Photopolymer additive manufacturing (PAM) is fueling an explosion of opportunities and capabilities for US production of 3D printed products in a wide range of industries including automotive, healthcare, energy, and consumer goods. While digital light processing (DLP), a subset of PAM, relies heavily on patterned light sources with up to millions of individual pixels in the 1 µm to 100 µm length scale, recent research has revealed the dramatic dependence of the polymerization process on slight variations in photo-exposure conditions. Reliance by the PAM industry on non-uniform, poorly-characterized light engines can convolve exposure variability with fundamental photochemistry and photo-physics, hindering advancements. Specifically, a lack of single pixel characterization and multi-pixel uniformity in the light engine hinders fundamental characterization of the photopolymerization reactions that underpin PAM. By developing a uniform, well-characterized light engine, this work provides a foundation to inform the comprehensive models required to improve the fidelity and integrity of PAM products. This presentation will provide an overview of the development of a state-of-the-art light engine, comparing prints from commercially available DLP systems to those from the uniform light-engine, and highlight the need for rigorous characterization of sources to streamline PAM resin development for reliable, high performance PAM.

Photopolymer additive manufacturing at NIST: From fundamental science to standards

Where thousands of chemistry professionals meet to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. Spring 2023 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch at the end of March.

ACS Spring 2023

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