SLA additive manufacturing using frozen supports of non-SLA material
AssigneeUniversity of Southern California
InventorsYong Chen, Jie Jin
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Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for additive manufacturing using stereolithography (“SLA”) materials. The apparatus includes a platform for holding an assembly of SLA resin layers. The apparatus also includes a platform for holding an assembly of SLA resin layers. The apparatus also includes a first movable stage for depositing and curing a portion of the liquid SLA resin on the platform, forming a pattern of cured SLA resin. The apparatus also includes a second movable stage for depositing a low-viscosity non-SLA material in voids in the pattern of cured SLA resin. The apparatus also includes a cooler for cooling the low-viscosity non-SLA material below its freezing point until solidified.
Claims12
A method for stereolithography (SLA) additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
- depositing a layer of liquid SLA resin over one of a base surface or an underlying layer of cured SLA resin;
- curing a portion of the liquid SLA resin to form a pattern of cured SLA resin;
- removing uncured liquid SLA resin from the pattern of cured SLA resin to leave one or more voids;
- depositing water into the one or more voids;
- and
- cooling the water below its freezing point until the water solidifies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.