Hackaday · Creativity & design

Embedded 3D Printing with Liquids on a Modified FDM Printer

A modified Prusa i3 FDM printer was repurposed for embedded 3D printing (E3DP), a technique that uses a supportive medium to print materials and structures not possible with air support.

E3DP involves extruding liquid material into a supportive medium at a specific depth and volume, enabling the printing of various materials. This contrasts with traditional FDM where extrusion occurs onto a build plate or previous layer.

A 2026 review article by Rongji Tang et al. in Frontiers in Materials highlights E3DP's potential in areas like soft robotics, biological tissue printing, and microfluidics, while also noting ongoing research into print quality, support materials, and extrusion control.

Challenges exist with printing certain fluids, such as Newtonian fluids like silicone oil, as detailed by Hejoon Jun et al. in a 2025 paper in Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Min Ye et al. in a 2026 paper in International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing discuss difficulties in printing living tissues, introducing a method called EPICS using a self-healing support medium.

The modified printer utilized an Allstruder syringe pump and a Caribou Duet 3 motherboard, replacing the original Prusa components.

Initial tests included printing with cream cheese, followed by a two-part epoxy using hair gel as support. The epoxy print was time-sensitive due to its rapid hardening.

A final print with silicone (Sylgard 184) in hair gel resulted in a trifold torus shape but faced issues with the silicone not curing, possibly due to additives in the hair gel inhibiting the curing process.

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