Compensation zone approach to avoid print‐through errors in mask projection stereolithography builds

Purpose – Print‐through results in unwanted polymerization occurring beneath a part cured using Mask Projection Stereolithography (MPSLA) and thus creates errors in its vertical dimension. In this paper, the “Compensation Zone approach” is presented to avoid this error.Design/methodology/approach – Compensation zone approach entails modifying the geometry of the part to be cured. A volume (compensation zone) is subtracted from underneath the CAD model in order to compensate for the increase in the Z dimension that would occur due to print‐through. Three process variables have been identified: thickness of compensation zone, thickness of every layer and exposure distribution across every image used to cure a layer. Analytical relations have been formulated between these process variables in order to obtain dimensionally accurate parts. The compensation zone approach is simulated on a test part with a slanted down‐facing surface.Findings – The simulation results show that the compensation zone approach can ...

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