From glass to bacteria, you can print almost anything these days, as researchers backed by the EU-funded ATTRACT project are demonstrating.

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Humans have been making glass for well over 5,000 years, but not like this. Recent advances in photonics are driving industrial demand for extremely intricate glass structures, which could be created using 3D printing.

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A research project in Germany is bringing together two cutting-edge technologies: an ultra-high-resolution 3D printer and a new substance called Glassomer, which combines particles of glass with a light-sensitive polymer that’s liquid at room temperature, but can be solidified by the printer’s laser. The printed Glassomer is then baked in an oven where the polymer burns off and the glass particles fuse together, leaving high-purity silica glass. Glassomer is the eponymous invention of a start-up based at the University of Freiburg, while the 3D printer is […]

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