Photoforming Applied to Fine Forming

Abstract

The photoforming process is one of the optical forming methods used to produce plastic models. It has unique features such as the ability to form various objects, with few restrictions on shape, and to process them quite simply. In this paper, computer simulation considering photon behavior in liquid resin clarified that fine control of the exposure dose, that is, the light energy applied to a unit area of the surface, and soft focusing are the keys to achieve high precision. Some results of experimental forming demonstrate the possibility of producing fine structures with a forming resolution within 10μm. Finally, the results of this study suggest that this process can be applied to the construction of three-dimensional fine structures and precise mechanisms.