A 3D printing revolution
A team of four students have created a new printer nozzle system that allows printers to print in 3D all at once, not in 2D layers. The result is a lighter and stronger form, faster. This patented technology has the potential to reduce printing time and energy consumption.
Pritam Poddar, an Engineering PhD Candidate at Rochester Institute of Technology, worked with students Justin Kon, Adam Foster and Xavier Tarr to create the PrisAM module. Overall, this project aims to support the use of sustainable materials, stronger parts and material savings. The module could also enable the printing of complex geometries at a scale not currently accessible in the manufacturing industry.
Most printers have only have one nozzle to deposit ink on the page. The PrisAM team has created a system with multiple nozzles, as well as the software and hardware to make this happen. The team has been hard at work for the last nine months making a multi-nozzle extrusion system. By the end of January 2022, they anticipate moving forward with testing.
Funding has come through for the initiative from the National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research program, which funds research and development for products with commercial potential. PrisAM also was among companies that won the FuzeHub commercialization competition in 2021. RIT Venture Creations is yet another exciting step for the team; the business, led by individuals under age 30, joined the incubator in June 2021.
Although the company became legal in May 2020, Poddar has been working on commercializing this project since June 2019.
“We started by doing customer discovery problems,” said Poddar. “After talking to 300 or 400 people, we found out what people are looking for in the future. We are making products that people will need one to two years from now. The products do not currently exist in the market.”
“We have a provisional patent now, which means we came up with the idea and we are working on this idea,” said Poddar. “It does give some protection.”
The creators have until November to reapply and finalize the technology. Over the next four months, the company will seek funding from angel investors. Next year, the company hopes to win Phase Two funding from the National Science Foundation.
For more information on this project, go to the PrisAM website.