A hackable, multi-functional, and modular extrusion 3D printer for soft materials

TL;DR

This paper introduces Printer.HM, an open-source, modular 3D printer designed for soft materials that supports multi-material printing, customization, and versatile operations, fostering innovation in soft and biological material fabrication.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, hackable, and multi-functional 3D printer platform with modular hardware and adaptable software for diverse soft material applications.

Findings

Successfully printed pH-responsive soft actuators

Demonstrated non-planar and multi-material printing capabilities

Enabled creation of organ macro-anatomical models

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a powerful tool for material, food, and life science research and development, where the technology democratization necessitates the advancement of open-source platforms. Herein, we developed a hackable, multi-functional, and modular extrusion 3D printer for soft materials, nicknamed Printer.HM. Multi-printhead modules are established based on a robotic arm for heterogeneous construct creation, where ink printability can be tuned by accessories such as heating and UV modules. Software associated with Printer.HM were designed to accept geometry inputs including computer-aided design models, coordinates, equations, and pictures, to create prints of distinct characteristics. Printer.HM could further perform versatile operations, such as liquid dispensing, non-planar printing, and pick-and-place of meso-objects. By mix-and-match software and hardware settings, Printer.HM demonstrated printing of pH-responsive soft actuators, plant-based functional hydrogels, and organ macro-anatomical models. Integrating affordability and open design, we envisage the Printer.HM concept to widen open innovations for soft, biological, and sustainable material architectures.