Photoforming Applied to Fine Forming

Abstract

The photoforming process is one of the optical forming methods for making plastic models. It has the unique features of shaping various ebject forms very freely and processing them quite simply. In this paper, a computer simulation considering photon behavior in liquid resin shows that light amount control and rather soft focusing are the important things to achieve high precision. Then, some results of experimental forming demonstrate the possibility of making precise structures with a forming resolution within 10 µm. Finally, this paper suggests that this process can be applied to the construction of three-dimensional fine structures and precise mechanisms. © 1993, The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. All rights reserved.