Jade Boyd

Rice University

Industrial Media Unboxing Video

Industrial Media Unboxing Video

IEN Unboxed is a new show in which our editors unbox new tools on the market and discuss their features.

Unlike most commercial SLS platforms, Rice University's OpenSLS allows researchers to work with their own powdered materials, including specialized biomaterials like polycaprolactone, or PCL, a common nontoxic polymer that was used to print these tissue-engineering scaffolds. Researcher Ian Kinstlinger developed a method for smoothing the surfaces (left) of newly printed scaffolds (right) using vaporized solvent.

Laser Cutter Hacked to Create Open-Source 3D Printer

It's 40 times cheaper, and can print intricate designs from powdered plastics and biomaterials.