September 15, 2015

Scientists develop method to use glass in 3-D printers

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Tuesday 15 Sep 2015 - 10:01 Makkah mean time-2-12-1436

(Image from MIT)

Boston, (IINA) - Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a technology to create 3-D printed objects with transparent glass, UPI reported.
Biomaterials, plastics, metals and a variety of synthetics have been used with 3-D printing technology before. But this is the first time material scientists have adapted the device for transparent glass. The major hurdle to using glass was harnessing the high temperatures necessary to melt it without damaging the 3-D printer itself or interfering with the already formed portion of the printed glass product.
Previous attempts have utilized a technique known as a "Sintering", whereby tiny pieces of glass were molded together at lower temperatures. However, Sintering produced glass products that were weak and cloudy.
The printer is designed so that each printing component is heated separately, allowing more precise control of the temperature at each stage, it keeps the upper reservoir for molten glass and the filament nozzle where the glass is shaped and the lower chamber is where the formed object is built up from.
AG/IINA

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