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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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3D Printing in a Blink: New Technology Prints Complex Objects in Just 0.6 Seconds

3D printing has completely changed how we design and manufacture objects. From medical implants to machine parts and artistic models, this technology allows us to turn digital designs into real objects. However, one major problem has always slowed it down: time. Traditional 3D printing can take minutes, hours, or even days to complete a single object.

Now, researchers from Tsinghua University in China have taken a giant leap forward. They have developed a revolutionary high-speed 3D printing system that can create complex millimeter-scale objects in just 0.6 seconds. This breakthrough could reshape manufacturing, medicine, and engineering as we know it.

Let’s understand how this new technology works, why it matters, and how it could change the future.

Why Traditional 3D Printing Is Slow

Most common 3D printers work using a layer-by-layer process. Imagine building a wall by placing one brick at a time. Each layer must be printed, hardened, and supported before the next one is added. This approach is precise, but it is also very slow.

To overcome this limitation, scientists developed a newer method called volumetric 3D printing. Instead of printing layer by layer, volumetric printing uses light to solidify an entire object at once inside a container filled with liquid resin. This dramatically increases speed.

However, even volumetric printing has a problem.

The Speed Problem in Volumetric Printing

In traditional volumetric printing, light is projected into a fast-spinning vat of liquid resin from many angles. The spinning helps distribute light evenly so the object forms correctly.

But when the liquid spins too fast, it starts to wobble or vibrate. This movement causes distortions, blurry edges, and failed prints. To fix this, researchers started using thick, syrup-like resins that are more stable during spinning.

Unfortunately, thicker resins flow slowly and react to light more gradually. As a result, printing speed is limited again.

This is where the new breakthrough comes in.

Introducing DISH: A Smarter Way to Print

The Tsinghua University team introduced a new system called DISH, short for Digital Incoherent Synthesis of Holographic Light Fields. Instead of spinning the liquid resin, DISH keeps the resin completely still.

So how does it project light from multiple angles without spinning the resin?

The answer lies in a high-speed rotating periscope.

How the DISH System Works

In the DISH system, the liquid resin stays perfectly motionless inside the container. A fast-rotating optical periscope moves outside the resin and directs light into it from many angles at incredible speed.

At the heart of this system is a powerful chip called a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD). This chip is covered with millions of microscopic mirrors. Each mirror can flip on or off to control light direction.

  • The mirrors change patterns 17,000 times per second

  • Light is projected with extreme precision

  • Multiple light paths combine to form the 3D object instantly

To ensure sharp and accurate prints, the researchers developed a special algorithm. This algorithm calculates exactly how light should be projected so that only the desired areas harden, while the rest of the resin remains liquid.

The result?
A razor-sharp 3D object, perfectly formed from top to bottom, in less than a second.

Stunning Proof-of-Concept Results

To demonstrate the power of DISH, the research team printed several complex objects:

  • A millimeter-scale statue of Theodoric

  • Intricate gear-like mechanical structures

  • Detailed shapes with smooth surfaces and fine features

Each of these objects was printed in just 0.6 seconds, something that would take several minutes or more using traditional methods.

But the team didn’t stop there.

Turning 3D Printing into an Assembly Line

In another experiment, the researchers connected the printer to a tube system. They pumped a watery, light-sensitive resin through the tube while shining light on it using the DISH method.

As the resin flowed, solid objects formed almost instantly. Using this setup, they printed:

  • Flower-shaped structures

  • Hollow tubes that look like blood vessels

This experiment proved that DISH can be used as a continuous, high-speed production system, similar to an assembly line. Instead of printing one object at a time, parts could be produced non-stop, almost instantly.

Why This Technology Is So Important

According to senior author Qionghai Dai, the DISH system combines high precision with ultra-high speed, opening doors to many exciting applications.

Here are some key areas where DISH could make a huge impact:

1. Medicine and Biology

  • In-situ printing of biological tissues

  • Creating scaffolds for tissue engineering

  • Producing blood vessel-like structures for research

  • Faster fabrication of customized medical implants

This could one day help doctors print medical structures directly inside clinical environments.

2. Engineering and Manufacturing

  • Mass production of custom-designed parts

  • No need for expensive molds

  • Rapid prototyping for testing and development

  • Faster production of small mechanical components

This could drastically reduce manufacturing time and cost.

3. Photonics and Advanced Materials

  • Printing tiny optical components

  • Creating complex light-guiding structures

  • Developing new materials with precise internal geometry

Such precision is crucial in modern optical and electronic devices.

4. Robotics and Micro-Devices

  • Manufacturing parts for tiny robots

  • Producing lightweight and complex internal structures

  • Faster innovation in micro-engineering

A Big Step Toward the Future of 3D Printing

The DISH technology represents a major milestone in 3D printing history. By removing the need to spin liquid resin and using advanced light control instead, researchers have overcome one of the biggest speed barriers in volumetric printing.

Printing a complex 3D object in less than a second once sounded impossible. Today, it’s a reality.

As this technology matures, we may soon see factories, hospitals, and research labs using ultra-fast 3D printers to create customized objects on demand, almost instantly.

The study detailing this breakthrough was published in Nature (2026), titled “Sub-second volumetric 3D printing by synthesis of holographic light fields” by Xukang Wang and colleagues.

The age of waiting hours for 3D prints may soon be over. The future of manufacturing could happen in the blink of an eye.

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