Light-based 3D printing technique prints full objects in just seconds

Researchers have created a new 3D printing technique that could replace traditional 3D printers that take far to long to create desired objects.

The problem with traditional 3D printers is that they work in horizontal layers. This process is the bane of 3D printing, as it means that, depending on the size of the object, it will take time to construct. What if the printer could build the entire model all at once, instead of layer-by-layer? Researchers from Switzerland's Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne (EPFL) have done just that with their new invention.

This new printing technique uses lasers to project an image onto the photosensitive resin. To put it simply, the researchers use a rotating chamber that is filled with the resin, and an image that the laser blasts onto the chamber to quickly start the building process. The chamber spins in tandem with the laser, activating the entire model of the object all at once, building it in seconds. In the above video, it's explained that this new form of 3D printing can be used for the construction of softer materials such as organ shapes and hydro-gels.