[3D Printing News] 3D Printing in the Lab: Precise and Economical Research Tools

[3D Printing News] 3D Printing in the Lab: Precise and Affordable Research Tools

How can you create your groundbreaking lab experiments using a 3D printer from your first Hello Kitty Darth Vader model?
Using Ultimaker 2+ , Cranfield University’s Centre for Engineering Photonics has achieved this, delivering results that impact fields such as medicine and space research, all at a fraction of the cost of previous modeling methods.

The team works on microfluidics. This is a branch of technology that involves moving very small liquid samples—typically about the size of a drop of water—onto the analysis content of sensors.
You'll find it used in medical diagnostics, DNA slicing, and even outer space research, wherever that's more efficient or only requires tiny samples.
In 2014, Dr. Matthew Partridge, a researcher at Cranfield University, convinced the department to purchase its first 3D printer. He found that 3D printing could potentially facilitate cheaper design changes, whatever the desired outcome.
As Matthew explains, "When developing microfluidics, you often want to change the piping in the device, which is not a cheap process, even if the final product can be mass-produced very cheaply."

The device's 3D design reveals its internal channels. The Ultimaker 3D printer achieves the required level of detail.

In addition to reducing costs over time, 3D printing also helps teams create better final designs.
Previously, they paid a price for the processing and cost of aluminum and steel materials. As Matthew said, "The problem is that once you have a 'normal' model..."
You'll stop because getting another one will cost twice as much.
FDM 3D printing has low material and labor costs, so the design process can continue until the equipment is perfected.

Owning a 3D printer is like having a technician who can work through the night immediately, rarely complaining and preferring to oil it only once a month.

Microscale design in 3D printing

Microfluidic devices move liquid samples—hundreds of micrometers or less in diameter—through extremely small channels, allowing them to pass through sensors. To develop new devices, students first translate their ideas into 3D designs using SketchUp software.
Print an initial version to check if it prints well and fits together with all the parts, then gradually add more details. The designer prints and tests one property at a time until the device is ready.
Once the design is complete, simply print as many as possible!
If you want to see one of their devices, you can download the design yourself , or even try printing it out yourself.

Results

Matthew and his team published their research in a paper titled " Optimization of Wire 3D Printing Manufacturing on Microfluidic Platforms ".
When they first presented their findings at the conference, they said many researchers responded with, "You can't do that, what are you talking about?"
However, once they presented their results and shared their model, they connected with other organizations and began using 3D printing in microfluidics.
In addition to creating microfluidic devices using the Ultimaker 2+ , it has become an important laboratory tool for a variety of other uses.
This can be used to print beam processors, visualization aids, or may help other departments with projects.
“This is quite unexpected,” Matthew said. “We didn’t anticipate using it so flexibly. It’s a great tool for scientists. We’re now offering a one-day 3D printing course for researchers in London to show them these benefits.”

Original source: https://ultimaker.com/en/stories/51218-3d-printing-in-the-lab-precise-affordable-research-tools