SM3D Printing - Single Minute 3D Printing - A New Invention

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Science: PhD awarded.

Volumetric Additive Manufacturing of Polymer Structures by Holographically Projected Light Fields
by
Maxim Shusteff

Submitted to the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering
at the
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
September 2017

Nicholas Xuanlai Fang
d’Arbeloff Career Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Thesis Supervisor

Leslie A. Kolodziejski
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Chair, Committee on Graduate Students

ABSTRACT


Overcoming some of their process limitations of additive manufacturing technologies is  important now. Two such limitations of present layer-based fabrication are slow speed and geometric constraints.

Holography is now in use as a means for storage and retrieval of 3D geometrical information. This research  explores the use of holographically-shaped light fields for producing three-dimensional structures in a “volume at once” approach. Using spatial light modulator (SLM) technology, phase-controlled light fields are projected into photopolymer resin to cure a desired geometry. By overlapping multiple sub-regions of a single light field within the target volume, the successful fabrication of non-periodic complex 3D geometries is demonstrated by single exposures on timescales of seconds in this research project.

The research also created  a complete prototype platform that makes this approach possible, comprising a suitable hardware configuration along with the computational algorithms necessary to calculate and optimize the required optical fields.

A study of the photopolymerization kinetics is also carried out, to determine the boundaries of usable process parameters such as resin absorbance and available light intensity.

The results indicate that low-absorbing resins containing ~0.1% photoinitiator, illuminated at modest powers (~10-100 mW) may be used to produce full 3D structures from 1-10 second exposures, with volume build rates exceeding 100 cm3/hr. There is no need for a substrate or support material that are necessary in the present layer by layer 3D printing.

You can download the thesis from MIT website.





Research Papers Published.



Invention and Development. Output demonstrated



Design: Under Process



SMED to  SM3D


The layer by layer 3D Printing will be substituted by a 3D image created in the resin by holography and within minutes you have the shape you want.

The SMED now becomes SM3D.

You will be able use items made using this technology.

If you are an engineer, you have a new technology to learn and develop.

If you are scientist, you have research opportunities.

Feel proud as the science underlying might have been initially discovered during 1750’s.  What you think today and discover benefits the universe some day or other.