develop and evolve, we’ve begun to see it branch off quite a bit from the typical image of a machine depositing layers onto a flat build platform. 3D printing has been adapted to print onto preexisting objects, onto fabric, and in multiple directions. Machines capable of doing these fancy tricks are still rare and expensive, though, and not quite accessible to the average maker, but that may not be the case forever. A group of UK researchers recently published a paper about their efforts to develop an affordable system that can 3D print onto uneven, previously unknown objects.
In “3D Printing onto Unknown Uneven Surfaces,” the research team of Nils Bausch, David P. Dawkins, and Regina Frei from the University of Portsmouth and Susanne Klein from Hewlett Packard Labs explain how they developed a prototype system using 3D scanning, multiple-axis 3D printing and conformal printing, a method of printing often used to print conductive inks or sensors onto flexible or curved surfaces. As its name suggests, conformal printing enables the deposition of printed material in a way that conforms to the surface of an object.
“It appears that there is currently no solution for conformal printing onto unknown uneven surfaces or 3D objects, at any scale,” the researchers explain. “The only commercially available solutions for printing onto known uneven surfaces – aerosol jet printers (Paulsen et al., 2012) – are made for printing electronic circuits and requires inks to be transformed into aerosols. Starting at $250k, the printer is not accessible for those with a smaller budget. Moreover, for most industrial applications, not only accuracy but also speed is critical. Hence the printing technology needs to be scalable for applications on bigger surfaces than those in electrical circuits while maintaining accuracy and repeatability.”(continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at 3dprint.com ...
Researchers Endeavor to Develop a 3D Printer That Can Print Onto Anything
Even water? Wow.
Well, yes. As long is you first cool the water below 32 degrees F.
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