Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-02-20 Origin: Site
In recent years, 3D printing has become very popular. According to the printing principle and printing materials, 3D printers can be divided into different types. As the manufacturer of photocuring resins, Bossin will discuss the 3D printers which use photocuring resins today. There are three common photocuring 3D printers: SLA, DLP and LCD. Let's talk about the principles and technical comparisons of these three photocuring 3D printers.
SLA is short for stereolithography technology. It is the earliest commercialized 3D printing technology. The basic principle of SLA molding is to use laser as the light source, and the laser beam focused by the lens scans the cross-section contour along the liquid surface according to the device instructions. The photosensitive resin in the scanned area is quickly solidified. Then the workbench is lowered by the thickness of one layer of cross section, and then another layer of cross section is solidified. In this way, the layers are stacked to form a three-dimensional entity.
DLP is digital light processing rapid prototyping technology. The basic principle of its prototyping is that the printed model will be cut into layers horizontally by the 3D printing software, and the projector will project the model shape of the first layer into the resin tank for photocuring. After the first layer is formed, the workbench will slightly raise, and project the next model shape into the resin tank for the next layer. The model is printed out in such repeated stacking manner. Different from the single-point exposure of SLA, DLP uses surface exposure, which can greatly increase the printing speed. At the same time, DLP is generally superior to SLA 3D printers in terms of accuracy and surface quality.
LCD is liquid crystal display technology, which is similar to DLP printing technology, but it does not use a projector to produce images. It uses the imaging principle of LCD screens to create selective transparent areas on the LCD screen. Ultraviolet light passes through the transparent areas, and irradiates the photosensitive resin in the resin tank for exposure and curing. After the curing time of each layer is over, the platform tray lifts the cured part, to allow the photosensitive resin to replenish and reflux. Then the platform drops again, and the thin layer between the model and the release film is exposed to ultraviolet light again, thereby curing and rising layer by layer to print into a beautiful three-dimensional model.
The three types of photocuring 3D printers have their own characteristics. So how do you choose the printer that suits you? If you need to print large-scale models and mass production, SLA is the best choice. If you pursue molding speed and printing accuracy, DLP is a good choice. If you focus on cost-effectiveness, LCD is a good choice.
As a manufacturer of photocurable resins, Bossin can customize suitable photocurable resins for 3D printing according to customer requirements. You are welcome to consult us for sample testing.
Guangdong Bossin Novel Materials Technology Co., Ltd. is a hi-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D, production, sales and technical services of UV/EB curable materials, with honors of National Hi-Tech Enterprise, Contract-honoring & Trustworthy Enterprise in Guangdong Province, etc. Standing on the forefront of UV/EB curable material industry, Bossin has successfully applied for dozens of invention patents. “Customer priority and quality optimization” are our consistent service concept.
Previously we mentioned that 3D printing can be divided into 7 categories, including material extrusion, binder jetting, powder bed fusion, material jetting, sheet lamination, directed energy deposition, and stereolithography. Below we will introduce these 7 categories in details.
In recent years, 3D printing technology has developed rapidly and has gradually become an indispensable part of modern manufacturing. According to the latest data from the "2024 3D Printing Trend Report" by Protolabs, the global 3D printing market size reached US$22.14 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to US$57.1 billion by 2028.
In the world of coatings and inks, traditional solvent-based players always have a group of "organic followers" - that is, organic solvents, whose main function is to dissolve solid components and adjust the "viscosity" of the entire system. However, these "little followers" do not participate in the film-forming process. They quietly slip away behind the scenes and evaporate into the air, which not only pollutes the environment, but also may bring certain safety hazards.
In the world of coatings and inks, traditional solvent-based players always have a group of "organic followers" - that is, organic solvents, whose main function is to dissolve solid components and adjust the "viscosity" of the entire system. However, these "little followers" do not participate in the film-forming process. They quietly slip away behind the scenes and evaporate into the air, which not only pollutes the environment, but also may bring certain safety hazards.
BM3380 (3EO-TMPTA): Ethoxylated Trimethylolpropane Triacrylate, is a trifunctional UV monomer widely used in UV coatings, inks, and 3D printing.
In the synthesis of polyurethane acrylate, hydroxyl acrylate reacts with NCO groups to introduce acryloyloxy groups, which are generally present at the chain ends of polyurethane prepolymers.
In the large family of photocurable resins, in addition to the "tough guy" epoxy acrylate, another important type of resin is polyurethane acrylate, which is abbreviated as PUA. This all-round talent has shown his prowess in the fields of photocurable coatings, inks, adhesives, etc. Although it is slightly inferior to epoxy acrylate, it is also quite popular. It is synthesized from raw materials such as long-chain diols, polyisocyanates and hydroxy acrylates. Since these three raw materials have a variety of structures and models to choose from, through clever molecular design, whether it is flexibility, hardness or wear resistance, PUA can be "designed" in advance to meet the needs of different scenarios. This flexibility makes PUA the one with the "most product brands" among photocurable resins.
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