Rice develops 3-D printing platform that uses powder

Bioengineering researchers at Rice University have taken a commercial-grade CO2 laser cutter and altered it to form OpenSLS, or an open-source, selective laser sintering (SLS) platform, to print elaborate 3-D objects using powdered plastics and biomaterials.

The new device costs nearly 40 times less than current commercial models. It also differentiates from normal 3-D printers by allowing researchers to conduct their work using their own specialized powdered materials. The platform constructed by Rice University was built using open-source microcontrollers and cost less than $10,000 to create. SLS platforms sold commercially can cost anywhere from $400,000 to $1 million. 

Rice’s new OpenSLS platform is similar to commercial devices in that it uses an SLS platform. The design of the OpenSLS platform and its performance are detailed in full in an open-access paper published in PLOS ONE. 

Rice researchers intend to use the new OpenSLS platform to make vascular networks of the liver and other organs due to its unique ability to create complex shapes. SLS machines that are sold commercially do not let operators use powdered materials when creating various objects, which is a key factor for researchers who experiment with biomaterials for regenerative medications and biomedical functions.