First Of Its Kind 3D Printable Flexible Fibre Battery

Here at 3D Rapid Print, one of the fastest growing 3D Printing companies in the Thames Valley, we like to keep abreast of the latest innovations in 3D printing.

On December 20th 2021, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced that they had developed an ultra-long, 3D printable and rechargeable flexible fibre battery, which they proclaimed was both a world first and the longest of its kind ever made. To demonstrate their concept, they made a 140-metre-long flexible fibre battery to show that the material could be manufactured to arbitrarily long lengths, while still measuring only a few hundred microns thick, which MIT claimed was thinner than any previous attempt to produce batteries in fibre form. The team’s research was published in the journal Materials Today.

Members of the MIT team had previously demonstrated the capabilities of fibres containing electronics like LEDs and photosensors, many of which were weavable and washable such that they could be used in wearable products. However, these relied on an external power source. In contrast, MIT argued that as well as being weavable and washable, its new type of battery could enable such devices to be completely self-contained by using the material to 3D print casings that would contain both a device’s structure and power source. The team demonstrated this via a toy submarine being powered by the battery fibre it was wrapped in.

The team has applied for a patent on the process and intends to develop similar batteries with improved power capacity, as well as experiment with using different materials to improve efficiency. MIT hopes that its work will lead to 3D printed batteries being made in virtually any shape and enable a wide variety of wearable electronics.

3D printing is an amazing tool. It can grow your small business or start a mini revolution in an industry. Explore what it can do for you when you contact us today.

Disclaimer: Featured image of “La pile de Volta (Le Petit journal)” is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 70 years or fewer.