Stereo lithography is an additive manufacturing technology, used in rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing. Like in any rapid prototyping technique the part is split up in a certain amount of cross sections. These are later built as seperate layers fused to each other.
The production of one or several parts in one go happens automatically by using 3D data.
A UV-curable photopolymer resin usually epoxy resin, gets cured by a laser in layers (of 0,05mm - 0,25mm, microsterolithography 0,001mm). The process happens in a vat that is filled with the basis monomers of the resin.

On each layer the laser beam traces a cross section pattern on the surface of the liquid resin. Then a resin-filled blade sweeps across the cross section, re-coating it with fresh material. On this new liquid surface, the subsequent layer pattern is traced, adhering to the previous layer.
A complete 3-D part is formed by this process. After the building process, the components are cleaned of excess resin by immersion in a chemical bath and then fully cured in an UV oven.

Bigger parts that tend to get warm and flexible, or certain geometrical shapes (recesses etc.) need supporting structures to avoid deformation. These structures can be built within the same process.

Zusätliche Informationen finden Sie in unserem Download-Bereich.