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Watching glass get 3D printed is absolutely mesmerizing

Published Aug 21st, 2015 5:00PM EDT
3D Printing Glass Video
Image: Screenshot / VImeo

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Advanced 3D printing technology lets us quickly create various objects, including real buildings and cars, but one of the most unusual uses for 3D printing might be creating glass objects by using a unique 3D printer model. Scientists from MIT have already figured out how to put molten glass through a 3D printer and have released a video that shows the mesmerizing process of creating objects using this particular material.

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MIT’s Mediated Matter Group developed a G3DP system that’s able to print different products out of glass layer by layer. The printer seems to work just like that other 3D printer that can print actual houses, but using glass is an even more thrilling experience.

First of all, to actually shape the objects, glass has to be heated to 1900 degrees Fahrenheit. The 3D printer then pours the substance, which looks like honey at this point, into a preset pattern. Once the object is printed, it has to cool down, at which point it’ll be perfectly transparent, just like any other glass product made using traditional glass blowing techniques.

Some of MIT’s 3D printed glass creations will be on display at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum next year, Popular Science reports.

Meanwhile, more details about this particular glass manufacturing technology are available at the source links, in case you want to start 3D printing your glass ashtrays and vases. The video showing the glass 3D printing process in action follows below.

GLASS from Mediated Matter Group on Vimeo.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.