In short, it functions like a DMLS printer where you have a build plate that descends and a moving blade to deposite the layer. The idea is figuring out a way to completely decouple the build plate after a layer is deposited so that it can be weighed, the area of the layer is known, and then the build plate is returned to its original position. The challenge is the tolerances involved. We're talking fractions of a milligram, and the build plate needs to be returned to the same position with thousands of an inch (mixing units, fight me). The other challenge was not losing a single bit of powder during the decoupling and not disturbing the layer. Then you also had to purge the seal in a pure nitrogen and dry environment.

I left the project fairly early though as I had changed jobs. But the prototype was showing promise although never fully tested.

The Company Phase3D is doing something similiar but only with a heigthmap of the spreaded and/or melted powder, at the company im working in we're currently in the planning stage to build somehting like this in our Ceramic 3D Printer