An old glass making process has been revived thanks to MIT’s Mediated Matter Group, who have successfully come up with a way to 3D print glass.
However, a solid core is no longer needed with the modern technology because the material is coiled in molten strands and stack themselves one on top of the other.
In order to ensure the 3D printed glass cools in a meticulous and controlled manner, the nozzle that extrudes the material is made of ceramic and heated by hand.
The nozzle is intricate in making sure the filament is produced at a consistent diameter.
All in all, the chamber as a whole is kept at a temperature of between 480 and 515 degrees Celsius, resulting in a machine that produces the first of its kind optically transparent 3D-printed glass, according to the MIT team led by Neri Oxman and Peter Houk.
GLASS from Mediated Matter Group on Vimeo.
