A research team at Cologne University of Applied Sciences, together with the company mz Toner Technologies, is developing a new 3D printing process based on electrophotography, which should enable printing in space, among other things. Electrophotography is the process that most printers use. A so-called photo drum is completely electrically charged within the printer.
A laser beam then reproduces the motif to be printed on this drum by selectively erasing electrical charges. The dye adheres to the drum where charges remain. This is transferred to the paper, creating the image that is visible at the end.
The team's new concept is as follows: The component to be manufactured is first "cut" into several wafer-thin layers using software. Polymer particles, i.e. plastics, are used instead of the dye. One to ten layers, which are just a few micrometers thick, can be printed on top of each other on a carrier film and pre-solidified by a roller. In order to completely manufacture the desired component, several of these previously printed layer packages are joined together in the second process step using a heating press. A particular challenge is to implement the electrophotographic process in such a way that it can be used despite the lack of gravity. One of the advantages of 3D printing for space travel would be that not all spare parts needed during an expedition would have to be taken along. They could be produced directly on site as required.
