Printer for microparts suited to tissue engineering launched

Microprinting machines manufacturer Microlight3D has launched a new printer for producing micro-parts, which can be suited to cell culture and tissue engineering.

Altraspin is a compact 3D printer that produces micro-parts with a resolution 100 times smaller than a strand of hair and will be exhibited at BIOS.

Denis Barbier, Microlight3D CEO said: “Microlight3D designed Altraspin to respond to manufacturing demands for more customisation and the rapid prototyping of submicron parts that are not constrained by their geometric or organic shape. We removed another constraint by extending user choice in the materials available for 3D microprinting. Altraspin is compatible with a wide range of polymers and biomaterials, including those of our customers. Without a doubt, the submicron resolution our technology obtains has been key to our growing success within the scientific community. We anticipate that industrial companies will also benefit from the advantages of our 3D printer for micro-parts, geared to helping them overcome limitations and reduce time-to-market.”

The product is compatible with any CAD models and the company says its design is suited to clean-room and sterile environments. Microlight3D focused on ease-of-use in its design of Altraspin. Once the user has designed a 3D model using standard CAD tools and chosen an appropriate polymer material, Microlight3D's algorithms calculate the path that the laser will take to create the object. A laser pulse writes directly inside the liquid-material bath, solidifying the path it takes. BIOS takes place from 2-3 February in San Francisco, California.