Turning 3D printing's biggest flaw into its smartest feature

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"... Known as voxel interface 3D printing, or VI3DP, the technique uses a printhead equipped with a standard nozzle ringed by four additional nozzles. While the standard nozzle deposits material, these additional nozzles add a thin film of different material on top. This allows the interface between each 3D printed line to be controlled and customized in both single- and multi-material printing, eliminating the need for multiple printheads and unnecessary gaps or features in an object.

Beyond creating stronger prints, VI3DP also opens up a range of new applications for 3D-printed objects. In the study, the team demonstrates how they can integrate optical, mechanical, and electrical properties into the interfaces—all in a single print and without increasing weight, time, or cost.

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From the abstract:

"Interfaces are crucial in natural and engineered systems, dictating essential biological, ecological, and technological properties that augment performance, functionality, and user experience. Yet, achieving precise interfacial control poses significant challenges in both conventional and additive manufacturing, where scalability constraints impede the controlled deposition of quasi-2D layers within 3D objects. This paper introduces Voxel-Interface 3D Printing (VI3DP), which enables comprehensive control over extruded voxel interfaces irrespective of the printhead diameter that conventionally dictates feature size. Various optical, mechanical, and electrical functionalizations, attaining interface thicknesses up to three orders of magnitude smaller than the voxel size are reported. Notable applications include encoding data in soft matter through fluorescent interfaces, creating tight fits and movable mechanisms through non-adhesive interfaces, fabricating bio-inspired composites with tailored failure modes, and developing a single filament capacitive touch sensor. VI3DP opens new avenues for enhanced functionality and efficiency across multiple fields, including biomedical technology, electronics, optics, and nanotechnology."

Turning 3D printing's biggest flaw into its smartest feature | Hub "A Johns Hopkins research team has created a new 3D-printing technique that addresses structural vulnerabilities in 3D-printed objects"

Voxel Interface Control in Multimaterial Extrusion 3D Printing (no public access)