Anti-Gravity MX3C-Metal 3D Printer Prints in Mid-Air

Feb-21-14 The ‘anti-gravity’ MX3C-Metal 3D printer from the Joris Laarman Lab is able to print lines of metal in mid-air, enabling it to create complex metal shapes with irregular surfaces.

Developed by the same company that gave us the outer space-friendly MATAERIAL, the MX3C-Metal can print lines of copper, stainless steel, aluminum or bronze. Described as a combination of a 3D printer and a welding machine, the printer extrudes the molten metal through a robotic arm, which can form the metal lines in mid-air without the need for extra support structures.

An interface is planned that will allow the user to print directly from CAD, and the team is also working on printing strategies that will create different types of lines, such as vertical, horizontal or spirals. This style of 3D printing—without layers—enables the user to print lines that create their own self-supporting structure, regardless of the inclination or texture of the working surface.

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[JORIS LAARMAN]

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