Disney Patents Rapid 3D Printing

Disney Research wants to accelerate 3D printing technology, and has filed a patent for a new technology that uses high-intensity light to harden photo-sensitive resin in one process. The device would print in “a nearly instantaneous manner.”

The “3D Printing by Volumetric Addition Through Selective Curing of a Fluid Matrix” would use light beams pointed at the center of the object to harden the resin. This would create an entire model at once, instead of drawing and hardening the object layer by layer.

According to the patent application, the system would use a combination of blue, violet, and ultraviolet light, along with resins that cure at invisible wavelengths and that are not affected by ambient light.

This could potentially cut the time it takes to create a resin object by a significant amount. According to the patent: “In several test operations, a 3D printer using photo-curing liquids has been proven effective in generating 3D objects in several minutes or less rather than several hours.”

Disney Research has been active in the 3D print space for several years. Last year, the company announced AutoConnect, a software that allows users to connect any two objects by printing a custom-designed “connector.” They also teamed with Carnegie Mellon to create a process that uses yarn and felt to create soft objects.

Disney has also filed patents for a layered fabric 3D printer, and another to limit unauthorized copying of its merchandise using 3D printers that could authenticate the print file.

No word yet on whether they’ve also patented the near instantaneous draining of your bank account that occurs after a trip to Disney World …

Source: Computerworld