Stereolithography
Stereolithography is known for producing extreme detail, with layers down to four times finer than a human hair.
Inventadore offers standard Clear photopolymer resin for general prototyping. Photopolymer resin produce accurate and robust physical models. Inventadore also offers functional resins with varying mechanical properties such as Castable and Flexible.
A Castable Resin gives jewellers and engineers an inexpensive way to produce metal parts.
A Flexible Resin is great for simulating different textures.
Let’s compare how the SLA parts stand up against a FDM parts.
Plastic extrusion, or fused deposition modelling (FDM), is the most common 3d printer technology; FDM printers melt plastic and use an extruder to print each layer with molten plastic. The vast majority of plastic extrusion machines lack the finish and resolution for professional-grade output. SLA can outperform the print quality of even high-end FDM machines. In our photopolymer-based process, a high precision system directs a laser across a tray of liquid resin and causes a thin layer to solidify. Until now, a professional SLA printer has been far out of reach for the individual designer.
The stereolithography print comes out nice and smooth, but we can see and feel the ridges on the cup printed with FDM filament.
When we break this sample piece, you can see that filament parts quickly snap along the layer lines. The SLA process creates a chemical bond, so SLA prints takes much more force.
Stereolithography has become an excellent economic choice for rapid prototyping appearance models. A wide variety of industries have embraced SLA, including medical, automotive, entertainment, aerospace, and consumer products.
Design Specifications
| Minimum Wall Thickness | 1 to 3 mm (depending n dimensions) |
|---|---|
| Minimum Details | 0.5 mm |
| Accuracy | ±0.2% (with a lower limit of ±0.2 mm) |
| Maximum Size | 2100 x 700 x 800 mm |
| Clearance | 0.3 mm |
| Enclosed Parts? | No |
| Interlocking Parts? | No |
Pricing Info
The pricing for Transparent Resin is based on:
- Model volume: The volume of your model is used to calculate the material cost (mm³)
- Model surface
- Orientation: The way your model is positioned on the print platform will impact the support generation and therefore the price
Additionally, a startup cost is applied to the price of your model. This is a fixed cost independent from the parameters of your model. If you order two or more copies of a model, the price automatically decreases because the preparation of multiple copies can be carried out more efficiently.
Typical Use
Transparent resin is suitable for models that need to be transparent, with a fairly smooth surface. Therefore, it’s an ideal material for visual models with limited functionality.
Technology
Stereolithography is used to build your design with this material. Starting from a 3D model, a model is built by cutting it into thin layers with specialized software. A support structure is created, where needed, in order to deal with overhangs and cavities.
The process takes place in a large tank and begins when a layer of liquid polymer is spread over a platform. This machine then uses a computer-controlled laser to draw the first layer onto the surface of a liquid polymer, which hardens where struck by the laser. The model is then lowered and the next layer is drawn directly on top of the previous one. This is repeated until the model is finished. In this way, layer by layer, an object is “drawn” in the liquid by the beam, with the layers being consolidated throughout the process.
When the object is complete, it is raised out of the tank with the supporting platform – much like a submarine rising to the surface of the water – with the excess liquid flowing away. The supports are removed manually after the model is taken from the machine.
Additional Information
- The transparency of the material is not 100% clear but is situated between translucent and crystal clear.
- The tinge of transparent resin models may vary slightly. The greater the thickness of the model, the more noticeable the bluish tinge becomes.
- The kind of post-processing we do at Inventadore on your transparent resin is called a “technical finish”. Please be aware that, with this finish, building layers, small imperfections and minor scratches from support removal will still be visible and cannot be avoided. The visibility of the layers strongly depends on the shape or the design of the model. For instance, on a curved surface, layers will be much more visible
- A clear varnish is applied to your model in order to make it transparent. The varnish will protect your model from dust and slows down the discolouration process.
Est. 2015