OPTIMIZING STEREOLITHOGRAPHY THROUGHPUT

The stereolithography (SL) process, although a relatively new technolo gy, has revolutionized the domain of part and process research and dev elopment.(1-3) SL is used to produce parts for various purposes throug hout the aerospace, automotive, electronics, and biomedical products i ndustries, as well as many others. The applications for stereolithogra phy parts include design verification models, methods and tool develop ment models, casting models, and marketing aids. Its success in a myri ad of applications has unfortunately often resulted in a production ba cklog for many SL machines. In addition, because the technology is new , and technological improvements have occurred quickly and involve suc h drastic changes, most client companies are using SL in suboptimized ways, resulting in less than maximum throughput and with nonpeak geome tric and physical properties. A systematic but efficient use of experi mental design can help companies more quickly advance up the learning curve and to increase their throughput of SL parts. This can be done w ith relatively little testing, and the payback is well worth the money and time invested.