Sci-fi visionaries often paint alternate realities with awesome biological and technological
advancements; flying cars, lightsabers, humanoid robots.
It’s all fun and games until we see a liquid printing device that can make the real world...into,
well, Westworld.
We saw these visuals from MIT and wow.
This is like some nerds saw the Westworld intro and thought, I can do that.
This is a new 3D printing process called Rapid Liquid Printing.
And like the robots in Westworld, spoiler alert, this evolves how we think about this
technology.
We’re all likely familiar with 3D printing machines.
We’ve got printers in many schools and libraries, and even though they’re more widely accessible
than they were even five years ago: traditional 3D printing still has limitations in speed,
quality, and overall size.
They’re stationary, extrude plastic or metal to build on platforms layer-by-layer, and
are generally…
Slooooooooooooooooow…
They’re slow.
Since the popularization of the 3D printer in the last 15 years we’ve seen at-home
model-making, specialized auto parts, and even shoes come out of these devices!
But making 3D thingamabobs ain’t easy, creators have to build support structures to keep their
creations from collapsing, or add extra bits that need to be cut off after printing.
Not to mention all the moving parts of the machinery itself!
Enter RAPID.
LIQUID.
PRINTING!
It’s faster, eliminates the support structures and instead of a flat surface, the gel provides
360-degrees of suspension and support.
The printer is essentially drawing in 3D space; eliminating something else you might not have
thought of as well: gravity.
Plus, it’s cool lookin’ and fast.
According to my sources at Tested.com -- it could take anywhere from 4 hours to TWO WEEKS
to print THIS!
The RLP printed a tabletop in 10 min.
And speed is not the only thing that makes this printer different.
The real secret is in the liquid gel.Depending on the gel’s composition creators can produce
high quality substances -- even metals.
The molding sets within the gel and hardens thanks to the chemical curing agents already
inside the tank and boom.
You can bust out a table.
No long wait, no extra steps, easy peasy.
And what’s best is that with a big enough tank, there are no scale limitations for this
method!
You could even make something life-sized .
But really though, this design process isn’t coming for Westworld, yet.
Rapid Liquid Printers were made with customizable furniture in mind, but ultimately they might
be the cornerstone to opening new production prospects in automotive and aerospace industries,
where fast, large-scale manufacturing is vital.
But as cool as that is, can’t we all agree we need robots fighting it out in an idyllic
western setting?
Like, we just need that in our lives.
If you like science in your day, don’t forget to subscribe.
And if you’re into going beyond a 3D model and want to see scientists simulating brains
for robots , check out how these ones doing it with a worm.
Fun fact: The gel used in the tanks actually has the consistency of hand sanitizer or hair
gel and takes up to an hour to make.
Imagine, one sec you’re just doing your hair, and next you’re revolutionizing 3D
printing.
Thanks for watching