Amazing 3D nanoprinter (7 photos)

Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology have improved 3D printing technology using two-photon lithography, they have developed a process that can form volumetric objects several orders of magnitude faster and smaller than existing analogues. The 3D printing process uses a liquid resin that solidifies where the laser beam is focused. Beam coordination is carried out using a system of movable mirrors, which makes it possible to manufacture parts from solid polymer with an accuracy of hundreds of nanometers.

1. Micro racing car model.

2. Micro-model of the Tower Bridge in London.

3. Micro-model of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

4. This new solution allows you to create complexly structured sculptures no larger than a grain of sand. “Until now, this technique has been used rather slowly,” says Prof. Jürgen Stampfl from the Institute of Materials Science and Technology of the Vienna University of Technology. “Print speed used to be measured in millimeters per second – our device can run at up to five meters per second.”

5. Summo wrestler.

6. In just 4 minutes, it can create 100 layers of 200 lines each at a speed of five meters of cured polymer in one second. In two-photon lithography, this is actually a world record.

7. Scientists in Vienna are currently developing biocompatible resin formulations for medical applications. For example, a 3D printer can be used to create special "scaffolding" that ensures the correct formation of biological tissues during cell growth and reproduction, as well as for other biomedical technologies and nanotechnologies.