{"id":248,"date":"2016-08-11T09:54:44","date_gmt":"2016-08-11T09:54:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/chemsustainability\/?p=248"},"modified":"2018-01-22T22:24:27","modified_gmt":"2018-01-22T22:24:27","slug":"3d-printing-for-custom-made-labware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/chemsustainability\/2016\/08\/11\/3d-printing-for-custom-made-labware\/","title":{"rendered":"3D Printing for Custom Made Labware"},"content":{"rendered":"

3D printing is an exciting and rapidly expanding\u00a0technique that could become more and more involved in the world of chemistry. For example,\u00a0a nature paper (Symes et. al, 2012)<\/u><\/a> reported a reaction in which all specialized equipment was custom built using 3D printing, controlling the outcome by printing reagents into reaction vessels. This creative application opens doors to smaller laboratories and enterprises that would previously only be possible with ‘expensive chemical engineering technologies’.<\/p>\n

So how does this link in with sustainability? While it can do some amazing things, it can be applied more simply to create custom-made items which are uncomplicated to design. 3D printing can be used as a way around purchasing expensive equipment, often resulting in large savings on transport costs and using fewer raw materials.<\/p>\n

An example of this was demonstrated by Blue Carter – a member of Dr Jon Kitchen’s group. He needed to analyse a solid sample, but the slots in the rack of the fluorescence spectrometer are usually designed for cuvettes filled with solution; solid sample slides won’t fit.<\/p>\n

Instead of replacing the entire rack,\u00a0the slide was\u00a0mounted\u00a0onto a 3D-printed ABS plastic holder\u00a0which fits perfectly into the cuvette holder for solutions.\u00a0For this particular printer \/ material, it\u00a0cost around 2p per holder and under 4 minutes per holder on average\u00a0(30 minutes per print-job with 8 holders made at once).<\/p>\n

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\"Cuvette<\/a> \"Cuvette<\/a><\/p>\n

Custom built slide holder made from ABS plastic using Da Vinci 2.0 3D printer. See right how it fits perfectly into the slot for cuvettes.<\/em><\/p>\n

Blue’s slide holders were printed using a friend’s machine, but the University actually has several 3D printers of its own.\u00a0Dr Peter Birkin’s group in electrochemistry are another example of how this has been put to good use – they create bespoke pieces of equipment such as air-sensitive X-ray cells and holders similar to Blue’s.<\/p>\n

If others in the department were to use this technology in similar ways, it could be part of a movement towards a more sustainable, savvy\u00a0and self-reliant chemistry, less dependent on suppliers for\u00a0its needs.<\/p>\n

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Key facts:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n