DISH 3D Printing Achieves Millimeter-Scale Objects in 0.6 Seconds

A team of Chinese scientists has unveiled its DISH 3D printing process, reportedly achieving complex millimeter-scale objects in just 0.6 seconds while maintaining high resolution. In other words, no more trade-off between speed and precision. While it is still early days, the initial results are promising, and the method could have major implications for fields such as biomedicine and microtechnology.

The team, based at Tsinghua University’s Imaging and Intelligent Technology Laboratory, relied on computational optics to develop the process. Specifically, they manipulated high-dimensional holographic light fields to generate 3D structures.

Example of 3D-printed parts

The result? The scientists were able to produce objects with feature sizes as small as 12 micrometers in just 0.6 seconds. The volumetric printing rate could reach 333 cubic millimeters per second. According to Wu Jiamin, associate professor and member of the research team, this would represent the fastest 3D printing speed ever recorded.