Glass Can be Created by 3D Printers
MADDIE writes on News In Tech:
Artists and engineers from the University of Washington have discovered a way that 3D printers can now produce glass objects. Using a method which is known as Vitraglyphic processing, it is a step further after the group previously managed to create ceramics using a similar method.
Three dimensional printers have been used for some time to create prototype parts because the process is fast, efficient and relatively cheap. 3D printing using power normally uses a very fine layer of composite which is spread over a specific platform. The printer being used then deposits small drops of a binding agent at specific points, bringing the powder solution together to form the object.
However, previous attempts to build a glass object failed as any binding solution used was not absorbed by the glass powder. Using a variety of concentrations of the binding solution the team of researchers managed to adjust the ratio of liquid to powder appropriately, leading to a fused and cemented object once it was heated to the correct temperature.
Based at the University of California where he is assistant professor of architecture, Ronald Rael has been working closely with the University of Washington to develop his own three dimensional printer. Working on a new design for the building of ceramic bricks he said “3D printing in glass has huge potential for changing the thinking about applications of glass in architecture. Before now, there was no good method of rapid prototyping in glass, so testing designs was an expensive, time-consuming process.”
It is thought that the technology will be largely used in architecture, though it will also form an entirely new niche outlet for artists.
