Hasta La Printer: Meet the Terminator-Inspired Super-charged 3D Printer

18th, Mar, 2015

18/03/2015
Imagine you could grow an object from a pool of liquid in matter of minutes. Impossible, right? Well, not if recent reports are to be believed.

Scientists have developed a new super-charged 3D printer, capable of growing fully formed objects from a pool of goo within minutes! And believe us, goo never looked so good.

Not convinced? Check out the video below:

</div> Game Changer This new printer is being hailed as a real game-changer. And whilst it’s still very much early days for 3D printing, thanks to this latest development we may already be witnessing the birth of a new breed of modern 3D printing methods. The company behind the printer – a Silicon Valley start-up known as Carbon3D – have been working on this technology in secret since 2013. But they’ve now stepped of out stealth mode to showcase it to the world – and we're grateful that they did. How Does it Work? 3D Printers typically work by producing several layers, to build up a 3D model. Their name is actually a bit of a misnomer really – it’s pretty much just 2D printing over and over again! Each of these layers is remarkably small, usually 50 to 100 microns thick, so it takes a number of hours to produce even the smallest objects. What’s remarkable about this new printing technique is that it uses a technology known as Continuous Liquid Interface Production – or CLIP, for short. Unlike traditional 3D printers, which use lasers, CLIP harnesses the power of oxygen and light. Light triggers curing, whilst oxygen inhibits it. When correctly balanced, these elements can be used to grow intricate 3D objects from a pool of resin. Audiences at this week’s TED conference in Vancouver were treated to a demonstration of this bad boy in action. It's fair to say they were left stunned. Fast Delivery Rome wasn’t built in a day. But this new super printer could certainly put this old saying to the test. Aside from looking awesome, the printer is also capable of producing objects up to 100 times faster than the other 3D printers currently on the market. Even more impressive than the printer's speed is the durability of the materials it produces. Because it doesn’t rely on a layering process, it’s capable of producing objects that are much stronger than those made using traditional 3D printers. Terminator Rises If this machine sounds like something from the imagination of a science fiction writer, that’s because it kind of is. The inventors claim to have been inspired by a scene from Terminator 2, in which the T-1000 robot rises from a pool of molten metal. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Aq5ydeWWr4A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""/> There’s been no word as yet about when the technology will be available to the masses. But we certainly hope we’ll be manufacturing our own masterpieces from goo in the not-so-distant future. Here at European Springs, we like to keep up with all the latest news from the engineering and technology sectors, including fascinating stories such as this. And we can’t wait to see what’s next for 3D printing. As leading <a href="https://europeansprings.com/springs/compression-springs.asp" target="_blank"> compression spring manufacturers </a> we’re suppliers of a range of high-quality <a href="https://europeansprings.com/" target="_blank">springs </a>, which are used for a variety of applications within the engineering and technology fields. For more information <a href="https://europeansprings.com/contact/_our-locations.asp" target="_blank"> contact us</a> today, by giving us a call on 0208 663 1800 and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help you with your enquiries. European Springs </div>

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