We’ve seen a few 3D printed objects before at gadgetvenue and have been impressed with the progress made in terms of companies being able to print in more than 1 material at a time.
The next material to be added to the list is glass which joins stainless steel, ABS, acrylic, sandstone and other various plastics.
Shapeways are a company who are now offering clients the ability to print 3D objects in glass although it’s not as straight forwards as throwing them a model and them whipping it through a printer for an hour or so. In terms of glass the process is a little longer that uses recycled glass powder that is placed on a mat a layer at a time. This is then mixed with a binder and then baked to harden it up a little. The remaining white power is moved at which point the object is heated up to 750 degrees C in a kiln to make it in to solid glass.
Although the results seen are not the glass that you normally see in the home, or in a car windshield for example (as they are a little brittle and not transparent), they can make some very nice sculptures for the living room that are completely unique as you can design them your self.
The video below shows the process in action and how the 3D glass printing comes together. If you want to order you can visit their site and upload a 3D model. Just make sure you read the rules page first as they are unable to print glass where the walls of the object are less than 3mm thick due to easy breakages etc…
Via: Wired
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