Fast Mask Image Projection-Based Micro-Stereolithography Process for Complex Geometry

Abstract

In micro-stereolithograhy (μSL), high-speed fabrication is a critical challenge due to the long delay time for refreshing resin and retaining printed microfeatures. Thus, the mask-image-projection-based micro-stereolithograhy (MIP-μSL) using the constrained surface technique is investigated in this paper for quickly recoating liquid resin. It was reported in the literature that severe damages frequently happen in the part separation process in the constrained-surface-based MIP-μSL system. To conquer this problem, a single-layer movement separation approach was adopted, and the minimum delay time for refreshing resin was experimentally characterized. The experimental results verify that, compared with the existing MIP-μSL processes, the MIP-μSL process with single-layer movement separation method developed in this paper can build microstructures with complex geometry, with a faster build speed.