Advanced 3D Printing Technology Localized
EghtesadOnline: Iranian researchers at Sharif University of Technology have successfully developed a 3D printer that can print items in micro and nano scales.
Mohammad Reza Movahhedi, the head of the research team, says the device is an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) 3D printer, a cutting-edge technology in the field, which can print items with microscale resolution and accuracy, Mehr News Agency reported.
The EHD printing process is capable of producing high aspect-of-ratio 3D structures with sub-10 micrometer feature resolution.
"The sensitivity and accuracy of the EHD 3D printer make it a super-efficient tool for the production of items in the medical field such as nano-medicine or flexible micro-sensors that are usually planted in the human body for medical purposes," Financial Tribune quoted Movahhedi as saying.
According to the top researcher, the technology is also applicable in the production of parts and equipment in medical, space and automotive industries.
Movahhedi noted that the technology of EHD printing has been already achieved in developed countries like the US, the UK, Switzerland and Japan.
"Now we are proud to announce that the state-of-the-art technology has been localized," he said.
The 3D printing process builds a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design model, usually by successively adding material layer by layer, which is why it is also called additive manufacturing. It is unlike conventional machining, casting and forging processes, where material is removed from a stock item or poured into a mold and shaped by means of dies, presses and hammers.
3D printing has been used in manufacturing, medical, industrial, clothing, humanitarian and development sectors to produce a range of medical items, prosthetics, spare parts and repairs.