Princess Elisabeth inaugurates a KU Leuven laboratory bearing her name (photos)

Princess Elisabeth inaugurated a new 3D laboratory within the mechanical engineering department of KU Leuven on Thursday afternoon. The “Princess Elisabeth Additive Manufacturing Lab” will expand research possibilities on 3D printing techniques at the University of Leuven.

The princess was treated to a guided tour of the laboratory that bears her name, near Leuven, and was introduced to the techniques and applications of 3D printing. This technique makes it possible to transform a virtual drawing into a three-dimensional physical object by building it layer by layer. This can be done with plastic, but also with ceramic or metal, such as steel, copper or titanium.

The freedom of design offered by 3D printing is very large, while the time between design and the final result is quite short. This sector is growing every year and constantly expanding into new areas. Health is one of them, including the production of prostheses.

During her visit, Princess Elizabeth received a souvenir: an aluminum cylinder, light as a feather but extremely robust, with a crown embedded inside, which is only visible if you look in the right direction. through the porous structure.

The object, which weighs only 32 grams, has 1,384 layers of printing. “We are particularly honored by the visit of the Crown Princess and by the role she plays as a committed ambassador for our new laboratory and for scientific research.“, said Professor Brecht Van Hooreweder, leader of the research team.

“We also intend to use the new laboratory to arouse the interest of a greater number of young people in science and technology. We find that female students are still often underrepresented in engineering programs, with the exception of bioengineering. We are therefore all the happier that a young woman like Princess Elisabeth is committed to this field..”