Tomographic Volumetric 3D Printer

• Subject Area: Systems Engineering
• Term: Funded in 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 539847545

The aim of this proposal is to acquire a next-generation tomographic volumetric 3D printer which allows 3D printing by a tomographic object reconstruction in a constrained volume based on photochemical reactions such as, e.g., photopolymerization and photocrosslinking. In contrast to current 3D printing approaches based on sequential illumination of planes in a layer by -to-layer fashion, tomographic volumetric printing allows the printing of an entire volume of material at the same time. Having been an active contributor to some of the most important advancements of this technique, we aim to purchase a tailormade system primarily suited for advanced material engineering which will allow to design specific materials that will push the boundary of tomographic volumetric printing further. Specifically, we aim to develop approaches for multi-wavelength, multi-material as well as gradient materials suitable for a wide range of applications ranging from tomographic volumetric printing of glasses, metals, shape-memory polymers as well soft materials and soft machines. Being the first-of-its-kind technology, which alleviates the classical problems associated with layer-to-layer 3D Printing, tomographic volumetric printing promises to allow, e.g., the manufacturing of components made from multiple materials via subsequent volumetric exposures even on preexisting structures. This will allow the generation of components with tailored physicomechanical properties in three dimensions and thus will allow, e.g., actuator-integrated soft machines, high-performance optics, multi-component and multi-index optical glasses, gradient-index lenses and similar advanced optical components as well as responsive and programmable systems as required, e.g., for 4D Printing. This will be facilitated by a custom machine upgrade options which will allow multi-wavelength tomographic volumetric printing within the same experiment run thus allowing orthogonal lithographic structuring of materials with different physicomechanical properties. Furthermore, the instrument will be upgraded with a high-resolution optics to facilitate the structuring of materials at resolutions in the low 10 µm range and thus enable the manufacturing of MEMS components, actuators as well as mechanical metamaterials. The instrument will be an essential component of the advanced material engineering research at Freiburg University, strengthening the research at various faculties (Engineering, Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy), University Centers (Freiburg Material Research Center (FMF), Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies (FIT)) and the Excellence Cluster Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS). This will constitute a major boost into the material development of this emerging 3D Printing technology, a field which has, as of now, not received the widespread scientific attention required to push the boundaries of 3D Printing.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Tomographischer Volumetrischer 3D Drucker (Teilfinanzierung)
• Instrumentation Group: 5740 Laser in der Fertigung
• Applicant Institution: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
• Leader: Professor Dr.-Ing. Bastian Ernst Rapp