Computer Axial Lithography: Just Awesome

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
Sign up Log in
12 replies · 4K views
jedishrfu
Mentor
Insights Author
Messages
15,798
Reaction score
10,682
In this video, CAL is shown printing the Thinker in minutes all at once:



not layer by layer as is done with many of today's 3D printers.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Wrichik Basu, davenn, anorlunda and 2 others

Discussion

Engineering news on Phys.org
Looks interesting, but even after watching the video, the new technique wasn't very clear to me. Is the figure built up from the central axis out? Or is it built up over time with multiple coincident laser passes in the volume of the figure? It looks like the resulting figure is transparent -- is that needed for the process to work?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Tom.G
I think the device builds out from the axis otherwise youd have liquid inside the figure.

Notice they have to do controlled rotation of the liquid as they hit it with the three light sources.

Each light source by itself can't solidify the liquid only when all three hit it will that spot turn solid.

Also i think the liquid needs to be somewhat transparent or translucent for it to work.

It reminds me of the plastic educator device in the movie Forbidden Planet where your thoughts are made into animated 3D images.

https://goo.gl/images/q78zxY
 
You know that would be an interesting idea of a 3D printer that rotated the stock under the extrusion nozzle to build axial shapes.

The nozzle would traverse on the x-axis while the stock rotated on the same x-axis kind of like athe only stuff is put on not taken off.
 
In my experience, a true test for a 3d printer is to print a 1/4 inch bolt and a 1/4 inch nut, and after it's done screw them together.
A soft version of Rodan's Thinker is no test for precision, constitency, and integrity of form.
The innovative new medium is exciting, but I'm disappointed that keen minds, considered that as a valid example.
I would challenge them to my test, or concede the technology as more development time in it's future.
 
FYI. I print specialty nuts and bolts in nylon, with a Lulzbot Taz 5.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: berkeman
For sure your test is a good one as a measure of precision.

The new method does things in minutes instead of hours and that's why folks are so excited. Also i don't know how durable the new solid is.
 
jedishrfu said:
I think the device builds out from the axis otherwise youd have liquid inside the figure.
Not necessarily, given that the figure is transparent. Solidification of the inside could continue after the outside hardens
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: jedishrfu and anorlunda
jedishrfu said:
Also i don't know how durable the new solid is.
Durability is not important if you use the object as a plug for lost-wax casting of a metal or resin.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: jedishrfu
This is true my comment was in reference to making a usable nut and bolt which needs some durability.

However i think the process is more for fast prototyping objects for design.
 
I was very interested in what he said about reversing the process of a CAT scan; made me wonder if they will find a way to replace the light projection with interacting graduated magnetic fields, to fashion things out of ferrous materials. As is, it appears the printer can only make things out of this one resin.

Also I would imagine that the emitters will be replaced with something more like phased-array or synthetic-aperture radar, so the object being printed can sit still, and the emitters rotate virtually.