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What Is Stereolithography - 3D Printing - Live Science
What Is Stereolithography - 3D Printing - Live Science
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There are many di erent ways to 3D print an object. But nearly all of them utilize
computer aided design (CAD) les.
SLAs have four main parts: a tank that can be lled with liquid plastic
(photopolymer), a perforated platform that is lowered into the tank, an
ultraviolet (UV) laser and a computer controlling the platform and the laser.
In the initial step of the SLA process, a thin layer of photopolymer (usually
between 0.05-0.15 mm) is exposed above the perforated platform. The UV laser
hits the perforated platform, "painting" the pattern of the object being printed.
The UV-curable liquid hardens instantly when the UV laser touches it, forming
the rst layer of the 3D-printed object.
Once the initial layer of the object has hardened, the platform is lowered,
exposing a new surface layer of liquid polymer. The laser again traces a cross
section of the object being printed, which instantly bonds to the hardened
section beneath it.
This process is repeated again and again until the entire object has been formed
and is fully submerged in the tank.
Objects made using stereolithography generally have smooth surfaces, but the
quality of an object depends on the quality of the SLA machine used to print it.
Stereolithography was the rst process developed for rapid prototyping, and
though it is among the oldest 3D printing methods, it is still very popular today.
3D Systems Inc., the company that pioneered stereolithography still uses this
process to build prototypes for clients. The company also sells SLA machines for
use by businesses and manufacturers.
Other leading 3D printing companies have their own preferred methods for 3D
printing prototypes and nished parts. For example, Stratasys, another leading
3D manufacturer, patented the Fused Deposition Modeling process for 3D
printing in 1992.
But there are many companies around the United States that use SLA machines
to provide their clients with rapidly produced and relatively cheap prototypes.
SLA at home
However, there are options for those that want to create their own SLA-printed
objects at home. Formlabs, a startup based in Cambridge, Mass., recently
developed a desktop machine that prints objects using stereolithography.
And if you're more of a do-it-yourselfer, there are others out there trying to
master the art of this high-tech process all on their own, as well.
Further reading:
3D Printer.net
Photopolymer.com
Quickparts.com
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