What if 3D printing was 100x faster? | Joseph DeSimone

翻译人员: 杏儀 歐陽 校对人员: Ning Du

I'm thrilled to be here tonight

我今天非常荣幸在此

to share with you something we've been working on

与大家分享我们最近两年

for over two years,

所致力研究的成果，

and it's in the area of additive manufacturing,

这些成果是在积层制造领域取得的，

also known as 3D printing.

也就是所谓的3D打印。

You see this object here.

大家可以看下我手里这个东西。

It looks fairly simple, but it's quite complex at the same time.

看似简单，但又相当复杂。

It's a set of concentric geodesic structures

这是一个同心和密网格结构的组合，

with linkages between each one.

每个部分都彼此相连。

In its context, it is not manufacturable by traditional manufacturing techniques.

它并非传统制造技术所能完成。

It has a symmetry such that you can't injection mold it.

结构具有对称性，因此不能注塑模具。

You can't even manufacture it through milling.

甚至不能通过铣削制造。

This is a job for a 3D printer,

这需要3D打印技术来实现，

but most 3D printers would take between three and 10 hours to fabricate it,

但大多数3D打印机需要 3-10小时来完成整个制造过程，

and we're going to take the risk tonight to try to fabricate it onstage

今晚我们会尝试用 我上台演讲的10分钟时间

during this 10-minute talk.

来完成这个制造过程。

Wish us luck.

祝我们好运吧！

“3D打印”的叫法其实并不恰当。

Now, 3D printing is actually a misnomer.

It's actually 2D printing over and over again,

技术的本质是反复进行二维印刷，

and it in fact uses the technologies associated with 2D printing.

采用的是二维印刷的相关技术。

Think about inkjet printing where you lay down ink on a page to make letters,

试想你正在使用喷墨打印机 在纸上打印文字，

and then do that over and over again to build up a three-dimensional object.

反复进行这一过程 就可以构建一个三维物体。

In microelectronics, they use something

在微电子学中，

called lithography to do the same sort of thing,

人们使用相同原理的光刻技术，

to make the transistors and integrated circuits

来制造晶体管和集成电路，

and build up a structure several times.

反复构建一个结构。

These are all 2D printing technologies.

这些都是二维印刷技术。

Now, I'm a chemist, a material scientist too,

我是个化学家，也是材料学家，

and my co-inventors are also material scientists,

我的发明伙伴也都是材料学家，

one a chemist, one a physicist,

一个是化学家，一个物理学家，

and we began to be interested in 3D printing.

我们开始对3D打印产生了浓厚的兴趣。

And very often, as you know, new ideas are often simple connections

大家知道，新颖的想法往往只是一些

不同机构里跨领域跨背景的人 相互沟通后的产物，

between people with different experiences in different communities,

and that's our story.

而这就是我们的故事。

Now, we were inspired

我们的灵感来源于

by the "Terminator 2" scene for T-1000,

《终结者2》的机器人T-1000 出现的一个场景，

and we thought, why couldn't a 3D printer operate in this fashion,

而后我们就产生了这样的疑问：为何3D打印机 不能通过这样的方式来运行？

where you have an object arise out of a puddle

让一个物体从液体中成形，

达到实时完成并

in essentially real time

with essentially no waste

避免造成浪费的目的，

to make a great object?

又能制造出很棒的物体。

就像电影中那样。

Okay, just like the movies.

And could we be inspired by Hollywood

我们可否取材好莱坞，

and come up with ways to actually try to get this to work?

找出办法真正尝试实现这一效果？

And that was our challenge.

这就是我们面临的挑战。

And our approach would be, if we could do this,

而我们的思路是， 如果我们能做到，

then we could fundamentally address the three issues holding back 3D printing

那我们就可以从根本上解决

from being a manufacturing process.

阻碍3D打印进入制造工程的三个难题。

One, 3D printing takes forever.

首先，3D打印耗时太长。

There are mushrooms that grow faster than 3D printed parts. (Laughter)

甚至某些蘑菇生长速度 都比3D打印制造还快。（笑声）

The layer by layer process

积层叠加的制造工艺

leads to defects in mechanical properties,

使得机械性能存在缺陷，

and if we could grow continuously, we could eliminate those defects.

如果能实现无间断制造， 就可以消除这些缺陷。

And in fact, if we could grow really fast, we could also start using materials

事实上，如果生产速度够快， 也可以开始使用

自凝材料，取得材料特性上的突破。

that are self-curing, and we could have amazing properties.

如果我们能成功模仿好莱坞，

So if we could pull this off, imitate Hollywood,

我们就可以真正解决3D制造问题。

we could in fact address 3D manufacturing.

Our approach is to use some standard knowledge

我们的方法是使用高分子化学领域中的

in polymer chemistry

常识性知识，

to harness light and oxygen to grow parts continuously.

通过控制光和氧气来进行无间断制造。

Light and oxygen work in different ways.

光和氧气的作用不同。

Light can take a resin and convert it to a solid,

光可以将液态树脂转换成固体，

can convert a liquid to a solid.

即把液体转换为固体。

Oxygen inhibits that process.

氧气则可抑制这一过程。

So light and oxygen are polar opposites from one another

所以从化学角度看，

光和氧气的作用彼此对立，

from a chemical point of view,

and if we can control spatially the light and oxygen,

我们要是能立体地控制光和氧气，

we could control this process.

我们就可以控制制作过程。

And we refer to this as CLIP. [Continuous Liquid Interface Production.]

我们将这个过程称为 CLIP（无间断液态界面印制法）。

It has three functional components.

CLIP有三个功能组件。

One, it has a reservoir that holds the puddle,

第一个是用于存放液体的容器，

just like the T-1000.

就像液态金属机器人T-1000。

At the bottom of the reservoir is a special window.

容器的底部有一个特殊窗口。

I'll come back to that.

我等下会谈到。

In addition, it has a stage that will lower into the puddle

组件二是一个平台，可下降至容器，

and pull the object out of the liquid.

把物体从溶液中径直拉出。

The third component is a digital light projection system

第三部分是数字光投影系统，

underneath the reservoir,

位于容器的下方，

illuminating with light in the ultraviolet region.

可提供紫外光区域的照明。

Now, the key is that this window in the bottom of this reservoir,

关键就在于容器底部的窗口，

it's a composite, it's a very special window.

这是一个复合体， 一个非常特殊的窗口

It's not only transparent to light but it's permeable to oxygen.

不仅透光，而且透氧。

It's got characteristics like a contact lens.

性质与隐形眼镜相似。

So we can see how the process works.

这里可以看到这个过程是如何进行的。

You can start to see that as you lower a stage in there,

大家可以看到， 当架台降低到那里，

in a traditional process, with an oxygen-impermeable window,

传统制造使用不透氧窗，

you make a two-dimensional pattern

可以制造出二维图案，

and you end up gluing that onto the window with a traditional window,

并最终用传统的不透气窗口 将图案粘合到窗口上，

and so in order to introduce the next layer, you have to separate it,

因此，要形成下一层， 你必须将其分开，

introduce new resin, reposition it,

重新添加树脂、重新定位，

and do this process over and over again.

并重复完成这个过程。

But with our very special window,

但用我们的特殊窗口，

what we're able to do is, with oxygen coming through the bottom

我们可以让氧气从底部进入，

as light hits it,

当光线击中氧气，

that oxygen inhibits the reaction,

氧气就会抑制反应，

and we form a dead zone.

形成一个无感区。

This dead zone is on the order of tens of microns thick,

无感区大约有几十微米厚，

so that's two or three diameters of a red blood cell,

大约是红细胞直径的两三倍，

right at the window interface that remains a liquid,

位于窗口接口处依然可以保持液体状，

and we pull this object up,

然后我们把这物体拉出，

and as we talked about in a Science paper,

正如我们在《科学》杂志中介绍的，

as we change the oxygen content, we can change the dead zone thickness.

我们只要改变氧含量， 就可以改变无感区的厚度。

And so we have a number of key variables that we control: oxygen content,

因此我们控制了一些关键变量： 氧含量、

the light, the light intensity, the dose to cure,

光、光的强度、凝剂剂量、

the viscosity, the geometry,

粘度、形状结构。

and we use very sophisticated software to control this process.

我们用非常精密的软件 来控制这个过程。

The result is pretty staggering.

得出的成果是相当惊人的。

It's 25 to 100 times faster than traditional 3D printers,

与传统的3D打印机相比， 这要快25到100倍，

which is game-changing.

这是划时代的变革。

In addition, as our ability to deliver liquid to that interface,

另外，随着控制接口 液体调节的能力提升，

we can go 1,000 times faster I believe,

我相信打印速度可以再快1000倍，

and that in fact opens up the opportunity for generating a lot of heat,

而这同时开启获得大量热量的机会，

and as a chemical engineer, I get very excited at heat transfer

而作为一名化学工程师， 我热衷于热量的转化，

and the idea that we might one day have water-cooled 3D printers,

未来也许会出现水冷式3D打印机，

because they're going so fast.

因为打印的速度太快了。

In addition, because we're growing things, we eliminate the layers,

另外，因为我们生长式的制造方式， 摒弃了传统的积层制造，

and the parts are monolithic.

部件的整体性得到提升，

You don't see the surface structure.

你看不到表层到结构。

You have molecularly smooth surfaces.

可以得到分子级的平滑表面。

And the mechanical properties of most parts made in a 3D printer

3D打印的大部分部件

并不受欢迎， 这是因为层式结构导致其机械特性

are notorious for having properties that depend on the orientation

with which how you printed it, because of the layer-like structure.

取决于你打印时的方向和定位。

But when you grow objects like this,

但当你通过生长式的方式打印，

the properties are invariant with the print direction.

物体的特性不会因打印方向而变。

These look like injection-molded parts,

这些看起来更像浇筑零件，

which is very different than traditional 3D manufacturing.

与传统的3D制造大不一样。

In addition, we're able to throw

此外，我们能够利用

the entire polymer chemistry textbook at this,

整本高分子化学课本的知识，

and we're able to design chemistries that can give rise to the properties

设计出合适的化学材料， 来制造你真正在一个3D打印零件中

you really want in a 3D-printed object.

所期待的特性。

(Applause)

（掌声）

There it is. That's great.

做好了，非常棒！

You always take the risk that something like this won't work onstage, right?

在台上做这样的事总会担心它不成功， 对吧？

But we can have materials with great mechanical properties.

但是我们的材料有强大的机械特性。

For the first time, we can have elastomers

这是第一次，我们可以制作高弹性

that are high elasticity or high dampening.

或高阻尼系数的弹性体。

Think about vibration control or great sneakers, for example.

试想用它们进行振动控制 或者制作优质运动鞋。

We can make materials that have incredible strength,

我们可以制造出超高强度材料，

high strength-to-weight ratio, really strong materials,

具有高强度重量比， 真正的超高强度材料，

really great elastomers,

真正超弹力材料，

so throw that in the audience there.

那么我抛给在场的观众感受一下。

So great material properties.

这些都是伟大的材料特性。

And so the opportunity now, if you actually make a part

眼前的机遇就是：如果制造出的成果

that has the properties to be a final part,

可以成为最终成品，

and you do it in game-changing speeds,

又能以行业变革的速度进行，

you can actually transform manufacturing.

那就可以真正改变制造业的面貌。

Right now, in manufacturing, what happens is,

目前在制造业中，数字化制造领域

the so-called digital thread in digital manufacturing.

正在应用的就是所谓的“数字线”。

We go from a CAD drawing, a design, to a prototype to manufacturing.

我们从CAD绘图、设计，到原型，再到制造。

Often, the digital thread is broken right at prototype,

经常会发生数字线生产在 原型制造这一环节卡壳，

because you can't go all the way to manufacturing

因为无法直接生产制造，

because most parts don't have the properties to be a final part.

因为大部分部件不具备 成为最终产品的特性。

We now can connect the digital thread

现在我们可以把数字化线的 每个环节串联起来

all the way from design to prototyping to manufacturing,

从设计、原型设计一直到制造，

and that opportunity really opens up all sorts of things,

这一机遇真正打开了 制造各样物品的可能性，

from better fuel-efficient cars dealing with great lattice properties

例如可以通过使用高强度重量比的 网格型材料，

with high strength-to-weight ratio,

新的涡轮叶片，以及其他很多

new turbine blades, all sorts of wonderful things.

性能优越的零件来降低汽车的油耗。

Think about if you need a stent in an emergency situation,

想想看，如果你在急救中需要一个支架，

instead of the doctor pulling off a stent out of the shelf

相比医生从架子上拿一个

that was just standard sizes,

标准尺寸的支架而言，

having a stent that's designed for you, for your own anatomy

一个符合你自身结构，

with your own tributaries,

为你量身定做的支架，

printed in an emergency situation in real time out of the properties

在紧急情况下可随时打印获得，

such that the stent could go away after 18 months: really-game changing.

而支架可以在18个月后消失： 革命性的改变。

Or digital dentistry, and making these kinds of structures

或者数字化牙科： 就在你躺在牙医椅子上时

even while you're in the dentist chair.

就可以做出这类结构。

And look at the structures that my students are making

看看我的学生

at the University of North Carolina.

在北卡罗莱纳大学所完成的成果。

These are amazing microscale structures.

这些是令人惊叹的微型结构。

You know, the world is really good at nano-fabrication.

众所周知，现今世界的 纳米制造技术已经非常尖端了。

Moore's Law has driven things from 10 microns and below.

摩尔定律已经让我们可以制作10微米 甚至更小的物体，

We're really good at that,

我们这方面做得很好，

but it's actually very hard to make things from 10 microns to 1,000 microns,

但在10到1000微米的范围内 制造物体是非常困难的，

the mesoscale.

在这个中等尺度范围。

And subtractive techniques from the silicon industry

而硅产业的消减技术

can't do that very well.

无法胜任此工作。

They can't etch wafers that well.

他们不能理想地蚀刻芯片。

But this process is so gentle,

但我们的制造过程相当精细，

we can grow these objects up from the bottom

可以从底部向上制作物体，

using additive manufacturing

利用添加制造技术，

and make amazing things in tens of seconds,

在几十秒内达到惊人的效果，

opening up new sensor technologies,

这将带来新的传感技术、

new drug delivery techniques,

新的药品传输技术、

new lab-on-a-chip applications, really game-changing stuff.

崭新的”芯片实验室“应用 等真正的革命性产物。

So the opportunity of making a part in real time

因此这种让零件制造成为成品的

that has the properties to be a final part

实时制造技术，

really opens up 3D manufacturing,

真正打开了3D制造业的大门，

and for us, this is very exciting, because this really is owning

对我们来说，这非常令人振奋，

the intersection between hardware, software and molecular science,

因为这真正实现了硬件、 软件和分子科学之间的交互，

and I can't wait to see what designers and engineers around the world

我迫不及待地想看到 世界各地的设计师和工程师们

are going to be able to do with this great tool.

会用这伟大的工具做出什么成果。

Thanks for listening.

感谢各位的聆听。

(Applause)

（掌声）