New frontiers in volumetric 3D printing

Volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM) is rapidly changing the 3D printing landscape due to its ability to rapidly fabricate complex parts without the need for support materials. The printing process that gives VAM these attractive properties also presents unique challenges, such as layer-like artifacts that prohibit the production of smooth surfaces, as well as the requirement of using highly-viscous photoresins. In this talk, two methods are introduced that overcome these challenges. First, we discuss recent progress using VAM to fabricate micro-optical components in a method we call blurred tomography, and demonstrate imaging performance that is comparable to off-the-shelf commercial lenses. Next, we introduce a new VAM approach that enables high-fidelity printing of low-viscosity photoresins, with viscosities as low as 12 cP or 100X less viscous than previous reports.