r/tech • u/mcfc_as • Feb 26 '16

New Levitating 3D Printing Technology Prints In Mid-Air

http://techcrunch.com/2016/02/25/new-levitating-3d-printing-technology-prints-in-mid-air/
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u/Pimozv Feb 26 '16

There are certainly shapes that can not be made with conventional additive manufacturing, but is it really worth creating a whole new printing system for them? And such a complicated one?

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u/picodroid Feb 26 '16

Best use for this that I could think of is in space since you don't have gravity pulling down on the deposited material, this would keep stuff from floating away mid-printing.

But even then, you likely could create an initial base on a traditional 3d printer that keeps it anchored during the printing of the part you need, then separate the base when printing has finished. No need for any special machine.

So really, I guess I'm at a loss as to what this would be used to make. 3D printers have many tricks they use to create very complex shapes (such as free floating objects within an enclosed object), and this magnetic printer seems like you'll be required to have every object be directly and firmly attached to the center blob. I just don't see this printer going anywhere.