• Scientists fromThe University of Texas at Austin,Sandia National Laboratories, and two other U.S. • national labs have unveiled a 3D printing technique capable of producing objects with highly varied mechanical and optical properties on a fine, pixel-level scale. • The method relies on widely available materials and affordable 3D printers, opening possibilities for applications such as realistic anatomical models for medical training and innovative personal protective equipment. • “We can control molecular level order in three-dimensional space, and in doing so, completely change the mechanical and optical properties of a material,” said Zak Page, a UT associate professor of chemistry and author on the paper. • “And we can do that all from a really simple, inexpensive feedstock by just changing the light intensity. • It’s the simplicity at the heart of it that’s really exciting.” Funding for this work came from theU.S.
Article Summaries:
- Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin, Sandia National Laboratories, and two other U.S. national labs have introduced CRAFT (Crystallinity Regulation in Additive Fabrication of Thermoplastics), a 3D‑printing method that uses standard liquid resin and inexpensive DLP/LCD printers to create objects with pixel‑level variations in hardness and transparency. By projecting grayscale images onto a resin‑filled platform, the technique controls molecular ordering during polymerization, enabling continuous, multi‑material anatomical models without interface failures. Potential applications include realistic medical training models, bioinspired protective gear, and energy‑absorbing materials. The project received funding from the DOE, NSF, and the Robert A. Welch Foundation.
Sources: