University of Utah researchers develop rapid 3D printing technology

Researchers at the University of Utah and The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new 3D printing technique capable of creating complex, hollow objects in as little as 7.5 seconds. Published in Science Advances, the method utilizes a single burst of laser light to construct entire 3D structures at once, rather than the traditional layer-by-layer approach.

Inspired by photolithography used in semiconductor manufacturing, the process employs a specially designed liquid resin containing long polymer molecules. When exposed to laser light, these molecules harden to form the object, while unexposed resin is washed away. To maintain accuracy and prevent light scattering within the non-transparent resin, the team utilized a nanopatterned mask to manipulate the laser light.