Taiwan’s NTUST 3D Printing Lab Builds Machines That Drive Innovation

At the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST), the High-Speed 3D Printing Research Center is breaking new ground in additive manufacturing (AM). By developing high-speed, large-scale 3D printers and multi-material printing systems, it is tackling challenges like creating lightweight infant helmets and customized orthopedic implants. In 2024, the center participated as an exhibitor at Formnext for the first time, presenting some of its advances to a global audience.

3DPrint.com interviewed the leaders of this lab, Professors Jeng-Ywan Jeng and Chun-Ming Chen, who are leading AM efforts with a focus on speed and practical applications. Their pioneering work spans industries such as healthcare and manufacturing, delivering innovative and practical solutions.

Jeng highlighted the lab’s mission as pushing the boundaries of efficiency in AM: “High speed is a very ambiguous term. For us, it means producing mass-customized products in large volumes, bridging the gap between prototyping and production.”

To achieve this, the center has developed its technologies, including multi-nozzle systems for material extrusion and large-scale photopolymerization printers. The center focuses on every aspect of these machines, from the initial design to the final build, ensuring they meet the specific demands of their research and applications. However, for commercialization, they collaborate with industry partners to refine and market these technologies. For example, their 32-inch and 50-inch LCD-based 3D printers can handle high-speed, large-batch production.

“Our 32-inch printer can produce 69 insoles of varying sizes in one go,” Jeng noted. “This capability not only reduces production time but also demonstrates the potential for scalable, high-speed manufacturing and is a significant achievement in AM—especially for a high-speed printer.”

Many traditional 3D printers work sequentially or in small batches due to limitations like build volume and speed. By comparison, this printer’s ability to handle such a large batch points to its advanced build volume, layout efficiency, and speed. This makes it especially useful for applications like helping many patients or meeting large clinic orders while staying ahead of specialized insole printers that often focus on smaller, precision-driven batches, explains Chen.

The center’s research focuses on Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) principles, which improve how additive processes are optimized, enabling faster production and smarter designs. By integrating concepts from injection molding and lattice design, the team hopes to overcome traditional bottlenecks in AM.

Chen explains, “We combine injection molding concepts with 3D printing to create hybrid systems. This allows us to achieve the speed of injection molding while leveraging the flexibility of 3D printing. Their nested lattice structures, inspired by atomic arrangements, are another example. These designs optimize mechanical properties, offering lightweight yet robust solutions.”

The center’s work extends to healthcare, where it collaborates with medical professionals to develop personalized solutions. A standout project involves 3D printing lightweight infant helmets designed to correct cranial deformities. Its research also includes scoliosis braces, custom prosthetics, and surgical guides for correcting bone deformities in animals.

For many of these projects, the center collaborates with industries and academic institutions globally. For example, the center collaborated with T3D, a spin-off of the Taiwan High-Speed 3D Printing Research Center, to develop a mobile-phone-powered 3D printer. This printer uses light from a smartphone to cure resin, making it highly accessible and portable. While the center focused on research and innovation, T3D handled the commercialization and technology transfer aspects.

Jeng explains that these partnerships ensure that all the research done at NTUST’s 3D printing center reaches industries and consumers alike.

Aside from 3D printing with polymers, the center is exploring metal AM. They lead the Metal Additive Manufacturing Consortium in Taiwan, a collaborative initiative that brings together several leading universities, including National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and National Taiwan University (NTU). The consortium helps drive innovation in metal AM technologies and promote the technology globally, promoting interdisciplinary research and enhancing Taiwan’s presence in the global AM landscape.

The center plays a pivotal role by developing advanced metal AM techniques, such as refining powder-bed fusion processes and exploring applications in aerospace and biomedical fields. Through the consortium, they organize workshops to train students and professionals, host conferences to demonstrate research, and conduct exhibitions to engage with the industry. This collaborative effort also aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that research findings translate into practical, market-ready solutions.

Another area of innovation is biocompatible ceramics for dental applications. “The center’s research focuses on creating zirconia and aluminum nitride formulations with precise mechanical properties. We aim to develop ceramics that meet the stringent requirements of the dental industry,” Jeng noted. “These materials are already being tested in partnership with other institutions.”

Looking ahead, Professor Jeng predicts that high-speed 3D printing will play a key role in reshaping manufacturing: “The next five years will focus on speed and reliability. The goal is to compete with traditional methods like injection molding. By integrating 3D printing with established manufacturing techniques, the center lays the groundwork for a future where additive manufacturing is not just an alternative but a preferred solution.”

While Taiwan is globally renowned for its semiconductor industry, the center’s work points to the country’s growing presence in the 3D printing landscape. According to Jeng, AM in Taiwan benefits from the same strengths that drive its semiconductor success, including cost-effective manufacturing, advanced engineering expertise, and robust support systems. By leveraging these advantages, he says Taiwan is steadily carving out a role as an innovator in the global 3D printing industry, with the center leading the charge.

The researchers suggest that the Taiwan High-Speed 3D Printing Research Center is setting new benchmarks in 3D printing. As Jeng concludes: “The faster we can make products, the more energy and time we save. And that’s not just good for manufacturers—it’s good for everyone. We are proving that high-speed 3D printing is more than a concept; it’s a catalyst for change.”

All images courtesy of the High-Speed 3D Printing Research Center at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.