MIT has developed a new printer that can print 10 materials at a time.

One of the problems of modern 3D printers is that they can only print with one material while creating a certain object. This material can be plastic, metal or glass, some devices also use wood fibers, fabrics, and food products. Anyway, such printers can print with one thing at a time. Some systems that can use 3 types of substances at a time, but such extruders cost about 250 thousand US dollars.

MIT has developed a printer that can change the future of 3D printing. So, this system is capable of printing 10 materials at a time. As a result, we get the opportunity to create objects that are extremely complex in structure and composition.

The new system is called MultiFab. But, unlike all other types of 3D printers, this machine does not squeeze material from the nozzle. Instead, the system mixes microscopic drops of photopolymers and then throws them out according to the principle of inkjet printers. The system is really very complex, despite the fact that it is created from ordinary components.
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The central computer controls the entire system, receiving a steady stream of data from the 3D scanner (resolution 40 microns) and several cameras, monitoring the process of creating the object. The data flow is large enough - it is many tens of gigabytes. However, the central computer analyzes all incoming data, and changes the “printing” process if something goes wrong. Interestingly, MultiFab not only creates objects from scratch, but can also print on the surface of other objects. For example, the system can create a lens, or a phone case right on the phone.

This platform opens up new opportunities for production, giving researchers and fans to do something with their own hands the opportunity to design and create much more complex things than is possible with a standard 3D printer. According to the developers, the system can be scaled, optimized for any operating conditions.