The volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM) paradigm in photopolymer 3D printing refers to creating a 3D object all at once, without layering.  This approach has now proliferated into a variety of 3D printing methods, and a breadth of possible materials with which to employ them.  Here we will examine the defining characteristics of VAM printing, and explore the recent advancements in developing VAM-compatible materials for biological applications, and for challenging engineering requirements.  We will also examine the benefits of modeling the photopolymerization process in the volumetric modality and insights that emerge for understanding layered 3D printing processes.

5 THINGS YOU WILL LEARN DURING THIS SESSION:

1. Volumetric AM is defined by two essential characteristics: simultaneity of producing the 3D structure, and pre-assembly of feedstock material.
2. VAM printing of hydrogel biomaterials for tissue engineering requires advancements like overprinting, multiple materials, and precise photon dose control.
3. Advanced engineering materials such as glass and silicones printed via VAM are gaining in complexity and shape control
4. Combined finite-element modelling of volumetric light dose absorption with diffusive molecular transport creates useful predictions of AM photo-resin behavior
5. Reduced-order modelling based on this learning will be critical for continued progress

Maxim Shusteff, Group Leader, Materials Engineering and Biomanufacturing , Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory