New system is the first to create strong, solid glass structures from computerized designs.
Source: Printing transparent glass in 3-D | MIT News
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Researchers at MIT have developed a method to create 3-D printed objects with transparent glass. The MIT system is believed to be the first time scientists have adapted the 3-D printing technology for transparent glass. Plastics, metals and a variety of synthetic materials have typically been the only materials that could be used. The major hurdle has been achieving the high temperatures necessary to melt glass without damaging the 3-D printer itself or interfering with the already formed portion of the printed product. The MIT system is designed to print glass objects that are both strong and fully transparent to light. Like other 3-D printers on the market, the device can print designs created in a computer-assisted design (CAD) program, producing a finished product with little human intervention.
