Alex

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a new 3D printing approach that could serve as a much lower-cost means of creating high-resolution parts than Two Photon Polymerization (TPP).  As opposed to the expensive femtosecond lasers required to cure materials during TPP, the team’s less pricey method involves deploying an LED visible light source, at a significantly lower intensity. Despite this, the engineers’ ‘Triplet-Triplet Annihilation’ (TTA) process is still able to achieve submicrometer feature sizes, hence they say it could now “open the door to low-cost submicron resolution fabrication.” A set of samples produced via the researchers’ TTA 3D printing process. Image via the University of Massachusetts Amherst. High-res printing for the people  Even though the researchers have developed their fresh approach as an alternative to TPP, they accept that the latter continues to represent a viable means of 3D printing at extremely high resolutions. Typically capable of…    read more 

Engineers in the US and Australia have gained a significant amount of funding to further their research into novel aerospace and electronics 3D printing applications.  Over in Australia, Hypersonix Launch Systems has been awarded $2.95 million by the nation’s government to fund the development of a hydrogen-powered UAV, which it’s building using 3D printing ‘where possible.’ In the US, meanwhile, NextFlex has issued $17 million to projects seeking to advance the R&D of flexible electronics, including 3D printed Radio Frequency (RF) and hypersonic flight-related parts.  ”This latest round of projects focus broadly on critical FHE manufacturing developments that have been prioritized in the NextFlex FHE Manufacturing Roadmaps,” said Malcolm Thompson, PhD, an Executive Director at NextFlex. “These projects will develop groundbreaking capabilities that will transition to industrial practice and benefit US manufacturing.” A diagram of the upcoming Hypersonix ‘DART AE’ UAV. Image via the University of Southern Queensland. NextFlex in…    read more 

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are taking a closer look at metal halide perovskites, which when combined with 3D printing, can enable a new breed of high-performance solar batteries. Metal halide perovskite materials have gained traction over the past decade due to their ability to convert solar light into electrical energy: a process known as photovoltaic conversion. Unlike many before it, the new study leverages advanced equipment at ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) to investigate the structure of metal halide perovskites. Crucially, the research also dives into how this structure interacts with phenomena such as ions in motion to actually generate electrical energy from light. The team believes its work could enable the design of more efficient and more robust solar-cell batteries and other photovoltaic devices, including 3D printed ones. “These materials have mostly been studied under static conditions,” explains Yongtao Liu, lead author of the…    read more