I-Corps: Rapid 3D printing in gel suspension

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to develop a 3D printer technology capable of printing complex geometries in a suspended environment at high speed. The printing technology directly writes in 3D space using a gel suspension bath. The gel provides a zero-gravity environment, eliminating the need for support material and allows for the printing of highly complex overhanging geometries with high-quality surface finishes. The gel bath is a non-toxic, water-based formulation. Printed objects are simply washed off once printed, requiring no post-processing. The gel can be reused indefinitely. The team believes the automotive, aviation, furniture, children’s product and medical industries could integrate the printing capabilities in their manufacturing process near term. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a technology that enables access to a high-speed 3D printer technology capable of printing fully rigid and flexible industrial grade materials at infinite scale. Currently, 3D printers are limited by poor material quality, small build volume, and slow speed; hence current 3D printers are generally only used as prototyping tools. This project may improve and provide new manufacturing techniques for complex geometries, casting, and molding. This new way of manufacturing may drastically reduce production cost for molded parts, while increasing machine efficiency. The project has the potential to expand the 3D printing market by allowing for mass customization while streamlining traditional manufacturing processes. The team will simultaneously integrate with existing material supply chains and work with companies to locate new products and markets.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.