What if your 3D printer didn't need layers at all? A team at the University of California, Berkeley has released OpenCAL, a build-it-yourself printer that makes a complete part in roughly a minute and a half, and it can be built for around $1,600.
How a printer with no layers works
Most desktop printers, whether they melt filament or cure resin, build an object one thin slice at a time. OpenCAL belongs to a different family called volumetric additive manufacturing. Instead of stacking slices, it shines carefully calculated patterns of light into a vial of liquid resin while the vial slowly rotates. Light from many angles adds up in the right spots, and the whole shape hardens together.
That has a few knock-on effects. There are no layer lines to sand away, because the surface was never built from layers. The part is also held in the liquid while it forms, so you don't need the support structures that overhangs normally demand. The trade-off is that you are working with liquid resin in a small vial, so today this approach suits small, detailed parts rather than big ones.
Why the open design matters
Volumetric printing has mostly lived in research labs with expensive custom equipment. Publishing a reproducible design at a hobbyist-friendly price changes who can experiment with it. Makers, students and small workshops can now study the method, tweak it and share improvements, much like the open RepRap designs once did for filament printers.
How to get started with the idea
You don't need to build OpenCAL tomorrow to benefit from the concept. Start by learning how resin curing works: light-sensitive resin hardens under the right wavelength, and exposure time and intensity control the result. If you already own a resin printer, practise good resin handling with gloves, ventilation and proper washing and curing. Then follow the OpenCAL project to see how the community documents the build.
Try it on your printer
Whatever machine you own, a good model makes the difference. Browse ready-to-print designs and tested settings at Flarelab, and find your next print.
Frequently asked questions
What is volumetric 3D printing?
Volumetric 3D printing cures an entire object at once inside a container of light-sensitive resin, instead of building it layer by layer. Patterns of light are projected into a rotating vial until the whole part has solidified.
Can I build OpenCAL at home?
The researchers at UC Berkeley released OpenCAL publicly as a build-it-yourself design, with a reported parts cost of around $1,600. It is a hobbyist-friendly project, but expect some optics and electronics tinkering.
Will volumetric printers replace my FDM printer?
Not any time soon. Volumetric machines use liquid resin and currently suit small, smooth parts, while filament printers remain cheaper to run and better for larger, tougher models.
Why are there no layer lines on volumetric prints?
Because nothing is stacked. The whole shape cures together in one go, so the surface is not built from visible layers the way a filament print is.
Inspired by reporting from 3D Printing Industry. Rewritten and expanded by Flarelab. View the original story.
