Do you remember the Mosaic Manufacturing team that came up with that machine that allows you to seamlessly 3D print multiple types of filament with a single extruder? Well, their technology is called SEEM, and it turns out that SEEM isn’t just for creating multi-color models. Using standard PLA and a new conductive filament called F-Electric, the Mosaic team 3D printed a working flashlight as a single print with a single extruder 3D printer.
I can’t go to a 3D printing forum without seeing someone complaining about their dual extruder 3D printer anymore. It’s usually one of two complaints, either the second extruder ends up bumping the model and causing flaws or in worst case examples dislodging the model completely. But the most common is when the second material oozes into the first causing discoloration, and if the printer is using two different materials ruining the integrity of what’s being printed. But with Mosaic Manufacturing’s SEEM – series enabled extrusion of material – technology the second extruder is completely eliminated along with, seemingly, the headaches that it tends to bring along with it.
The SEEM accessory that is being developed allows multiple filaments to be fed into it so it can measure exactly how much of each material is needed for a specific part of the print job and seamlessly fuse it with the second material being used for the rest of the model. In the examples that we’ve seen from Mozaic so far they simply created multi-color models, but they did tell us that SEEM works with completely different materials as well.
To illustrate this ability the Mosaic team decided to use SEEM and a new experimental conductive filament called F-Electric to 3D print a functional flashlight in a single print. The only parts that needed to be installed were the battery and the LED bulb, everything else was completely 3D printed. Here’s a video detailing the process:
The F-Electric filament was created by a startup called Functionalize and is currently struggling to get funded on Kickstarter and could really use some help. I see a lot of bad 3D printing related Kickstarter campaigns with silly, worthless products blaze past absurd funding goals so I’m baffled that a cool product like F-Electric is getting overlooked. There are still a few days left to help it reach its goal though.
As far as Mosaic and their SEEM technology goes however, I remain impressed with the product. Of course we still have to see a market-ready unit with a palatable price point, but I really don’t see how this is going to lose. The technology speaks for itself, and it is saying all the right things.
