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

譯者: 杏儀 歐陽 審譯者: Karen SONG

I'm thrilled to be here tonight

今晚很高興

to share with you something we've been working on

能來到這裡與大家分享

for over two years,

我們兩年來的工作成果，

and it's in the area of additive manufacturing,

我們的工作領域是積層製造，

also known as 3D printing.

也就是所謂的3D列印。

You see this object here.

大家看看這一物品。

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

看似簡單，但又相當複雜。

It's a set of concentric geodesic structures

這是一個同心密網格結構組合，

with linkages between each one.

彼此相連。

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

傳統製造技術製造不出這種結構。

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

結構具有對稱性，因此不能注塑模具。

You can't even manufacture it through milling.

甚至不能通過銑削製造。

This is a job for a 3D printer,

這是3D列印機的施展拳腳的地方，

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

但大多數3D列印機製作這個 要用上3-10小時，

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

今晚我們會冒險嘗試來製造這個結構，

during this 10-minute talk.

演講的10分鐘之內完成。

Wish us luck.

祝我們好運。

Now, 3D printing is actually a misnomer.

「3D列印」的叫法不恰當。

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

實際上是二維印刷反復地進行，

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

採用的是二維印刷的相關技術。

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

想想噴墨列印， 你用墨水在紙上列印字母，

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

然後重複這一過程， 來建立一個三維物體。

In microelectronics, they use something

在微電子學中，

人們使用平版印刷做類似的東西，

called lithography to do the same sort of thing,

to make the transistors and integrated circuits

來製造晶體管和集成電路，

and build up a structure several times.

多次后就完成了一個結構。

These are all 2D printing technologies.

這些都是二維印刷技術。

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

我是一名化學家和材料科學家，

and my co-inventors are also material scientists,

我的工作夥伴們也是材料科學家，

one a chemist, one a physicist,

一個是化學家，一個物理學家，

and we began to be interested in 3D printing.

我們對3D列印感興趣。

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

大家知道，新穎的想法

往往簡單牽連起 不同社區不同經歷的人，

between people with different experiences in different communities,

and that's our story.

而這就是我們的故事。

Now, we were inspired

我們的靈感來源於

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

「魔鬼終結者2」的 液態金屬機器人T-1000，

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

我們就想3D列印機能不能做到同樣的效果？

where you have an object arise out of a puddle

讓一個物體從液體中，

實時成形，

in essentially real time

with essentially no waste

不造成任何浪費的同時，

to make a great object?

又能製造出很棒的物體。

Okay, just like the movies.

就像電影中那樣。

And could we be inspired by Hollywood

我們可否取材好萊塢，

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

找出方法嘗試實現這一效果？

And that was our challenge.

那是我們的挑戰。

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

我們的方法如果能成功，

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

就可以從根本上解決 阻礙3D列印

成為一個製造過程的三大問題。

from being a manufacturing process.

One, 3D printing takes forever.

首先，3D列印耗時長。

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

蘑菇生長都比3D列印 一些物件的速度還快。（笑聲）

The layer by layer process

積層疊加過程

leads to defects in mechanical properties,

導致機械性質存在缺陷，

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

如果我們能夠無間斷地製造， 就可以消除這些缺陷。

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

事實上，我們要是能夠實現快速製造， 就可以使用使用自凝材料，

達到優秀的機械性質。

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

So if we could pull this off, imitate Hollywood,

所以，如果我們能成功模仿好萊塢，

we could in fact address 3D manufacturing.

我們可以真正解決3D製造存在的問題。

Our approach is to use some standard knowledge

我們的方法是運用

in polymer chemistry

高分子化學的標準知識，

to harness light and oxygen to grow parts continuously.

通過控制利用光和氧氣 來無間斷地製造部件。

Light and oxygen work in different ways.

光和氧氣的作用機制不同。

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

光可以將合成樹脂轉換成固體，

can convert a liquid to a solid.

即將液體轉換為固體。

Oxygen inhibits that process.

氧氣則抑制這一過程。

So light and oxygen are polar opposites from one another

所以從化學角度看，

from a chemical point of view,

光和氧氣彼此兩極對立，

and if we can control spatially the light and oxygen,

我們要是能控制光和氧氣，

we could control this process.

就控制整個製作過程。

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

我們將此稱為CLIP： 「無間斷液態介面印製法」

It has three functional components.

CLIP有三個功能組件。

One, it has a reservoir that holds the puddle,

第一個是用來存放液體的容器，

just like the T-1000.

就像液態金屬機器人T-1000。

At the bottom of the reservoir is a special window.

容器的底部有一個特殊窗口，

I'll come back to that.

我等下會談到。

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

組件二是一個架台，可下調至容器，

and pull the object out of the liquid.

把物體從液體中拉出。

The third component is a digital light projection system

第三部分是數位光投影系統，

underneath the reservoir,

位於容器的下方，

illuminating with light in the ultraviolet region.

可在紫外光區域照明。

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

現在的關鍵是容器底部的窗口。

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

這是一個複合體，一個非常特殊的窗口。

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

不僅透光，而且透氧。

It's got characteristics like a contact lens.

特徵與隱形眼鏡相似。

So we can see how the process works.

我們可以看到製造過程。

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

大家開始看到，當架台降低到那裡，

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

傳統製造過程使用不透氧窗口，

you make a two-dimensional pattern

可以製造出二維圖案，

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

並最終用傳統的不透氣窗口 將圖案粘合到窗口上，

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

因此，要形成下一層， 你必須將其分開，

introduce new resin, reposition it,

重新添加樹脂、重新定位，

and do this process over and over again.

並不斷重複這個過程。

But with our very special window,

但用我們的特殊窗口，

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

就能做到讓氧氣從底部進入，

as light hits it,

當光線擊中氧氣，

that oxygen inhibits the reaction,

氧氣抑制反應，

and we form a dead zone.

形成一個無感區。

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

無感區大約有幾十微米厚，

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

是紅血細胞直徑的兩三倍，

right at the window interface that remains a liquid,

位於液體容器的窗口界面，

and we pull this object up,

然後我們把這物體拉出，

and as we talked about in a Science paper,

正如我們的科學論文所描述的，

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

我們要是改變氧含量， 就可以改變無感區的厚度。

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

因此我們控制一些關鍵變量： 氧含量、光、

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

光的強度、凝劑劑量、

the viscosity, the geometry,

粘度、形狀結構。

and we use very sophisticated software to control this process.

我們用非常複雜的軟體 來控制這個過程。

The result is pretty staggering.

得出的結果是相當驚人的。

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

與傳統的3D列印機相比， 這個方法要快25到100倍，

which is game-changing.

這是改頭換面的變化。

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

此外，要是我們能夠向此界面傳送液體，

we can go 1,000 times faster I believe,

我相信，更可以快1000倍，

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

實際上這種方法很有可能產生大量熱量，

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

而作為一名化學工程師， 我熱衷於熱量的轉化，

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

期待將來會有水冷式3D列印機，

because they're going so fast.

因為列印的速度可以達到非常快。

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

另外，因為我們是讓物體“長”出來的， 摒棄了積層製造，

and the parts are monolithic.

就使部件變得一致了，

You don't see the surface structure.

也看不出表層結構。

You have molecularly smooth surfaces.

我們得到了光滑的分子表層。

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

3D列印機製作的大部分部件，

其機械性質不甚理想， 它極其受制於列印角度，

are notorious for having properties that depend on the orientation

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

因為它採用層狀結構（的原理）。

But when you grow objects like this,

但當你用“長”的方式製造物體，

the properties are invariant with the print direction.

機械性質就不會因列印方向而變化。

These look like injection-molded parts,

這些看起來像注塑零件，

which is very different than traditional 3D manufacturing.

與傳統的3D製造迥異。

In addition, we're able to throw

此外，我們能夠利用

the entire polymer chemistry textbook at this,

整本高分子化學課本的知識，

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

設計出合適的化學成份， 使製造出的3D列印物體，

you really want in a 3D-printed object.

剛好擁有你真正需要的機械性質。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

There it is. That's great.

完成了。太棒了。

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

站在台上做這樣的展示， 總有些風險，對吧？

But we can have materials with great mechanical properties.

但是我們的材料有卓越的機械性質。

For the first time, we can have elastomers

我們首次擁有了彈性體，

that are high elasticity or high dampening.

既可以具有高彈性， 又可具有高阻尼性。

Think about vibration control or great sneakers, for example.

例如，想想振動控制，或者是優質運動鞋。

We can make materials that have incredible strength,

我們可以製造出強有力的材料，

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

具有很高的強度-重量比， 真的是很強韌的材料，

really great elastomers,

真正強大的彈性體材料，

so throw that in the audience there.

我們可以把這個拋給遠處的觀眾。

So great material properties.

如此了不起的材料性質。

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

所以現在機會來了： 如果製造出的部件

that has the properties to be a final part,

具有成為成品的屬性，

and you do it in game-changing speeds,

又能以改變行業面貌的高速度進行製造，

you can actually transform manufacturing.

那你就有可能徹底改變製造業。

Right now, in manufacturing, what happens is,

目前的製造業中的數位化製造，

the so-called digital thread in digital manufacturing.

存在著所謂的數位化線程。

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

我們從CAD繪圖、設計開始， 發展原型，再到製造。

Often, the digital thread is broken right at prototype,

通常情況下，數位線程 會在製造原型過程中掉鏈，

because you can't go all the way to manufacturing

因為你無法直接去到大規模製造這個環節，

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

因為大部分部件不具備成品特性。

We now can connect the digital thread

現在我們把數位化線程聯繫起來，

all the way from design to prototyping to manufacturing,

從設計、原型製作到製造，

and that opportunity really opens up all sorts of things,

這個機會可以開拓出各種發展機遇，

from better fuel-efficient cars dealing with great lattice properties

譬如節油汽車具有高強度-重量比，

with high strength-to-weight ratio,

可以處理更多晶格特性，

new turbine blades, all sorts of wonderful things.

還有新式渦輪葉片，以及各種美妙的物體。

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

想想看，如果你在緊急情況下需要一個支架，

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

醫生不會只是從架子上

that was just standard sizes,

拿一個標準尺寸的支架，

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

而是提供專門為你設計的支架，

with your own tributaries,

一個為你度身定制的支架，

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

在緊急情況下實時列印，

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

並且質量可以維持18個月： 這是一種顛覆。

Or digital dentistry, and making these kinds of structures

或者數位化牙科：當你躺在牙醫椅子上時

even while you're in the dentist chair.

就可以做出這類結構。

And look at the structures that my students are making

看看我的學生們

at the University of North Carolina.

在北卡羅萊納大學所做出的結構。

These are amazing microscale structures.

這些是很棒的微型結構。

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

要知道，現今世界的奈米製造技術很優秀。

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

摩爾定律已經可以做到10微米及以下的物體。

We're really good at that,

我們這方面做得很好，

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

但把10微米的物體做到1000微米， 實際上是非常困難的，

the mesoscale.

這就進入到中尺度的範疇。

And subtractive techniques from the silicon industry

而矽產業的消減技術

can't do that very well.

無法很好做到這一點。

They can't etch wafers that well.

他們不能完美地蝕刻晶片。

But this process is so gentle,

但我們的這種製程相當精細，

we can grow these objects up from the bottom

可以從底部製作物體，

using additive manufacturing

利用添加製造技術，

and make amazing things in tens of seconds,

在幾十秒內達到驚人的效果，

opening up new sensor technologies,

拓展了嶄新的傳感器技術、

new drug delivery techniques,

新型施藥技術、

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

嶄新的芯片實驗室應用， 真正能改變行業面貌。

So the opportunity of making a part in real time

因此實時製作部件的機會，

that has the properties to be a final part

讓部件具有成品屬性，

really opens up 3D manufacturing,

真正開拓了3D製造產業，

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

對我們來說，這非常令人振奮，

the intersection between hardware, software and molecular science,

因為這真正實現了硬體、 軟體和分子科學之間的結合，

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

我迫不及待地想看道 世界各地的設計師和工程師們

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

會用這工具做出什麼成果。

Thanks for listening.

謝謝大家。

(Applause)

（掌聲）