Reconstruction Technology Using 3D Printers

Reconstruction technology has grown fast in recent years, and with the help of 3D printers and 3D scanners it is developing even more strongly.

Reconstruction technology:

3D printers recreate a large cave grotto in China.
3D printers rebuild a human face.

China uses 3D printing to recreate a full-size ancient cave grotto:

Based on the original Cave 12 of the Yungang Grottoes, this “replica” cave is made of more than 1,300 printed modules and measures 14 m long, 12 m wide and 9 m high.

Reconstruction technology has grown fast in recent years, and 3D printers and 3D scanners are pushing it even further.

China will soon put on display a full-size cave recreated from the Yungang Grottoes with 3D printing, at a museum in Zhejiang Province in the east of the country. Based on the original Cave 12 of the Yungang Grottoes, this “replica” cave is made of more than 1,300 printed modules and measures 14 m long, 12 m wide and 9 m high.

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Ning Bo, director of the digitization office at the Yungang Grottoes Research Institute, said the replica is made from lightweight materials that can be taken apart and put back together like prefabricated building blocks. The project took three years to complete, including data collection and processing, 3D printing the modules and coloring. The Yungang Grottoes are a complex of cave temples on the western outskirts of Datong in Shanxi Province, northern China. They are famous for sculptures dating from the 5th century, during the Northern Wei dynasty, between the Xing’an era in 453 and the Taihe era in 495.

The site has 45 major caves and more than 59,000 carved statues. In 2001, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized the Yungang Grottoes as a World Cultural Heritage site. Thanks to 3D printing, a replica of Cave 3 of the Yungang Grottoes was displayed in Qingdao in 2017, and a replica of Cave 18 was displayed in Beijing in 2018. In recent years, China has promoted digital technology such as laser scanners, 3D modeling and survey measurements to preserve cultural heritage, especially ancient structures like the Yungang Grottoes and the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang in Gansu Province, northwest China.

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Rebuilding a face with 3D printing technology

Researchers used a 3D printer and a smartphone (acting as a 3D scanner) to map facial features and create a silicone prosthesis for Denise Vicentin, who had lost her right eye and part of her jaw. Accurate reconstruction needs a precise combination of a 3D scanner to capture data and a 3D printer to build the structure and finish it.

Denise Vicentin, 53, burst into tears when she saw her new face in the mirror.

Cancer had taken her right eye and part of her jaw, but thanks to advanced reconstruction technology using a 3D printer, the Brazilian woman now has a new face.

Researchers at Paulista University used a smartphone and a 3D printer to map her facial features digitally and then create a silicone prosthesis.

This pioneering method not only lowers costs but also cuts production time in half. Lead researcher Rodrigo Salazar said that in the past this process took much longer. It needed hours of hand sculpting and was very invasive, because material had to be placed on the patient’s face to capture their features. Now, with just phone photos, the researchers can build a 3D model. Many simulation and 3D scanning apps have been developed for mobile phones. Vicentin is one of 50 patients that Salazar and his colleagues have treated since 2015. The team focuses on maxillofacial reconstruction, a branch of dentistry that treats patients with facial deformities caused by birth defects, disease or injury. Vicentin’s ordeal began 30 years ago, when a tumor appeared on her face. It was removed twice, but it kept growing and later became malignant. Over time she lost parts of the right side of her face and had great difficulty eating and speaking because of the missing jaw. Her daughter, Jessica, acted as her interpreter. As 3D printing developed in recent years, Luciano Dib, a colleague on Salazar’s research team, came up with the idea of using it for prosthesis models. Vicentin’s turning point came in 2015. Dib placed titanium rods in Vicentin’s eye socket to hold the facial prosthesis. The following year, she had several surgeries to rebuild facial tissue. Using only a phone, Salazar took 15 photos of Vicentin’s face from different angles. The photos were then used to create digital 3D models. With this model, the designer created a mirror image of the healthy half of Vicentin’s face. The engineers used the 3D printed model to make a prosthesis from silicone, resin and synthetic fibers. To make the prosthesis look as real as possible, Salazar and his colleagues carefully matched its color to Vicentin’s skin and eye color. This final step took 12 hours, half the time of traditional methods. The surgeries took a year, so it was not until early December 2019 that Vicentin received her finished face. Traditional facial reconstruction would need equipment worth 500,000 USD, while the new method needs only a computer and a smartphone. The technique was presented in the journal Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery in 2016. Dib and Salazar plan to open a treatment center called Plus Identity next year. They hope that in the future 3D printing can be used to make silicone prostheses directly, instead of only models as it does today. SEE ALSO:

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Frequently asked questions

What are the steps to reconstruct an object with 3D technology?

The process usually has three steps: capture the geometry with a 3D scanner or photos (photogrammetry), process the data into a complete 3D model, then 3D print or machine a physical copy. For large objects, the model is split into modules that are printed separately, then assembled and surface finished.

Why do museums and heritage sites favor 3D scanning combined with 3D printing?

This method digitizes artifacts without touching them, stores the data long term and creates display replicas without moving the original. Replicas can be made from lightweight materials that are easy to take apart and ship to exhibitions in many places.

Can a phone replace a professional 3D scanner?

For some uses, yes, such as roughly capturing the shape of a face or a large object with photogrammetry. But when technical parts need high accuracy, a professional 3D scanner still gives more stable and detailed data.

Why are prostheses usually made of silicone instead of being 3D printed directly?

Silicone has softness, elasticity and color matching close to real skin, and it is suitable for long-term contact with the body. The 3D print is usually used as a master or mold for casting the silicone, which shortens shaping time compared with hand sculpting.

How can businesses in Vietnam use 3D reconstruction technology?

Businesses can use it to rebuild spare parts that no longer have drawings, copy statues and reliefs, digitize handicrafts or make display models. Contact CT3D at Hotline/Zalo 0975 008 728 or contact@ct3dgroup.com for advice on the right 3D scanning, design and 3D printing solution.

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