Research Update: New Strategies for Multi-Material 3D Printing – Embedded Extrusion and Volumetric 3D Printing
Computed tomography volumetric additive manufacturing (volumetric 3D printing) offers significantly faster printing speeds compared to traditional resin vat photopolymerization and material extrusion techniques. This technology allows for the embedding of external objects within the printing chamber before the printing process begins, enabling the creation of complex multi-part assemblies through a technique known as overprinting. As computed tomography volumetric additive manufacturing technology becomes increasingly popular, many of its limitations regarding available materials are being overcome, with examples of printing using acrylates, ceramics, and glass being demonstrated. However, manufacturing multi-material components without relying on overprinting technology remains challenging.
Figure 1: Positive embedded extrusion-volumetric 3D printing process using a support bath
This article presents a multi-material computed tomography volumetric additive manufacturing printing method that combines computed tomography photopolymerization volumetric 3D printing with embedded 3D printing technology: utilizing a photopolymerization support bath to deposit ink within a predefined shape, thereby enabling the continuous definition and three-dimensional printing of multi-material structures through computed tomography volumetric additive manufacturing.
Figure 2: Multi-material samples produced by positive embedded extrusion-volumetric 3D printing
The article showcases the manufacturing of various multi-material structures with spatially arbitrary material distributions, as well as the production of microfluidic chips with diameters less than 120 micrometers. This combined embedded extrusion and volumetric photopolymerization technology for multi-material 3D printing provides an efficient, low-cost, and scalable manufacturing paradigm for microfluidic chips, soft robotics, and biomedical implants.
Figure 3: Negative embedded extrusion-volumetric 3D printing of a 3D microfluidic chip with microchannels
