Term | SLA printing |
Variations | stereolithography, SL printing, solid imaging, optical fabrication, photosolidification, solid free-form fabrication |
See also | STL file, DLP printing, MSLA printing |
Definition | A method of 3D printing in which a solid object is produced using an ultraviolet laser to cure the pattern in a liquid polymer resin. The laser scans each layer, turning on (curing) where the object will be solid and turning off where the object will be empty. There are two basic methods. In the first, the object is started by positioning a perforated platform just below the surface of the resin. The laser cures the resin where the piece will touch the platform. The platform is lowered in the tank a fraction of a millimeter and the next layer is cured, until the object is complete. In the second, the build platform starts at the bottom of the resin, and the laser cures from underneath. The platform is raised and each subsequent layer is cured, resulting in the finished object being suspended upside-down from the bottom of the platform. |
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