SBIR Phase I: Infrared-Laser-Based Rapid Prototyping

9860606Cockroft这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将评估一种用于快速成型(RP)的低成本高速、高分辨率混合树脂。在基于聚合物的快速成型系统中，激光子系统是吞吐量的主要瓶颈，也是主要的成本驱动因素。两项创新将有助于将这些影响降至最低：(1)一种新型树脂系统，可在暴露于红外(IR)辐射时固化；以及(2)用具有数万个发射器的廉价红外激光线阵取代单光束UV激光。与调制器和偏转镜驱动的飞点不同，线性阵列可以在工作表面上穿梭，每次扫描完成一层。各个发射器的输出强度将被可变地控制，而不是通过改变驻留时间来控制收缩。潜在的商业应用包括所有现在和未来的基于聚合物的快速成型系统。市场包括新设备的销售，对现有系统的改造，以及树脂和替换部件的售后销售。与使用寿命不到5,000小时的100,000美元UV激光器不同，可以使用寿命超过100,000小时的IR阵列，只需稍微高一点的费用。最终结果是显著降低了子系统的复杂性和拥有成本，并在吞吐量和可靠性方面增加了数量级。

9860606Cockroft This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will evaluate a low cost high speed, high resolution hybrid resin for rapid prototyping (RP). In polymer-based RP systems, the laser subsystem is the major bottleneck in throughput and is the principal cost driver. Twin innovations will serve to minimize these effects: (1) a novel resin system that cures upon exposure to infrared (IR) radiation; and (2) replacement of a single-beam UV laser with an inexpensive linear array of IR lasers having tens of thousands of emitters. Instead of a flying spot driven by a modulator and deflection mirrors, a linear array can be shuttled across the work surface, completing one layer per sweep. Instead of varying the dwell time to control shrinkage, the output intensity of individual emitters will be variably controlled. Potential commercial applications include all present and future polymer-based rapid prototyping systems. Markets include new equipment sales, retrofits to existing systems, and after market sales of resin and replacement parts. Instead of employing a $100,000 UV laser with a lifetime less than 5,000 hours, one IR array with a lifetime in excess of 100,000 hours can be employed at only slightly greater expense. The net result is a significant reduction in subsystem complexity and cost of ownership, coupled with order of magnitude increases in throughput and reliability.