Could the Holy Grail of 3D particle printing be just within reach? Based on the hype in this industry, probably not, but my fingers are crossed and my naive optimism is on red alert as Northeastern University unveils its new nano particle 3D printer.
According to the Boston Globe, the university’s patented Nanoscale Offset Printing System (NanoOps) is capable of 3D printing layers as thin as 20 nanometers, 4,000 x thinner than a human hair. Unlike traditional 3D printers, it doesn’t extrude a material or use UV light to harden resin. Rather the researchers at Northeastern’s Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN) have developed a technique called directed assembly, in which a mold is created, coated in a thin layer of nanowires, and introduced to electricity, attracting a layer of nanoparticles. Director of CHN, Professor Ahmed Busnaina, compares the process to printing money, telling news @ Northeastern:
What we have developed at our center is a system that’s like newspaper printing or printing money, where you have a big plate, you put ink on it, and bang: One hit, you’re done.…
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