Molten Glass 3D Printer Produces Optically Transparent Glass

A new additive manufacturing technique uses an innovative process for printing molten glass at sufficiently high temperatures, layering it to produce strong 3D-printed glass objects able to transmit light. The modular, scalable printer, combined with a Computer-Assisted Design (CAD) printing process, makes it possible to tailor the size, shape, and properties of the printed glass parts, as described in an article in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing website until September 25, 2015.

In “Additive Manufacturing of Optically Transparent Glass,” Neri Oxman, John Klein (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, and coauthors from MIT, University of Padova, Italy, and Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), and The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, provide a detailed description of the material extrusion printer and how they can modify process parameters such as temperature, layer height, and feed rate to customize characteristics of the 3D-printed glass. The authors also explored and defined methods, geometric constraints, and the introduction of various colors into the current process. High-performing 3D-printed glass could have high-value applications in various industries, such as the aerospace sector.

“3D-printed glass is a beautifully elegant achievement and a significant technological advance for the field,” says Editor-in-Chief Skylar Tibbits, Director, Self-Assembly Lab, MIT and Founder & Principal, SJET LLC.

About the Journal
3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing is the only peer-reviewed journal focused on the rapidly moving field of 3D printing and related technologies. Led by Editor-in-Chief Skylar Tibbits Director, Self-Assembly Lab, MIT and Founder & Principal, SJET LLC., the Journal explores emerging challenges and opportunities ranging from new developments of processes and materials, to new simulation and design tools, and informative applications and case studies. Published quarterly online with open access options and in print, the Journal spans a broad array of disciplines to address the challenges and discover new breakthroughs and trends within this groundbreaking technology. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing website.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative medical and biomedical peer-reviewed journals, including Big Data, Soft Robotics, New Space, and Tissue Engineering. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s more than 80 journals, newsmagazines, and books is available on the  Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.