The creation of optic fibers is a long and expensive one. To make a single fiber, a glass tube needs to be heated until silica and germanium particles develop within the glass, after which the tube must be held vertically in a special heating mechanism to extend it into a fine thread. Not only is this process tedious, but it also places limits on the shape that the fiber optic cable can ultimately take. Fortunately, 3D printing is once again stepping in to solve the problem.
A team at the University of Sydney implemented FDM 3D printing technology to create new methods to draw optic fibers. Using this technology, they managed to create fibers of only 712 microns on one axis and 605 on the other, all in less time than it takes to create fibers via traditional means. Though the process needs to be refined before it can be put to effective use, such fibers could prove to be a significant boon for telecommunications applications.
Indeed, 3D printing has a lot of potential to make any vision a reality. For all of your own 3D printing and rapid prototyping needs, contact our 3D printing company in Seattle.
