A new technology significantly increases 3-D printing speeds, and it was inspired by an iconic scene from Terminator 2.
Just as the T-1000 robot rose from a puddle of metallic alloys in , Carbon3D's innovation creates objects from a pool of resin. Unlike current 3-D printing processes, which slowly build an object layer by layer, Carbon3D's tech creates objects 25-100 percent faster than current tech on the market, according to a study published in .
"We think that popular 3-D printing is actually misnamed — it's really just 2-D printing over and over again," said Joseph DeSimone, Carbon3D co-founder tols the . "The strides in that area have mostly been driven by mechanical engineers figuring our how to make things layer by layer to precisely create an object. We're two chemists and a physicist, so we came in with a different perspective."
Carbon3D calls it "continuous liquid interface production technology." It uses a nuanced system to form its objects: sources underneath the resin emit both light and oxygen in various places, and in differing amounts. Light hardens the resin, while oxyegn prevents it from hardening. By emitting specific amounts of both through an overlaid window, Carbon3D's device can form a 3-D object much faster than those of other companies.
Carbon3D said the tech could be used for industrial applications sometime in the next year, although specific applications have yet to be announced. , from toys, to guitars, to pizza. .