An inexpensive stereolithography technology with high power UV-LED light

Purpose - This paper seeks to describe the development of an inexpensive stereolithography (SL) system with high power ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV-LED) curing light source. The advantages of UV-LED light source will be investigated and the results presented. Design/methodology/approach - The working principle of the UV-LED light-based SL system (LED-SL) and its characteristics were explicated; the effect of beam divergence angle on the shape of a single cured line was analyzed; and the effects of the shapes of single cured lines shone by different light sources on the fabrication accuracy were compared. Findings - LED-SL has significantly higher part fabrication efficiency and accuracy than UV lamplight-based prototyping systems. Furthermore, the UV-LED energy consumption is much lower than laser and UV lamp sources, which conforms to the requirement of Green Manufacturing. Research limitations/implications - In increasing the scanning speed, the vibration of the focusing lens set has an obvious effect on the scanning accuracy; therefore, further research is needed. Originality/value - This research verified the feasibility of adopting high power UV-LED as the light source for a rapid prototyping system and enhanced the versatility of conventional UV-SL technology.