Stereolithographic Additive Manufacturing of Bulky Ceramic Components with Functionally Geometric Micropattern
Abstract In a stereolithographic additive manufacturing (AM), two dimensional (2D) cross sectional patterns were created through photo polymerization by ultraviolet laser drawing on spread resin paste including ceramic nanoparticles, and three dimensional (3D) composite models were sterically printed by layer lamination through chemical bonding. An automatic collimeter was equipped with the laser scanner to adjust beam diameter. Fine or coarse beams could realize high resolution or wide area drawings, respectively. Metal and ceramic bulky components including dendritic networks were geometrically built by using stereolithographic AM. Geometric patterns with periodic, self-similar, graded and fluctuated arrangements were created by computer aided design, manufacture and evaluation (CAD/CAM/CAE) for effective modulations of energy and material flows through dielectric lattices in photonic crystals, porous electrodes in fuel cells and biological scaffolds in artificial bones.