From contact lenses to engine gaskets and silicone ice molds, silicone is more versatile than polymers. No wonder researchers and companies are trying to 3D print silicone. ALT in California is one of the few that has developed silicone 3D. Printing company, and researchers at the University of Florida also announced a 3D printing silicone method for medical devices a few weeks ago. Recently, North Carolina State University also announced the development of a new silicone 3D printing technology. Even our domestic has a formal Commercial silicone 3D printing technology.
North Carolina State University
Using a paste ink made of water as a raw material to 3D print solid and liquid silicone. This is the latest research result of North Carolina State University. Currently, a flexible and porous silicone rubber structure has been printed. This technology can be used in biological Medicine and software robots.
The method developed by North Carolina State University to 3D print out solid and liquid silicone with paste ink, they describe it like turning sand into a sand castle with water. The researchers said that in aqueous media, liquid silicone rubber acts as a bridge between tiny silicone rubber beads. The results show that this mixed paste ink can be 3D printed in various environments, even in water.
Because this technology can be printed in a dry or wet environment, the researchers believe it can be used for active tissues. They envision some biomedical applications, such as 3D printed soft bandages can be used directly on the human body, and can also be used in soft robots. field.
"3D printing silicone rubber has many meanings, it has many useful properties," the researchers said, "the challenge is that you usually need to quickly heat the material or use special chemistry to repair, so the technology is very complicated." And this silicone 3D The printing method requires neither heating nor special chemical aspects, so the researchers think it is very usable. "Our method is to use an extremely simple extrudable material to directly 3D print out the porous and flexible structure, even in water," the researchers said. "Our technique is to use silica gel to combine the beads and the liquid to form a viscous, stretchable and bendable material."
The research results have been published in "Advanced Materials" this week. The first author is SangchulRoh, a doctoral student at North Carolina State University.
University of Florida
On May 11 this year, researchers at the University of Florida released their latest research results: the liquid silicone 3D printing process. This is a 3D printing technique performed in a liquid ("oily" microgel).
These 3D printed medical supplies using “oily†microgels as support materials are not only flexible and flexible, but also can expand and contract in response to certain behaviors, and can flexibly respond to various medical problems .
It is reported that the production cost of the 3D printed silicone medical equipment is very low. Compared with traditional medical equipment, it can be customized with softer, stronger and cheaper implantable straps, catheters, slings and so on. It can be said that these 3D printed silicone medical devices are particularly helpful for patients with pancreatic or prostate diseases. On the one hand, you can create a variety of small, complex medical supplies, such as a discharge tube containing a pressure-sensitive valve; on the other hand, it can be used for innovative treatments that release drugs or molecules into the patient's body at a controlled rate.
American ALT Corporation
Last year, AdvancedLife Technologies (ALT) from California announced that it would develop a new silicone 3D printing process.
This process is still under development. It can overcome the time-consuming defects of traditional silicone injection molding, bring a more flexible design, and will greatly reduce the cost of production. Specifically, it can simultaneously 3D print a variety of silicone and silicone composite materials, these materials can bring unused viscosity, color and Shore hardness. In addition, the characteristics of silicone that are not easy to melt and cool quickly are often not conducive to 3D printing. This research and development will also work to break through this difficulty.
The combination of multiple materials will also bring more application possibilities. ALT has used this process to create a simulated cross-sectional model of the leg, simulating skin, muscles, fat, fascia, bones and blood vessels, which is more three-dimensional and vivid. In addition, mobile phone cases, shoe soles, auto parts, sensors, microfluidics, seals, adhesives, etc. are also covered in the scope of application.
Not only abroad, but also domestically, there is already a commercial silicone 3D printing technology, which is a unique FAM silicone 3D printing developed by Shanghai Hard Jiyuan Software Technology Company. It has been applied in industrial and other markets. 
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