Introduction to SFF Processes:

StereoLithography
 Video Clip
for
Rapid Prototyping Processes
 StereoLithography (repeat)
(SL)
• 3D Systems’, Valencia, CA
• Patent 1986, First commercial RP
• UV laser-induced Photopolymerization
• Epoxies, acrylates
• Accuracy better than 50 microns
 Stereolithography
• Liquid Photopolymer
• Very good accuracy and surface finish
• average speed, cost $100~500K
• Recently, able to produce metal and ceramic green parts
 Stereolithography
Laser photolithography creates acrylic or epoxy parts
directly from a vat of liquid photocurable polymer

1. Selectively solidifying the polymer

with a scanning laser beam
2. Parts are built up on an elevator
platform that incrementally lowers the
part into the vat by the distance of the
layer thickness
3. To build each layer, a laser beam is
guided across the surface (by servo-
controlled galvanometer mirrors)
4. The platform is then lowered into the
vat and the next layer is drawn and
Source: Ultra Violet Products, Inc. adhered to the previous layer
5. These steps are repeated, layer-by-
layer, until the complete part is built
up.
 Support Structures

With laser photolithography

1. Capable of features with gradually changing overhangs
2. Large overhanging features, however, require supports
 Stereolithography
Laser photolithography creates acrylic or epoxy parts
directly from a vat of liquid photocurable polymer

1. photopolymers are relatively

viscous, simply lowering the
elevator the small distance of the
layer thickness (i.e., ~.002 in. to
~.020 in.) down into the vat does
not permit the liquid to uniformly
recoat the upper surface of the part
in a timely fashion.

2. A recoating mechanism is
therefore required to facilitate this
process.
Recoating in SLA
 Fabrication of Part

Models built on stereolithography apparatus

Part and supports shown attached to platform
 Rapid Prototyping Examples

Stereolithography model of
cellular phone.
‘.STL’ File (Repeat)

• STL: STereoLithography
• Software generates a tessellated object
description
• File consists of the X, Y, Z coordinates of the
three vertices of each surface triangle, with an
index to describe the orientation of the surface
normal
• Support generation to hold overhung surfaces
during build
The computational steps in
producing a
stereolithography file.
(a) Three-dimensional
description of part.
(b) The part is divided into
slices (only one in 10 is
shown).
(c) Support material is planned.

(d) A set of tool directions is

determined to manufacture
each slice.