New technology allows printing liquid-filled objects

Most 3D printed objects are either hollow or filled with the same substance from which the base is made. To create objects with liquid, additional manipulations had to be performed after production. A breakthrough in this direction was made by German researchers, who created a technology for printing objects filled with liquid in one step.

The new technique was developed by a team from the German Martin Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg. As it turned out, to achieve the result, you just need to use an additional head in the printer: during printing, one creates objects by extrusion of successive layers of molten polymer, and the other applies tiny drops of liquid.

Inside a 3D printed object (right) is a lattice structure (left) filled with liquid

Liquid-filled capsules made of biodegradable polymer were printed to demonstrate how the new technology works. According to the researchers, the technique can be used to produce drugs that slowly release active substances in the body. In the second example, a glowing liquid was integrated into the resin part. If an object is damaged, fluid will leak out, allowing you to see the exact location of the crack. This could come in handy in the production of cars and airplanes, the researchers said, as it will be possible to see the places that are subject to the greatest stress. The technology can also be used to create self-healing materials.

“The future belongs to more sophisticated methods that combine multiple production steps. This is why we were looking for a way to integrate fluids directly into the material during printing, ”the scientists say.