CCTV Reports: Professor Ge Qi of Southern University of Science and Technology Pioneers Centrifugal DLP-Based Multi-Material 4D Printing Technology

On May 6, 2025, https://panda3dp.com/3dprintnews-6364-1.html reported that the CCTV-13 news program Live Newsroom, in its segment titled Industrial Transformation in Guangdong: Building a Talent Magnet to Co-Create a Technological Future for the Greater Bay Area, featured the cutting-edge research of Professor Ge Qi and his team at the Multi-Functional Additive Manufacturing and 4D Printing Laboratory at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). In the laboratory, Professor Ge is leading a breakthrough in centrifugal DLP-based multi-material 3D printing technology, achieving near-zero cross-contamination during material switching—a major step toward broad application in communications, medicine, and beyond.

△Professor Ge Qi, Head of the Multi-Functional Additive Manufacturing and 4D Printing Laboratory at SUSTech

As a next-generation additive manufacturing method, 4D printing involves the use of smart materials to construct three-dimensional structures that change shape over time when exposed to external stimuli. By combining smart materials with elastic substrates through multi-material printing, the design space and functional complexity of 4D printed structures can be vastly expanded—surpassing the limitations of single-material 4D prints. However, multi-material additive manufacturing still presents challenges in equipment, materials, and design integration.

Centrifugal DLP-based multi-material 3D printing technology introduces two core innovations—"high-speed centrifugal material switching" and "dynamic leveling of multiple resin vats"—to overcome traditional photopolymer printing’s material compatibility bottlenecks. This enables the integrated fabrication of multi-functional structures and provides disruptive manufacturing solutions for fields such as healthcare, industrial design, and aerospace.

At the heart of this advancement lies the centrifugal multi-material switching technology, which enables rapid material exchange and residue removal. With adjustable speeds up to 10,000 RPM, the system completes material switching within 60 seconds, allowing up to 2,500 material transitions in a single print—an industry-leading achievement. It supports a wide range of materials, including hard resins, elastomers, hydrogels, shape-memory polymers, and conductive elastomers, with viscosities ranging from 5 to 5000 cps. This offers unmatched flexibility for diverse industries and application needs.

△Workflow of Centrifugal Multi-Material Switching Technology

This platform supports the printing of highly complex, high-precision, multifunctional structures with coupled materials. It enables simultaneous printing of 2 to 4 materials, both within layers and between layers. The transition zones between materials can be controlled to within 100 microns, offering a high-precision solution for the fabrication of intricate multi-material components.

According to https://panda3dp.com/3dprintnews-6364-1.html, in October 2024, Professor Ge’s team founded Shenzhen MultiMatter 3D, a company dedicated to multi-material photopolymer 3D printing. The firm has developed and launched its proprietary centrifugal multi-material printing technology under the "MultiMatter" series.

△MultiMatter’s C10, C30, and C50 Series Multi-Material Photopolymer 3D Printers utilize Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology, offer build volumes ranging from 25×25×25 mm to 30×30×30 mm, and support high-precision printing with 25μm layer thickness.

https://panda3dp.com/3dprintnews-6364-1.html also observed that two high-precision printers from BMF Precision Tech—nanoArch S130 and microArch S240—appeared in the footage behind Professor Ge. These printers had previously been used in multiple publications by Ge’s research group.

△The two BMF high-precision printers behind Professor Ge Qi

Notable research works include:

 High-Precision, High-Strength Polymer-Derived SiOC Ceramics via Photopolymer 3D Printing by the Ge Qi / Wang Rong team at SUSTech: Using BMF’s nanoArch® S130 (2μm resolution) and microArch® S240 (10μm resolution), the team fabricated complex structures ranging from sub-millimeter to centimeter scale with feature resolution down to 5μm. Upon pyrolysis at 1100°C in vacuum, the PCP precursor was converted into SiOC ceramic with a ceramic yield of 56.9%.

Link: [https://www.https://panda3dp.com/3dprintnews-6364-1.html.com/thread-166819-1-1.html](https://www.https://panda3dp.com/3dprintnews-6364-1.html.com/thread-166819-1-1.html)

 Highly Conductive and Extensible Ionogels via Photopolymer 3D Printing by Ge Qi’s team: The researchers printed 5μm-wide lines and complex 50μm Gyroid structures using the S130 and fabricated large Octet truss structures using the S240.

Link: [https://www.https://panda3dp.com/3dprintnews-6364-1.html.com/thread-170301-1-1.html](https://www.https://panda3dp.com/3dprintnews-6364-1.html.com/thread-170301-1-1.html)

nanoArch® S130

BMF’s S130 is an ultra-precision 3D printing system with innovations such as wide-format stitching, collimated illumination, real-time monitoring, and auto-focus. It supports 2μm printing resolution and build volumes up to 50×50×10 mm. Designed with a sub-micron multi-axis motion platform, it resolves the trade-off between high resolution and large build size. The printer is ideal for rapid prototyping of complex micro-scale components using various specialized resins developed for strength, high temperature, and biomedical applications.

microArch® S240

The microArch S240 offers higher build volumes, faster printing, and broader material compatibility. With 10μm resolution and ±25μm tolerance control, it boosts printing size by 3.4× via precision stitching. Its roller coating technology increases printing speed tenfold. It supports resin viscosities up to 20,000 cps and functional composites like ceramic- and magnetically-filled photopolymers.

Key features include:

 Ultra-high precision (10μm optical resolution)

 Thin layer thickness (10–40μm)

 Large-format microstructure integration

 Nanoparticle-infused functional material printing

 Optical monitoring with auto-focus

 Full-featured software and customizable parameters

Professor Ge Qi studied and taught in the United States and Singapore before returning to China in late 2018, drawn by the Greater Bay Area’s rich innovation ecosystem. He noted receiving an initial funding of nearly 10 million RMB, which enabled him to devote himself fully to frontier research for five years without financial concerns.

Professor Ge Qi

Research interests: 4D printing, multifunctional 3D printing, soft matter mechanics, soft robotics, flexible electronics

Email: [geq@sustech.edu.cn](mailto:geq@sustech.edu.cn)

Dr. Ge Qi is a tenured professor in the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology, doctoral supervisor, and Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Soft Material Mechanics and Intelligent Manufacturing. He serves on editorial boards of journals including International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing and Microsystems & Nanoengineering. Recognized as a national-level young talent, he is also listed among Guangdong and Shenzhen’s high-level overseas talents.

Dr. Ge previously held a postdoctoral position at MIT and was an assistant professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Since returning full-time to China in June 2019, he has led numerous national and provincial projects. His research spans smart materials and structures, 4D printing, soft robotics, and flexible electronics. He has authored over 100 journal articles, including first or corresponding author publications in Science Advances, Nature Communications, and Advanced Materials. His Google Scholar profile shows over 11,000 citations and an H-index of 42. He is listed among Elsevier’s Most Cited Chinese Researchers and Stanford’s Global Top 2% Scientists.

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