Additive manufacturing apparatus with optical means for diffusing/ scattering projected UV light towards photocurable resin

An additive manufacturing apparatus for additively manufacturing a component, comprising:

• a resin vat unit which comprises:
• a reservoir for storing UV light photocurable resin;
• and a UV-transparent window at the bottom of the reservoir, wherein said UV-transparent window includes a UV-transparent plate and a UV-transparent anti-adhesive flexible foil;
• a projection unit for projecting UV light through the UV-transparent window into the reservoir;
• a movable building platform having a surface onto which said component can be formed through layerwise curing of said resin;
• wherein the UV-transparent window further comprises:
• an optical means which is adapted to diffuse the projected UV light towards the building platform into a region where the UV light photocurable resin is to be layerwise cured, wherein the optical means is arranged in the light path of the projected UV light, wherein the UV-transparent anti-adhesive flexible foil includes light diffusing particles, and the optical means is realized through said light diffusing particles inside the UV-transparent anti-adhesive flexible foil.