Craft Lab Installs New Ultra-High-Definition 3D Printer

The Craft Lab has a new industrial 3D printer, a 3D Systems Projet 2500 Plus. This machine, purchased in collaboration with College of Computing through tech fees, is the first of its kind on campus, replacing an older Projet previously run in the Institute for People and Technology (IPaT)/GVU labs.

This new printer is capable of rapid production of high-quality plastic parts with a suite of materials ranging from high-performance engineering materials, USP-VI (bio-compatible) certified materials, and flexible elastomers. Additionally, it allows for rapid fabrication of watertight, high-resolution parts (up to 1600 x 900 DPI with 32 micron layers) while yielding fully cured parts direct from the machine.

“I think it's a really exciting addition to the suite of additive manufacturing capabilities on campus,” said Tim Trent, manager of the Craft Lab and faculty member of IPaT. “These are industry-standard machines that provide us the opportunity to experiment with some different capabilities that complement the capabilities of other equipment on campus. In particular, the bio-compatible materials is a super exciting feature as it means we can do proof-of-concept prototypes in materials that would be acceptable for medical devices.”

Previous projects leveraging the technology of Craft Lab 3D printers include:

* The Wild Dolphin Project from the Contextual Computing Group. Compared to traditional fused deposition modeling machines, the resin-based multi-jet process allowed the team to fabricate fully waterproof cases to house their custom electronics for deployment in the Atlantic Ocean.

* A. Fatih Sarioglu's work in cancer research building 3D-printed traps lined with antigens to capture the white blood cells in a sample. The fine resolution needed for the microfluidics work combined with the need for a bio-compatible material made the previous generation Projet an ideal choice. Sarioglu is an assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The Craft Lab’s newest ultra-high-definition 3D printer will continue to support work like the projects mentioned above while advancing material options, reducing manufacturing time, and providing support for new features previously unavailable in the older model.

About the Craft Lab:
​​​​​​​The Craft Lab is a unique makerspace sponsored by the Institute for People and Technology which is designed to promote craft and algorithmic making. The equipment in the lab is particularly well-suited for wearable/flexible electronic systems and is available to anyone interested in making soft objects. The lab includes equipment like sewing machines, CNC knitting and embroidery machines, soldering irons, and 3D printers. Lab users must complete a lab training session before being allowed to access the lab. It is located in the Technology Square Research Building (TSRB), Room 225B. Questions about the lab should be directed to Tim Trent, lab manager, at tim.trent@gatech.edu.