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

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Scientists Solve a Major 3D Printing Problem—New Technology Can Print Entire Objects in Seconds Without Overheating

Imagine printing a complete 3D object in just a few seconds instead of waiting for hours. That futuristic idea is becoming more realistic thanks to a breakthrough by researchers from the University of Nottingham and the University of California, Berkeley. They have developed a new 3D printing technique that makes an already ultra-fast printing process more stable, more accurate, and more useful for real-world applications.

The research, published in Nature Communications, introduces a new chemical approach that solves one of the biggest challenges in advanced 3D printing—overheating during the printing process. This breakthrough could help create larger, stronger, and more detailed objects while opening exciting possibilities in medicine, engineering, and manufacturing.

A New Way to Print in 3D

Most people are familiar with traditional 3D printing, where an object is built one thin layer at a time. While this method has transformed manufacturing, it also has some important limitations. Printing can take hours, and the layers sometimes do not bond perfectly, creating weak points in the finished object.

A newer technology called Volumetric Additive Manufacturing (VAM) works very differently.

Instead of building an object layer by layer, VAM shines carefully controlled patterns of light into a container filled with liquid resin. The light triggers a chemical reaction that hardens the resin, creating the entire object almost all at once.

This allows complete 3D objects to be printed in seconds or minutes instead of hours.

Because the object forms as one continuous piece, it also avoids the weak layer lines found in conventional 3D printing. This results in stronger parts and makes it easier to produce highly complex shapes that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to manufacture.

The Biggest Challenge: Too Much Heat

Despite its incredible speed, VAM has faced one major obstacle.

The chemical reaction used to solidify the resin produces a large amount of heat. During printing, temperatures can rise by more than 60°C (140°F).

This excessive heat creates several problems:

  • The reaction can become difficult to control.

  • Printed objects may warp or distort.

  • Fine details can be lost.

  • Large objects become much harder to print successfully.

In simple terms, the printer works so quickly that the chemical reaction can almost "run away," making the final product less accurate.

This has limited the wider use of volumetric 3D printing.

A Smart Chemical Solution

To overcome this challenge, the research team introduced a new chemical process called Reversible Addition–Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerization.

Although the name sounds complicated, its purpose is surprisingly simple.

According to researcher Eduards Krumins, RAFT acts like a built-in regulator for the chemical reaction.

Instead of allowing the reaction to happen uncontrollably, RAFT carefully slows and manages how the material forms. This prevents sudden bursts of heat and keeps the printing process stable from start to finish.

You can think of it like adding a thermostat to a heating system. Rather than allowing temperatures to rise uncontrollably, the system automatically keeps everything under control.

Better Results With Less Heat

The researchers tested their new method and found impressive improvements.

The amount of heat generated during printing was significantly reduced, making the entire process much more stable.

As a result:

  • Printed parts maintained their shape more accurately.

  • Thermal distortions were greatly reduced.

  • Fine details were preserved.

  • Multiple objects could be printed simultaneously with extremely small gaps between them.

The team successfully produced several parts at once while maintaining gaps as small as 150 micrometers—roughly the thickness of one and a half human hairs.

This level of precision represents a major improvement over conventional volumetric 3D printing.

More Than Just Better Printing

One of the most exciting discoveries is that the new chemistry offers benefits even after printing is complete.

Normally, once a plastic object is printed, its chemical structure is fixed. Making additional improvements afterward can be difficult.

With the RAFT process, however, printed objects retain special reactive sites that remain chemically active.

These sites allow researchers to modify the finished object later by adding new surface properties or functions.

For example, future products could receive:

  • Antibacterial coatings

  • Anti-fouling surfaces that resist dirt and biological buildup

  • Protective chemical treatments

  • Other specialized functional coatings

This means a printed object can continue to be improved even after it leaves the printer.

Keeping All the Advantages

Perhaps the best part of this breakthrough is that it does not sacrifice the original strengths of volumetric 3D printing.

The new technique still offers:

  • Extremely fast printing speeds

  • The ability to produce highly complex designs

  • Strong, continuous structures without weak layers

  • Excellent precision

Instead, it removes one of the technology's biggest weaknesses by keeping the chemical reaction under control.

This makes VAM both faster and more reliable.

Why This Matters

The ability to print complete objects in seconds has enormous potential across many industries.

In manufacturing, companies could rapidly produce complex parts while reducing production time and energy costs.

Engineers could design products with shapes that were previously impossible to manufacture using traditional methods.

Medical researchers are especially excited because this technology could eventually support advanced bioprinting.

Bioprinting involves creating structures made from living cells that may one day help produce artificial tissues or even replacement organs.

Since the new process generates much less heat, it may become more suitable for working with delicate biological materials that can be damaged by high temperatures.

Although more research is needed before these medical applications become reality, the new chemistry provides an important step toward that future.

Looking Ahead

Professor Derek Irvine, who led part of the research, believes this breakthrough marks a major advancement for volumetric 3D printing.

According to him, the improved stability and flexibility allow researchers to create designs and material functions that were previously impossible.

The research team is now working on scaling the technology so it can produce larger objects suitable for practical industrial use.

If successful, future factories could manufacture products much faster while achieving higher quality than today's conventional 3D printing methods.

A Step Toward the Future of Manufacturing

This new development demonstrates how a relatively small change in chemistry can have a huge impact on manufacturing technology.

By introducing RAFT polymerization into volumetric 3D printing, researchers have solved one of the field's most challenging problems—excessive heat during printing.

The result is a faster, more stable, and more versatile printing process capable of producing complex objects with greater precision.

With possibilities ranging from industrial manufacturing to next-generation medical technologies, this breakthrough could help transform how products are designed and made in the years ahead.

As scientists continue refining the process for larger-scale production, the dream of printing complex, high-quality objects in just seconds is moving closer to everyday reality.

Reference: Krumins, E., Sun, Y., Jiang, L. et al. Enhanced volumetric additive manufacturing via Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73456-8

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