Onstage at TED2015, Joseph DeSimone, CEO of Carbon3D and professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, explains that what we think of as 3D printing is actually just 2D printing over and over, a process that is far from being efficient in any of its practical applications. Inspired by the movie Terminator 2, Carbon3D's Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP) suggests a breakthrough that would make 3D printing 25 to 100 times faster.
The new technology harnesses light and oxygen to grow parts continuously at a rapid pace. This technology promises the removal of mechanical flaws in 3D printed parts resulting from current 3D printing processes. The technology hopes to transform digital manufacturing by connecting the digital thread from design to prototyping to manufacturing, which breaks down in traditional manufacturing processes.
DeSimone envisions the technology playing a role in automotive, aerospace and even medicinal manufacturing, from creating personalized stents manufactured in real time in emergency situations to digital dentistry.
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