Continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) method for rapid prototyping

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes such as three- dimensional (3D) printing are one of most important technologies of our century. Additive manufacturing is a manufacturing process in which 3D solid objects are created. It enables the creation of physical 3D models of objects using a series of an additive or layered development framework, where layers are laid down in succession to create a complete 3D object. Additive manufacturing is also known as 3D printing. The strongest reasons for the use of rapid prototypes in manufacturing are the production of parts with a small quantity or a complex shape, the obtaining of lighter parts, the prevention of waste of raw materials, a wider availability of testing and design and further personalization. Continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) is an alternative approach to AM by exploiting the basic principle of oxygen-impaired photopolymerization to create a continuous fluid interface of uncured resin between the growing section and the exposure window.