Light-curing 3D printing technology is to selectively cure the photosensitive resin layer by layer by computer-controlled UV beam, and control the displacement of the platform in the z-axis direction to cure the next layer of photosensitive resin on the previous cured layer, and then complete the production of 3D printed parts.
Among them, the development of photosensitive resin is the key to the application of light-curing molding technology. Light-curing 3D printing uses a radiation light source to irradiate a liquid photosensitive resin to trigger a chain chemical reaction that links a large number of small molecules of monomers or prepolymers together to form a highly cross-linked polymer.
Light-sensitive resin systems for light-curing additive manufacturing are mainly composed of prepolymers, reactive diluents, photoinitiators, fillers, etc.
For the improvement of photosensitive resins under development, there are two main R&D directions, one is to improve the comprehensive performance by adjusting the monomer composition of photosensitive resins and formulation optimization, and the other is to improve the comprehensive performance by adding functional fillers to the system.
Application areas of light-cured 3D printing
With high photosensitivity, low energy consumption, low cost, high precision, smooth surface and good repeatability, light-cured 3D printing has begun to be widely used in aerospace, automotive, mold manufacturing, jewelry design and medical fields.
Researchers use CT technology to scan and obtain the internal structure of a patient's skull, and successfully print a skull model using a 3D printer. With the development of 3D printing technology, 3D printing technology has been widely used in many developed countries in medical fields such as neurosurgery, oral implants, orthopedics, and the manufacture of pseudo-replica bodies.
Some data show that with the assistance of 3D printing technology, it will increase the correct diagnosis rate of doctors by 28%, increase the accuracy of operation by 36%, and shorten the operation time by 18%.
3D printing technology is currently transforming manufacturing techniques and production technologies, such as the ability to create lightweight and cost-saving components for the aerospace and automotive industries, organ printing in tissue engineering, the construction industry, electronics and sensors, shape memory materials, and more.
In precision casting, the 3D printing process produces three-dimensional resin molds that can replace wax molds for casing, and the resin molds are removed during shell baking to obtain hollow shells that can be used to cast high-precision models. The obtained alloy castings with good surface finish can be directly used as cavities of injection molds to shorten the mold making process.
In recent years, with the rapid development of anime handicraft market and anime idol DIY, more and more anime organizations and individual enthusiasts use 3D printing technology to show their unique and creative designs quickly and three-dimensionally. The process of transforming from thinking ideology into solid 3D models has been realized, which not only meets the needs of anime handicraft enthusiasts, but also promotes the change of the anime industry.
Light-curing 3D printing has been widely used in the medical field, manufacturing field, entertainment and other fields. According to the needs of the application field, the corresponding requirements for the performance of photosensitive resin are also put forward.
For example, in the medical field, the resin is required to have better biocompatibility; in the manufacturing field, the resin is required to have extremely high manufacturing accuracy; and in the entertainment and animation industry, the resin is required to have high toughness and better creatability.
