SBIR Phase I: Infrared-Laser-Based Rapid Prototyping

小行星9860606 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RP系统中，激光子系统是产量的主要瓶颈，并且是主要的成本驱动因素。 两项创新将有助于最大限度地减少这些影响：（1）一种新型树脂系统，在暴露于红外（IR）辐射时固化;（2）用具有数万个发射器的廉价IR激光器线性阵列取代单光束UV激光器。 代替由调制器和偏转镜驱动的飞点，线性阵列可以在工作表面上穿梭，每次扫描完成一层。 代替改变停留时间来控制收缩，将对各个发射器的输出强度进行微调控制。 潜在的商业应用包括所有目前和未来的聚合物基快速成型系统。市场包括新设备销售、现有系统的改造以及树脂和替换零件的售后市场销售。 代替使用寿命小于5，000小时的100，000美元的UV激光器，可以使用寿命超过100，000小时的IR阵列，其成本仅略高。 最终结果是子系统复杂性和拥有成本的显著降低，以及吞吐量和可靠性的数量级增加。

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.