A new wave-inspired toolpath allows 3D printers to create perfectly horizontal bridges in mid-air without using any support material.

Gravity normally dictates that 3D printers cannot deposit plastic over thin air without something underneath to catch it. This method uses wave propagation theory to vary the speed and flow of the plastic, creating a self-supporting structure. It turns a standard 3-axis printer into a machine capable of geometries that used to require expensive 5-axis setups. This eliminates the waste of sacrificial plastic and the labor of sanding down rough edges. Designers can now create much more complex internal parts without worrying about how to remove the supports later. It represents a fundamental shift in how we think about the physical limits of additive manufacturing.