Enabling Functional Additive Manufacturing with Novel Large Format Printers

该项目将创建有史以来最大的3D打印机，以低成本高速生产多个物品。这款打印机将利用允许使用普通LCD屏幕固化连续树脂层的技术，比竞争技术更快更节能地构建3D对象。近年来，LCD屏幕的分辨率增加，价格显著降低。这使得大幅面3D打印机现在具有经济吸引力。反过来，这为更大批量的增材制造提供了新的机会，大大降低了每个组件的制造成本。拟议的材料创新将进一步提高打印部件的质量、强度和韧性。这将使它们能够在定制的同时用于日常大规模生产的产品。该项目将改变当前的3D制造，将其从高价格的利基领域转变为适合工业制造的快速，低成本解决方案。好处是降低运输成本，库存水平和能源需求，提高英国制造业的竞争力。它将首次使工程师、设计师和企业家能够经济地创造和制造自己的定制产品。

This project will create the largest 3D printer of its type ever made, enabling high speed production of multiple items at low cost. This printer will exploit technology that allows the use of normal LCD screens to cure successive layers of resin, building up the 3D object more quickly and energy efficiently than competitive technologies. LCD screens have increased in resolution and reduced in price signifcantly in recent years. This enables large format 3D printers to now be economically attractive. In turn, this opens new opportunities for additive manufacturing in much higher volumes, dramatically reducing the cost of manufacture for each component. The proposed materials innovation will further improve the quality, strength and toughness of printed parts. This will enable them to be used in everyday mass produced products whilst being custom-made. This project will transform current 3D manufacturing, moving it from a high priced niche area to a fast, low cost solution suitable for industrial manufacture. Benefits are lower transportation costs, inventory levels and energy requirements, improving the competitiveness of UK manufacturing. For the first time, it will enable engineers, designers and entrepreneurs to create and manufacture their own custom products economically.