UpNano develops high-resolution desktop 3D printing for micro parts

UpNano is a young company based in Vienna that has recently developed a high-resolution microscale 3D printing technology. Based on the 2-photon polymerization process (2PP), the new technique is capable of producing plastic parts with a volume ranging from 100 to 1012 cubic micrometers in just a few minutes, showcasing nanoscale resolution. The company is a spin-off of TU Wien, and is putting its technology at the service of R&D and applications in several sectors. We met with Denisa Mandt to learn more about the capabilities of their technology and plans for the future!

3DN: Can you present yourself and your relationship with 3D printing?

My name is Denise Mandt, I am co-founder of UpNano and responsible for marketing and sales. With a background in materials technology and biology, my first experiences with 3D printing were very early on. In my master thesis I worked with high-resolution 3D printing for the production of customized microfluidic chips. Today, together with Peter Gruber and Bernhard Küenburg, we are the founders of a young high-tech company, UpNano.

The UpNano team

3DN: Why is nano/micro-scale 3D printing a disruptive technology? What are the main benefits?

High-resolution 3D printing enables the production of parts that previously seemed impossible. The process is based on the principle of two-photon polymerization and, unlike classic SLA processes, is independent of the layer thickness. Once and for all, we put an end to the prejudice that “2PP printing is meant to be slow”. The trend of miniaturization has accompanied us for years, across all industries! The technology is on the pulse of time and meets the requirements of ever smaller and more precise components. With our process, we offer customers unmatched speed, the ability to produce to centimeter scale and biological applications. And all this in a compact desktop system.