From nano to mega, our culture tends to like extremes when it comes to the latest and greatest in consumerism. And with 3D printing, we’ve hit the technological extreme just with the basic idea of what it can do. From advancements in medicine to construction in developing countries, we can build microscopic 3D printed vehicles to carry antibiotics inside your body—and we can build comprehensive 3D printed homes and entire communities. We can make intricate 3D printed pieces for jewelry and design; we can make enormous 3D printed abstract sculptures for art installations.
3mm 3D printed figure skater
As the masters of microfabrication in 3D printing, Nanoscribe endeavors to offer both extreme quality coupled with delicate size, using their 3mm tall figure skater as the perfect example of what their equipment can produce. Highlighting the high resolution they can achieve through 3D printing and microfabrication, one just wants to reach out and hold the tiny 3D printed figurine, printed directly on a glass crystal.
With a mission to ‘bridge the gap between 3D laser lithography and 3D printing,’ Nanoscribe is definitely working in a specialized market, as manufacturers of the award-winning Photonic Professional GT 3D printer which offers two modes for microprinting and maskless lithography—one for ultra-precise work, and another for high speed. While the delicate figure skater is a great example of what their equipment and software can produce, Nanoscribe’s hardware and software, along with polymer printing material components, are meant for serious applications in science and research where 3D printed models are desired in fields like:
- Optics
- Medicine
- Fluidics
- Mechanics
Nanoscribe 3D printing microfabrication workflow center
“The set supplements our Photonic Professional GT 3D printer with high precision optics and the newly developed photoresist IP-S that has been optimized for it. This permits fast, ultra-precise exposure of the liquid printing material combined with maximum mechanical strength, accuracy and surface smoothness on all kinds of substrates. These properties are reflected in the brilliance of the filigree figure skater on the crystal,” CEO Martin Hermatschweiler pointed out.
Stacking innovation upon innovation, Nanoscribe’s technology allows 3D printing of microfabrication that simply was not available previously. Based in Germany, Nanoscribe has been working on their high resolution solutions for over a decade, specializing in engineering and material development in two-photon polymerization. Because one application of photosensitive material is enough, this 3D printing microfabrication process is completely unique and makes 3D printing with the Photonic Professional GT printer ‘effortlessly possible’ in regards to layer distances and details.
Had you previously considered the complexities involved with 3D printing and microfabrication? Have you 3D printed any models on a tiny scale? Share with us in the Micro-Level 3D Printing forum over at 3DPB.com.
