A broken motor in an automated machine can bring production on a busy factory floor to a halt. If engineers can’t find a replacement part they may have to order one from a distributor hundreds of miles away, leading to costly production delays.

It would be easier, faster, and cheaper to make a new motor onsite. But fabricating electric machines typically requires specialized equipment and complicated processes, which restricts production to a few manufacturing centers.

In an effort to democratize the manufacture of complex devices, MIT researchers have developed a multimaterial 3D-printing platform that could be used to fully print electric machines in a single step.

They designed their system to process multiple functional materials, including electrically conductive materials and magnetic materials, using four extrusion tools that can handle varied forms of printable material. The printer switches between extruders, which deposit material by squeezing it through a nozzle as it fabricates a device one layer at a time.

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