Smartphone-Based 3D Printer Uses LCD Light To Cure Resin

Many of the 3D printers out on the market today need light to help the resin used for printing objects to cure. A group of researchers in Taiwan have created a smartphone-based 3D printer that some think has the chance of revolutionizing the 3D printing market.

The smartphone-based 3D printer is reportedly far along in the development process and was built with students from the lab of Professor Jeng Ywam-Jeng, a professor of mechanical engineering at Taiwan Tech. The printer is called the Taiwan Tech phone printer and it is able to use the light from the screen of any smartphone or tablet to cure resin layer by layer.

The printer places a vat of a special resin on top of a smartphone or similar device. The light then cures the resin on a metal print bed that is held above the vat. As the layers cure, the z-axis platform raises up until the full print is complete.

The team of researchers also create the special resin that can be hardened by visible light rather than needing UV or laser to cure. The printer doesn't need to be enclosed in a dark box and in tests the team has been able to achieve layer thickness of about 100 microns.

SOURCE: 3D Printing Industry