Embedding Function within Additively Manufactured Parts: Materials Challenges and Opportunities

Additive Manufacturing can offer far more than complex, bespoke geometric structures as described in the article 2300395 by Adrian Trinchi and Antonella Sola. By incorporating functional materials into 3D printed parts, either macroscopically or microscopically, a wide variety of ancillary functions can be achieved. An example is depicted here, where a complex structure containing covert identifying markers, revealed by laser illumination with a readout device, can be co-printed simultaneously with the part’s bulk material.