Processing and mechanical properties of a new flexible acrylic stereolithographic resin family for engineering and medical device manufacturing
by Carsten Tille, Arthur T. Bens, Hermann Seitz
International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology (IJCAT), Vol. 36, No. 1, 2009

Abstract: Stereolithography, as a well-known rapid prototyping process, has been used in a wide field of technical and also medical applications. Due to the stereolithography principle – the curing of a liquid photopolymer by a UV laser – the number of commercially available reaction mechanisms and related material characteristics is very limited. Our paper presents a novel class of non-toxic, biocompatible polyether(meth)acrylate-based resin formulations with outstanding flexible material characteristics. In contrast to the mostly rigid commercial engineering materials, these polymeric formulations are able to meet the demands for soft to stiff parts. Depending on the individual formulation, the cured resins can show a Young's modulus from 25 MPa up to 1500 MPa. We give an overview over basic formulations and processing characteristics for this material class. Process parameters were studied in a commercial Viper Si² system (3D Systems); mechanical properties of different formulations were tested using standard tensile testing methods.

Online publication date: Mon, 22-Jun-2009

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