UC Berkeley Researchers Release Open-Source 3D Printer

The team made the technology and build guide available to help hobbyists and researchers create complex objects.

Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Materials Science

UC Berkeley Researchers Release Open-Source 3D Printer

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UC Berkeley researchers have released an open-source 3D printing technology, known as OpenCAL, which allows users to build objects simultaneously rather than layer by layer. The project team published a build guide and software in August 2026 to facilitate public access.

Why it matters

By making the technology open-source, researchers intend to foster community feedback and simplify the creation of complex prints. This release aims to provide both hobbyists and academic laboratories with a cost-effective alternative to traditional additive manufacturing.

The OpenCAL printer builds objects by projecting image sequences through a rotating vial of resin, a method that allows for overprinting on existing solid items. The total cost of materials required to assemble the unit is approximately $1,600.

The players

UC Berkeley

This public research university in Berkeley serves as the institution where the OpenCAL 3D printing technology was developed and released.

The details

The technology works by immersing a preexisting solid object into a rotating volume of resin and printing around it, enabling users to add material directly onto existing structures. The specialized resin required for these prints became commercially available on October 7, 2026.

August 2026: The latest version of the printer became available to the public.
October 7, 2026: The required resin for the printer was released for commercial purchase.

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The Big Picture

This project aligns with the UC Berkeley open-source 3D printing initiative, which seeks to democratize advanced manufacturing tools. The release marks a shift toward accessible, non-layered additive manufacturing that challenges the standard paradigm of traditional 3D printing.

Hobbyists and labs in Berkeley and beyond can now utilize the build guide to assemble a high-functioning printer at a fraction of the cost of industrial alternatives. The ability to print onto preexisting objects also opens new possibilities for repairing or modifying custom items at home.

The takeaway

The release of OpenCAL highlights how open-source collaboration can rapidly lower the barrier to entry for advanced scientific hardware. Readers interested in 3D printing can now leverage these public guides to incorporate additive manufacturing into their own projects.