Liquid 3D printing process creates custom furniture in minutes
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A laminated table with a 3D printed surface from Steelcase.

MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab, Steelcase and award-winning product designer Christophe Guberan have collaborated on a new technology aimed to break the traditional constraints of 3D printing.

Instead of the traditional layer-by-layer printing, the new Rapid Liquid Process prints inside of a gel — essentially allowing a product designer to draw in 3D space without the limitations of gravity.

A two-part liquid polyurethane is extruded into the gel using a CNC machine and a nozzle. The liquids then mix, allowing a real, solid object to be created in mere minutes.

A two-part mixing process allows the material to be chemically-cured instead of set using light or temperature. The technique mixes, extrudes and cures all while the 3D printing is underway.

Check out the process below:

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Steelcase says the new liquid process addresses limitations that have plagued 3D printing for decades: slow speed, small-scale, and low-quality materials.

The collaboration between Steelcase and MIT will continue to seek further answers regarding materials, scale and improved printing processes, says Steelcase.

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About the author
Robert Dalheim

Robert Dalheim is an editor at the Woodworking Network. Along with publishing online news articles, he writes feature stories for the FDMC print publication. He can be reached at [email protected].