Advances in stereolithography: A new experimental technique in the production of a three-dimensional plastic model with an infrared laser

The development of a new approach for the production of three‐dimensional plastic parts, called infrared laser stereolithography, is presented. During the experimentation, a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser beam at 10.6 μm (infrared radiation) was focused on a sample composed of an epoxy resin, diethylene triamine (curing agent), and silica powder (filler). The CO2 laser, adopted for cost reduction, led to no significant shrinkage, and almost no postcure treatment was required. With differential scanning calorimetry, it was possible to determine the reaction rate as a function of the temperature and the activation energy of the curing process. The solution of the heat equation, with the Ansys program simulating this process, was in general agreement with our previous observations of the stereolithography results. The experimental results of the production of solid parts layer by layer in three dimensions are presented. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2387–2394, 2004