[x3d-public] Cutting-edge 3D printer prints in 10 materials simultaneously - CNET

[Don Brutzman]

http://www.cnet.com/news/cutting-edge-3d-printer-prints-in-10-materials-simultaneously/
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Cutting-edge 3D printer prints in 10 materials simultaneously

MIT engineers have built a 3D printer that can print in 10 different materials at once, streamlining the manufacturing process.

August 24, 2015

by Michelle Starr
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Link also provided to recent SIGGRAPH 2015 paper:

http://cfg.mit.edu/sites/cfg.mit.edu/files/paper.pdf

MultiFab: A Machine Vision Assisted Platform for Multi-material 3D Printing

by Pitchaya Sitthi-Amorn, Javier E. Ramos,Yuwang Wang,Joyce Kwan,Justin Lan,Wenshou Wang,Wojciech Matusik

MIT CSAIL, Chulalongkorn University, Tsinghua University

Abstract.
We have developed a multi-material 3D printing platform that is
high-resolution, low-cost, and extensible. The key part of our plat-
form is an integrated machine vision system. This system allows for
self-calibration of printheads, 3D scanning, and a closed-feedback
loop to enable print corrections. The integration of machine vision
with 3D printing simplifies the overall platform design and enables
new applications such as 3D printing over auxiliary parts. Further-
more,  our platform dramatically expands the range of parts that
can be 3D printed by simultaneously supporting up to 10 different
materials that can interact optically and mechanically. The platform
achieves a resolution of at least 40 μm by utilizing piezoelectric
inkjet printheads adapted for 3D printing. The hardware is low cost
(less than $7,000) since it is built exclusively from off-the-shelf
components. The architecture is extensible and modular – adding,
removing, and exchanging printing modules can be done quickly.
We provide a detailed analysis of the system’s performance. We also
demonstrate a variety of fabricated multi-material objects.
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all the best, Don
-- 
Don Brutzman  Naval Postgraduate School, Code USW/Br       brutzman at nps.edu
Watkins 270,  MOVES Institute, Monterey CA 93943-5000 USA   +1.831.656.2149
X3D graphics, virtual worlds, navy robotics http://faculty.nps.edu/brutzman