A new 3D printing method can produce shapes at up to 100 times faster than traditional 3D printers. In conventional 3D printing stereolithography, 2D images are projected onto liquid resin that hardens when exposed to light. The stacking of the solid layers is a slow process. The new 3D printing method uses two different wavelengths of light and can selectively harden specific parts of the printed resin while keeping resin near the projection window liquid permitting continuous printing and consequently massive speed improvements. The new 3D printing method offers also major advances in structural integrity over filament 3D printing, and carries the possibility of printing with a number of new resins.
The new 3D printing method has tremendous potential to accelerate the commercial adoption of the high-speed and high-resolution additive manufacturing.