Can We Use Our Iphones for 3D Printing?
Professor Jeng Ywan Jeng, Dean of the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, has invented a 3D Printer that uses light from a cell phone to create a three dimensional object.
Professor Jeng recently announced his new invention at the Inside 3D Printing Convention held in Shanghai this month. Several of Professor Jeng’s prints made by his cell phone printer were on hand and the resolution looked good. Professor Jeng made his announcement during the “Future of 3D Printing in Asia and Beyond,” panel discussion held on December 9th.
This process is made possible by a specially engineered plastic reservoir containing liquid resin that is placed above your cell phone. The light from the cell phone permeates the bottom of the plastic reservoir and polymerizes the resin in successive layers to create a three dimensional object. The underside of your design (support material) is attached to a metal Z-Axis that rises from the resin pool with the exposure of each successive layer. It is unclear how long a print will take to build with this method but Professor Jeng stated he is working on increasing the speed of the process. As we all know, the speed problem, once fixed will change the 3D Printing game again.
The resin being used for this cell phone polymerization process is working but is also still in the design stage to improve performance. The plastic liner of the reservoir has a special coating that keeps the resin from polymerizing and sticking to the inside surface of the plastic liner.
Will an iPad printer will be seen in the near future? Well, if read our last post, Apple is getting into the game.
