Researchers fromConcordia Universityhave developed a novel direct sound printing (DSP) technique that leverages ultrasound waves to fabricate complex and precise objects.
The team has published a paper describing the technology, which works by using sound waves to create sonochemical reactions in minuscule cavities to produce pre-designed complex geometries that cannot be achieved with existing techniques.
康科迪亚机械，工业和航空工程系的教授Muthukumaran Packirisamy说：“超声波频率已经被用于破坏性程序等破坏性程序。”“我们想用它们来创造一些东西。”
Ultrasonic 3D printing
The use of ultrasound in microparticle manipulation is not a new concept, with ultrasonic waves having proven to be a useful tool across multiple areas of 3D printing in the past.
最近几年看到了来自巴斯大学和University of Bristoldevelop theirSonolustrogybioprinting technique使用超声波将颗粒精确地沉积到预定的模式中，生物技术公司Mimix Biothapeutics启动自己的cymatix声学生物生产者这利用超声波通过共振来进行模式和凝结活细胞。
Ultrasound is also used for post-processing applications by the likes of post-printing system manufacturer后进程技术, which launched itsVariable Acoustic Displacement（VAD）2020年的技术。VAD使用声能从3D印刷聚合物零件中无损地去除散粉。
DSP 3D打印
The Concordia team’s DSP technology relies on chemical reactions caused by fluctuating pressure inside tiny bubbles suspended in a liquid polymer solution. To create these reactions, the researchers leveraged oscillating focused ultrasound waves to transform polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) liquid resin into solid or semi-solid forms.
该团队使用生成一个相应的传感器rasonic field that passes through the material’s shell and solidifies the targeted liquid resin before depositing it onto a platform or other previously solidified object.
超声波在液体中的微型气泡内引起极度强烈和短反应，导致腔内的温度射出至约15,000 kelvin，压力超过1,000 bar。考虑到地球在海平面的地面压力在一个条附近，可以指示气泡内的极端压力。结果，反应时间是如此的简短，以至于仅持续一秒钟的问题，其中一个仅占一秒钟的一秒钟，并且不会影响周围的材料。
To create a desired shape, the transducer moves along a predetermined path solidifying the liquid pixel by pixel. The object’s microstructure can be controlled by adjusting the duration of the ultrasound wave’s frequency and the viscosity of the material being used.
Describing their method as a “game-changer” for the 3D printing industry, the team was able to generate objects with pre-designed complex geometries impossible to achieve with existing techniques.
Concordia Optical-Bio Microsystems Lab的研究助理Mohsen Habibi说：“我们发现，如果我们使用具有一定频率和功率的某种类型的超声波，我们可以创建非常局部，非常专注的化学反应性区域。”“基本上，气泡可以用作反应器，以驱动化学反应以将液体树脂转化为固体或半固体。”
Versatile and specific applications
According to the Concordia team, the versatility of their DSP technology will be of benefit to industries that rely on highly specific and delicate equipment. For instance, PDMS is already widely used within the microfluidics sector where manufacturers require controlled environments and sophisticated techniques to fabricate medical devices and biosensors.
Within the wider medical sector, the technology could potentially hold medical applications regarding remote in-body 3D printing within humans and animals, the team suggested.
DSP is also suited to engineering and repair applications within the aerospace sector, as the ultrasound waves the technology relies on are able to penetrate opaque surfaces like metallic shells. As such, the technology could enable maintenance crews to service parts located deep within an aircraft’s fuselage that would otherwise be inaccessible to other 3D printing techniques reliant on photoactivated reactions.
Packirisamy补充说：“我们证明我们可以打印多种材料，包括聚合物和陶瓷。”“接下来，我们将尝试使用聚合物 - 金属复合材料，最终我们希望使用这种方法来打印金属。”
Further information on the study can be found in the paper titled:“直接的声音打印”，发表在《自然传播杂志》上。该研究由M. Habibi，S。Foroughi，V。Karamzadeh和M. Packirisamy共同撰写。
Subscribe to the3D打印行业通讯for the latest news in additive manufacturing. You can also stay connected by following us on推特并喜欢我们Facebook。
Looking for a career in additive manufacturing? Visit3D打印作业在行业中选择一系列角色。
订阅我们YouTube channel有关最新的3D打印视频短裤，评论和网络研讨会重播。雷竞技在线登录
Featured image showsConcordia大学DSP技术的概念。通过自然通信图像。
