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Keywords
Rapid prototypes, Resins, Spraying
Abstract
Rapid prototyping (RP) processes produce parts layer by layer directly from 3D CAD models. Different kinds of rapid prototyping machine (RPM) have been developed with different mechanisms or materials. In this paper, a novel and economic way to build the RP by means of injection nozzles with ultra violet (UV) resins is proposed. The in-house made RPM is constructed with two nozzles. The acrylic series is for body material and the PU series is for the supporting material. There are obvious boundaries since material properties are different. Therefore, supports can be easily removed from the main body after formation. The different diameter of nozzles can be chosen in the system, and the nozzles are also disposable. Besides, an interface system generating the direct slicing from 3D CAD models and nozzle paths for all layers is developed through PowerSOLUTION (Delcam International, Birmingham, UK) macro commands.
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1. Introduction
In rapid prototyping (RP) technology, the material addition methods may be divided by the state of the prototype material before part formation. There are liquid base, discrete particles and solid sheets in classification. The liquid-based technologies may entail the solidification of a resin on contact with a laser, the solidification of an electrosetting fluid, or the melting and subsequent solidification of the prototype material. The discrete-particle processes compound powders either with a laser or binding agents. The solid-sheet processes maybe classified according to whether the sheets are bonded with a laser or with an adhesive.
The most popular RP technology in the current market may be sterolithography (SL). This relies on a photosensitive monomer resin, which forms a polymer when the resin exposes to ultra violet (UV) light.
Besides, most SL systems basically use a moving laser bean to cure resins in the mechanism. There is another new technique using multi-nozzles to spray resins before UV light curing. The commercial system, Objet (Objet Geometries, Rehovot, Israel) that uses 1536-nozzle raster jetting and two UV lamps came to the market in 1998. In Vision 3D printer system (3D system, CA, USA) is also announced recently. It...