Unit-II

LIQUID-BASED RAPID PROTOTYPING SYSTEMS

Stereo lithography Apparatus (SLA): models and specifications, process, working principle,
photopolymers, photo polymerization, layering technology, laser and laser scanning,
applications, advantages and disadvantages, case studies.
Solid Ground Curing (SGC): models and specifications, process, working principle,
applications, advantages and disadvantages, case studies.

INTRODUCTION TO LIQUID-BASED RAPID PROTOTYPING SYSTEMS

Most liquid-based rapid prototyping systems build parts in
a vat of photo-curable liquid resin, an organic resin that cures or solidifies under the effect of
exposure to laser radiation, usually in the UV range. The laser cures the resin near the surface,
forming a hardened layer. When a layer of the part is formed, it is lowered by an elevation
control system to allow the next layer of resin to be similarly formed over it. This continues until
the entire part is completed. The vat can then be drained and the part removed for further
processing, if necessary. There are variations to this technique by the various vendors and they
are dependent on the type of light or laser, method of scanning or exposure, type of liquid resin,
type of elevation and optical system used.

3D SYSTEMS’ Stereo lithography Apparatus (SLA)

Models and Specifications

3D Systems produces a wide range of machines to cater to various part sizes and
throughput. There are several models available, including those in the series of SLA 250/30A,
SLA 250/50, SLA-250/50HR, SLA 3500, SLA 5000, SLA 7000 and Viper si2.

1. The SLA 250/30A is an economical and versatile SLA starter system that uses a Helium
Cadmium (He–Cd) laser.
2. The SLA 250/50 is a supercharged system with a higher powered laser, interchangeable
vats and Zephyr recoater system
3. The SLA 250/50HR adds a special feature of a small spot laser for high-resolution
application
4. All SLA 250 type systems have a maximum build envelope of 250 × 250 × 250 mm and
use a He–Cd laser.
5. For bigger build envelopes, the SLA 3500, SLA 5000 and SLA 7000 are available.
These three machines use a different laser from the SLA 250 (solid-state Nd: YVO4 )
6. The SLA 7000 is the top of the series. It can build parts up to four times faster than the
SLA 5000 with the capacity of building thinner layers (minimum layer thickness 0.025
mm) for finer surface finish.
 7. 3D Systems’ new Viper si2 SLA system is their first solid imaging system to combine
standard and high-resolution
esolution part building in the same system. The Viper si2 system
builds parts with a smooth surface finish, excellent optical clarity, high accuracy, and
thin, straight vertical walls.
All these machines use one
one-component, photo-curable
curable liquid resins as the material
for building. There are several grades of resins available and the usage iss dependent on the laser
on the machine and the mechanical requirement of the part. Specific details of the correct type of
resins to be used are available from the manufacturer. The other main consumable used on these
machines is the cleaning solvent which is required to clean the part of any residual resin after the
building of the part is completed on the machine.

Summary specifications of SLA--250 machines (Source from 3D Systems)

SLA Process:

The main components of the SLA system are a control computer, a control panel, a laser, an
optical system and a process chamber. The workstation software used by the SLA system, known
as 3D Lightyear.

Schematic of SLA process

3D Systems’ stereolithography process creates three three-dimensional

dimensional plastic
objects directly from CAD data. The process begins with the vat filled with the photo-curable
photo
liquid resin and the elevator table set just below the surface of the liquid resin.
The operator loads a three-dimensional
dimensional CAD solid model file into the system.
Supports are designed to stabilize the part during building. The translator converts the CAD data
into a STL file. The control unit slices the model and support in into
to a series of cross sections from
0.025 to 0.5 mm (0.001 to 0.020 in) thick. The computer
computer-controlled
controlled optical scanning system then
directs and focuses the laser beam so that it solidifies a two dimensional cross-section
corresponding to the slice on the su
surface of the photo-curable
curable liquid resin to a depth greater than
one layer thickness. The elevator table then drops enough to cover the solid polymer with
another layer of the liquid resin.
A leveling wiper or vacuum blade (for Zephyr TM recoating system) moves across the surfaces to
recoat the next layer of resin on the surface. The laser then draws the next layer. This process
continues building the part from bottom up, until the system completes the part. The part is then
raised out of the vat and cleaned of excess polymer.

SLA Principle

The SLA process is based fundamentally on the following principles:

(1) Parts are built from a photo-curable liquid resin that cures when exposed to a laser beam
(basically, undergoing the photo polymerization process) which scans across the surface of the
resin.
(2) The building is done layer by layer, each layer being scanned by the optical scanning system
and controlled by an elevation mechanism which lowers at the completion of each layer.

This first principle deals mostly with photo-curable liquid resins, which are essentially
photopolymers and the photopolymerization process. The second principle deals mainly with
CAD data, the laser, and the control of the optical scanning system as well as the elevation
mechanism.

(1). Photopolymers

 There are many types of liquid photopolymers that can be solidified by exposure to
electro-magnetic radiation, including wavelengths in the gamma rays, X-rays, UV and
visible range, or electron-beam (EB).
 The vast majority of photopolymers used in the commercial RP systems, including 3D
Systems’ SLA machines are curable in the UV range. UV-curable photopolymers are
resins which are formulated from photoinitiators and reactive liquid monomers.
 There are a large variety of them and some may contain fillers and other chemical
modifiers to meet specified chemical and mechanical requirements. The process through
which photopolymers are cured is referred to as the photopolymerization process.

Photopolymerization
“Polymerization is the process of linking small molecules (known as
monomers) into chain-like larger molecules (known as polymers)”. When the chain-like
polymers are linked further to one another, a cross-linked polymer is said to be formed.
Photopolymerization is polymerization initiated by a photochemical process whereby the starting
point is usually the induction of energy from the radiation source.
 Polymerization of photopolymers is normally an energetically favorable or exothermic
reaction. However, in most cases, the formulation of a photopolymer can be stabilized to remain
unreacted at ambient temperature. A catalyst is required for polymerization to take place at a
reasonable rate. This catalyst is usually a free radical which may be generated either thermally or
photochemically. The source of a photochemically generated radical is a photoinitiator, which
reacts with an actinic photon to produce the radicals that catalyze the polymerization process.

The free-radical photopolymerization process is schematically presented in Figure. Photoinitiator

molecules, Pi, which are mixed with the monomers, M, are exposed to a UV source of actinic
photons, with energy of hν . The photoinitiators absorb some of the photons and are in an excited
state. Some of these are converted into reactive initiator molecules, P•, after undergoing several
complex chemical energy transformation steps. These molecules then react with a monomer
molecule to form a polymerization initiating molecule, PM•. This is the chain initiation step.
Once activated, additional monomer molecules go on to react in the chain propagation step,
forming longer molecules, PMMM• until a chain inhibition process terminates the
polymerization reaction. The longer the reaction is sustained, the higher will be the molecular
weight of the resulting polymer. Also, if the monomer molecules have three or more reactive
chemical groups, the resulting polymer will be cross-linked, and this will generate an insoluble
continuous network of molecules.
During polymerization, it is important that the polymers are sufficiently cross-
linked so that the polymerized molecules do not redissolve back into the liquid monomers. The
photopolymerized molecules must also possess sufficient strength to remain structurally sound
while the cured resin is subjected to various forces during recoating.

(2). Layering Technology, Laser and Laser Scanning

Almost all RP systems use layering technology in the creation of prototype parts.
The basic principle is the availability of computer software to slice a CAD model into layers and
reproduce it in an “output” device like a laser scanning system. The layer thickness is controlled
by a precision elevation mechanism. It will correspond directly to the slice thickness of the
computer model and the cured thickness of the resin. The limiting aspect of the RP system tends
to be the curing thickness rather than the resolution of the elevation mechanism.

The important component of the building process is the laser and its optical
scanning system.
 The key to the strength of the SLA is its ability to rapidly direct focused radiation of
appropriate power and wavelength onto the surface of the liquid photopolymer resin,
forming patterns of solidified photopolymer according to the cross-sectional data
generated by the computer.
 In the SLA, a laser beam with a specified power and wavelength is sent through a beam
expanding telescope to fill the optical aperture of a pair of cross axis, galvanometer
driven, beam scanning mirrors. These form the optical scanning system of the SLA.
 The beam comes to a focus on the surface of a liquid photopolymer, curing a
predetermined depth of the resin after a controlled time of exposure (inversely
proportional to the laser scanning speed).
 The solidification of the liquid resin depends on the energy per unit area (or “exposure”)
deposited during the motion of the focused spot on the surface of the photopolymer.
There is a threshold exposure that must be exceeded for the photopolymer to solidify.
  To maintain accuracy and consistency during part building using the SLA, the cure depth
and the cured line width must be controlled. As such, accurate exposure and focused spot
size become essential.

Note: Parameters which influence performance and functionality of the parts are “the physical
and chemical properties of the resin, the speed and resolution of the optical scanning
system, the power, wavelength and type of the laser used the spot size of the laser, the
recoating system, and the post-curing process”.

SLA Applications
The SLA technology provides manufacturers with cost justifiable methods for reducing time to
market, lowering product development costs, gaining greater control of their design process and
improving product design. The range of applications includes:

(1) Models for conceptualization, packaging and presentation.

(2) Prototypes for design, analysis, verification and functional testing.
(3) Parts for prototype tooling and low volume production tooling.
(4) Patterns for investment casting, sand casting and molding.
(5) Tools for fixture and tooling design, and production tooling.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The main advantages of using SLA are:

(1) Round the clock operation. The SLA can be used continuously and unattended round the
clock.
(2) Good user support. The computerized process serves as a good user support.
(3) Build volumes. The different SLA machines have build volumes ranging from small to large
to suit the needs of different users.
(4) Good accuracy. The SLA has good accuracy and can thus be used for many application
areas.
(5) Surface finish. The SLA can obtain one of the best surface finishes amongst RP
technologies.
(6) Wide range of materials. There is a wide range of materials, from general-purpose materials
to specialty materials for specific applications.

The main disadvantages of using SLA are:

(1) Requires support structures. Structures that have overhangs and undercuts must have
supports that are designed and fabricated together with the main structure.
(2) Requires post-processing. Post-processing includes removal of supports and other unwanted
materials, which is tedious, time consuming and can damage the model.
(3) Requires post-curing. Post-curing may be needed to cure the object completely and ensure
the integrity of the structure.

Case studies:

Case 1: Ford Uses Stereolithography to Cast Prototype Tooling

With a single project triumph, Ford has begun a new era of “rapid manufacturing”
— applying Quick Cast technology to the development of both prototype and, ultimately,
production tooling.
When production units of a rear wiper motor cover for the 1994 Explorer were
needed for testing, several tooling alternatives were explored. Traditional methods would have
provided the tool in three months. Ford used Quick Cast in its first application of rapid tooling by
investment casting stereolithography mold halves to create the hard tool.
They first built a SL model of the cover, fit it over the wiper motor to verify
design integrity, and found a clearance problem. The plastic part was modified by hand, the fit
was re-verified, and the CAD model was adjusted. Pro/MOLDESIGN software was then used to
create “negative” mold halves from the same CAD data. Shrink factors were applied to
compensate for the SL resin, A2 steel, and polypropylene end product material.
The SLA 250-generated QuickCast patterns resulted in a core and cavity pair
investment cast in A2 steel. Knowledge of the cast metal’s characteristics facilitated changes in a
second set of production tooling, e.g., inclusion of ejector holes and addition of cooling lines.
The turnaround time for the second set of tooling was only four weeks, and the cost for
“QuickCast Tooling” was only $5000 per tool set, compared to the $33 000 quoted for
machining a single tool. Ford was able to start durability and water flow testing 18 months ahead
of schedule, with costs reduced by 45% and time savings of more than 40% achieved.

Case 2: Bose Saves Five Weeks Using Stereolithography Over Traditional Hard Tooling

Bose Corporation, world leader in audio components and systems located in

Framingham, Massachusetts, needed appearance parts for two different car speaker grills, one
being 101 mm (4 in) in diameter and the other 76 mm (3 in) in diameter, for actual road testing
on an Oldsmobile Aurora. Needing more than an SL prototype, Bose approached Drew Santin,
owner of Santin Engineering, and requested a short run of production parts in end-use material
which included uniform texture and multiple colors to match the car interior color options.
After receiving the file transfer from Bose, Santin set to work building the master
part pattern on an SLA 250 using CIBATOOL SL 5170 resin. After the SL part was completed,
rubber impressions were made of the part using flexible silicone rubber, creating a core and
cavity mold. Santin then removed the SL part and sent the rubber mold impressions to a local
foundry where ceramic material was poured over each impression, creating ceramic part patterns.
Once the ceramic had cured, the rubber was withdrawn. Aluminum inserts were then cast from
the ceramic part patterns finished and mounted to produce a final assembly
sembly tool. Within days of
the tool’s completion date, Santin quickly shot over 500 parts in a variety of colors, and most
importantly, in the real production material, ABS plastic.
These productionon quality parts were delivered to Bose exactly four weeks after the
day they placed the order. The plastic parts were mounted into several of the cars and
successfully color matched as well as road tested for design, function, and durability.

Cubital’s Solid Ground Curing (SGC)

Models and Specifications

Cubital’s products include the Solider 4600 and Solider 5600. The Solider 4600 is Cubital’s
entry level three-dimensional
dimensional model making system based on Solid Ground Curing. The Solider
5600, Cubital’s sophisticated high
high-end
end system, provides a wider range and options for the varied
modeling demands of Solid Ground Curing.

Cubital’s system uses several kinds of resins, including liquid resin and cured resin as materials
to create parts, water soluble wax as support material and ionographic solid toner for creating an
erasable image of the cross-section
section on a glass mask.
Process
The Cubital’s Solid Ground Curing process includes three main steps: data preparation, mask
generation and model making

Data Preparation

In this first step, the CAD model of the job to be prototyped is prepared and the cross-sections
are generated digitally and transferred to the mask generator. The software used, Cubital’s
Solider DFE (Data Front End) software, is a motif-based special-purpose CAD application
package that processes solid model CAD files prior to sending them to Cubital Solider system.
DFE can search and correct flaws in the CAD files and render files on-screen for visualization
purposes. Solider DFE accepts CAD files in the STL format and other widely used formats
exported by most commercial CAD systems.

Mask Generation
After data are received, the mask plate is charged through an “imagewise” ionographic process.
The charged image is then developed with electrostatic toner.
Model Making

In this step, a thin layer of photopolymer resin is spread on the work surface (Step 2). The photo
mask from the mask generator is placed in close proximity above the workpiece, and aligned
under a collimated UV lamp (Step 3). The UV light is turned on for a few seconds (Step 4). The
part of the resin layer which is exposed to the UV light through the photo mask is hardened. Note
that the layers laid down for exposure to the lamp are actually thicker than the desired thickness.
This is to allow for the final milling process. The unsolidified resin is then collected from the
workpiece (Step 5). This is done by vacuum suction. Following that, melted wax is spread into
the cavities created after collecting the liquid resin (Step 6). Consequently, the wax in the
cavities is cooled to produce a wholly solid layer.
Finally, the layer is milled to its exact thickness, producing a flat solid surface ready to
receive the next layer (Step 7).
In the SGC 5600, an additional step (Step 8) is provided for final curing of the layer
whereby the workpiece travels under a powerful longitudinal UV lamp. The cycle repeats itself
until the final layer is completed.

The main components of the Solider system are:

(1) Data Front End (DFE) workstation.

(2) Model Production Machine (MPM). It includes:
(i) Process engine,
(ii) Operator’s console,
(iii) Vacuum generator.
(3) Automatic Dewaxing Machine (optional).
Principle

Cubital’s RP technology creates highly physical models directly from computerized three-
dimensional data files. Parts of any geometric complexity can be produced without tools, dies or
molds by Cubital’s RP technology.

The process is based on the following principles:

(1) Parts are built, layer by layer, from a liquid photopolymer resin that solidifies when exposed
to UV light. The photopolymerization process is similar to that described in SLA, except that the
irradiation source is a high power collimated UV lamp and the image of the layer is generated by
masked illumination instead of optical scanning of a laser beam. The mask is created from the
CAD data input and “printed” on a transparent substrate (the mask plate) by an nonimpact
ionographic printing process, a process similar to the Xerography process used in photocopiers
and laser printers . The image is formed by depositing black powder, a toner which adheres to
the substrate electrostatically. This is used to mask the uniform illumination of the UV lamp.
After exposure, the electrostatic toner is removed from the substrate for reuse and the pattern for
the next layer is similarly “printed” on the substrate.

(2) Multiple parts may be processed and built in parallel by grouping them into batches (runs)
using Cubital’s proprietary software.

(3) Each layer of a multiple layer run contains cross-sectional slices of one or many parts.
Therefore, all slices in one layer are created simultaneously. Layers are created thicker than
desired. This is to allow the layer to be milled precisely to its exact thickness, thus giving overall
control of the vertical accuracy. This step also produces a roughened surface of cured
photopolymer, assisting adhesion of the next layer to it. The next layer is then built immediately
on the top of the created layer.

(4) The process is self-supporting and does not require the addition of external support structures
to emerging parts since continuous structural support for the parts is provided by the use of wax,
acting as a solid support material.
Advantages and Disadvantages

The Solider system has the following advantages:

(1) Parallel processing. The process is based on instant, simultaneous curing of a whole cross-
sectional layer area (rather than point-bypoint curing). It has a high speed throughput that is
about eight times faster than its competitors. Its production costs can be 25% to 50% lower. It is
a time and cost saving process.

(2) Self-supporting. It is user-friendly, fast, and simple to use. It has a solid modeling
environment with unlimited geometry. The solid wax supports the part in all dimensions and
therefore a support structure is not required.

(3) Fault tolerance. It has good fault tolerances. Removable trays allow job changing during a
run and layers are erasable.

(4) Unique part properties. The part that the Solider system produces is reliable, accurate,
sturdy, machinable, and can be mechanically finished.

(5) CAD to RP software. Cubital’s RP software, Data Front End (DFE), processes solid model
CAD files before they are transferred to the Cubital’s machines. The DFE is interactive and
userfriendly software.

(6) Minimum shrinkage effect. This is due to the full curing of every layer.

(7) High structural strength and stability. This is due to the curing process that minimizes the
development of internal stresses in the structure. As a result, they are much less brittle.

(8) No hazardous odors are generated. The resin stays in a liquid state for a very short time, and
the uncured liquid is wiped off immediately. Thus safety is considerably higher.

Disadvantages
(1) Requires large physical space. The size of the system is much larger than other systems with
a similar build volume size.
(2) Wax gets stuck in corners and crevices. It is difficult to remove wax from parts with intricate
geometry. Thus, some wax may be left behind.
(3) Waste material produced. The milling process creates shavings, which have to be cleaned
from the machine.
(4) Noisy. The Solider system generates a high level of noise as compared to other systems.
Applications
The applications of Cubital’s system can be divided into four areas:
(1) General applications. Conceptual design presentation, design proofing, engineering testing,
integration and fitting, functional analysis, exhibitions and pre-production sales, market research,
and inter-professional communication.
(2) Tooling and casting applications. Investment casting, sand casting, and rapid, tool-free
manufacturing of plastic parts.
(3) Mold and tooling. Silicon rubber tooling, epoxy tooling, spray metal tooling, acrylic tooling,
and plaster mold casting.
(4) Medical imaging. Diagnostic, surgical, operation and reconstruction planning and custom
prosthesis design.

Case Studies
Cubital Prototyping Machine Builds Jeep in 24 Hours

 Toledo Model and Die Inc. (TMD) of Toledo, Ohio, has used Cubital’s Solider 5600
rapid prototyping system to produce three design iterations of a toy jeep in three days .
The plastic push toy is about 30 cm (12 in) long, 23 cm (9 in) wide and 23 cm (9 in) high.
Using the Cubital Solider 5600, TMD was able to produce each design iteration in 13
hours of machine time.

Cubital Saves the Day — In Fact, About Six Weeks —For Pump Developers

Engineers and technicians in the production engineering department of Sintef, a research and
development firm in Trondheim, Norway, made an accurate, full scale plastic model of the
impeller (Figure), which measures about 220 mm in diameter and 50 mm high, using their
Solider 5600. This model was used to create an investment casting pattern that was used to cast a
prototype impeller in metal. From the time the engineers in Sintef got the CAD files till they had
the investment casting pattern was three weeks — about a third the time it would have taken
using CNC tools.