TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Flow-based Volumetric Additive Manufacturing System

Opportunity: 
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop and commercialize its Flow-based Volumetric Additive Manufacturing System.

Background: 
Volumetric Additive Manufacturing (VAM) is an emerging technology in near-instant 3D printing where the part is formed in free space without imposed stress.  Currently, containers that hold the resin must be replaced between prints.  This is manual and time-consuming, which precludes the method to scaling for high throughput applications.

Description: 
LLNL researchers have developed an approach to incorporate flow (either in stop-flow or continuous flow operation) to replace resin in the vial to enable high throughput production of 3D printed parts with VAM.

Advantages/Benefits:  
•    VAM is already one of the most competitive VAT photopolymerization methods for speed, this implement unlocks even faster rates - opens a path towards 100x mfg rate
•    Continuous printing - does not require manual operation to swap out resin containers after print is completed

Potential Applications:  
•    Fast, accurate, repeatable high-throughput production of 3D printed parts with arbitrary geometries

Development Status:  
Current stage of technology development: TRL ☐ 0-2     ☒ 3-5     ☐ 5-9 

LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention.

LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information.  

Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process. 

Note:  THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT.  Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's Flow-based Volumetric Additive Manufacturing System should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

1.    Company Name and address.
2.    The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.
3.    A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology.

Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's Flow-based Volumetric Additive Manufacturing System.

The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below. 

Written responses should be directed to:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Innovation and Partnerships Office
P.O. Box 808, L-779
Livermore, CA  94551-0808
Attention: 2025-313