Moving at a good CLIP

To watch a demonstration of the latest ‘breakthrough’ additive manufacturing technology is to invite a reasonable doubt: could this be an elaborate April Fools? Before your very eyes a geodesic sphere is drawn magically from a pool of resin, like the sword from the stone, in one smooth motion. It is indeed April 1, the commercial launch date of the M1, an additive manufacturing machine made by Carbon, a startup company based in Redwood City, California.

As the last few drops of resin fall away from the sphere, we are told it has the mechanical properties and the surface finish of an injection-moulded part, but is far too complicated to be injection moulded. So how is it done? What’s the catch? There is no part handling, no re-dipping, no repetition or layering of any kind. It looks like a miracle.

According to Kirk Phelps, vice president of product management at Carbon, this is continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) in action.