China: 3D Printing in Glass at the Macro Scale with Micro Resolution http://bit.ly/2IMDuIY Researchers are mixing up the macro- and the micro- in their latest study, designed to expand the limits of 3D printing with glass. In ‘Three-dimensional laser printing of macroscale glass objects at a micro-scale resolution,’ the authors explain how they created macro-scale 3D objects in glass at a micro-scale resolution—hoping for success which has so far never been attained in two decades of research and effort in femtosecond laser induced chemical etching (FLICE). The researchers were able to 3D print macro-scale glass objects at heights up to ~3.8 cm with a well-balanced (i.e., lateral vs longitudinal) spatial resolution of ~20 μm:
They began by ‘loosely focusing’ laser pulses into the silica, etching multiple lines organized into two different grids for both X and Y directions. The research team noted that their cross section of lines showed an almost completely circular shape. The lines were insensitive to all the following: scan speed, focal position depth, laser writing direction.
After eliminating nanogratings in the fused silica, they could 3D print with worrying about polarizing the writing laser beam ‘in real time.’ The authors states that this allowed them to simply beam steering in the printing system, making the entire process easier and ‘more robust.’ In the images below, you can get a better understanding of the successes in their work as the authors created the Einstein head with all his ‘fine features’ visible—even the eyelids.
The statue of Confucius is extremely detailed also, with an impressively smooth appearance, although this could be further improved with post annealing or laser polishing. The air turbine includes moveable parts that were printed in the glass, eliminating any need for assembly, and illustrated below.
The great thing about 3D printing and all the accompanying techniques requiring infinite choices in hardware, software, and materials is that there is always something new to try—and there is always lots to talk about, whether you are a researcher, student, designer, engineer, or one of the many other types of users enthusiastic about 3D design and printing. Fabrication with glass is garnering growing interest, from experimentation with works of art, to metallic glass, to carbohydrate glass. Those are just a few examples, with macro-scale objects taking such studies to a new level of complexity. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. [Source / Images: Three-dimensional laser printing of macroscale glass objects at a micro-scale resolution] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com April 23, 2019 at 03:45AM
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