Vat Photopolymerization Additive Manufacturing of Functionally Graded Materials: A Review

Abstract

Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) offer discrete or continuously changing properties/compositions over the volume of the parts. The widespread application of FGMs was not rapid enough in the past due to limitations of the manufacturing methods. Significant developments in manufacturing technologies especially in Additive Manufacturing (AM) enable us nowadays to manufacture materials with specified changes over the volume/surface of components. The use of AM methods for the manufacturing of FGMs may allow us to compensate for some drawbacks of conventional methods and to produce complex and near-net-shaped structures with better control of gradients in a cost-efficient way. Vat Photopolymerization (VP), a type of AM method that works according to the principle of curing liquid photopolymer resin layer-by-layer, has gained in recent years high importance due to its advantages such as low cost, high surface quality control, no need to support structures, no limitation in the material. This article reviews the state-of-art and future potential of using VP methods for FGM manufacturing. It was concluded that improvements in printer hardware setup and software, design aspects and printing methodologies will accelerate the use of VP methods for FGMs manufacturing.

Additive Manufacturing of Bioceramic Implants for Restoration Bone Engineering: Technologies, Advances, and Future Perspectives

“…Overall, the VP product is a low-cost, easy-to-process, high-resolution method of printing bioceramic materials, but requires a low-viscosity photoresin to minimize inhalation pressure and adhesion. One of the advantages of VP is the high printing accuracy, allowing print thicknesses of 10 to 100 μm …”

“…One of the advantages of VP is the high printing accuracy, allowing print thicknesses of 10 to 100 μm. 52…”

A Review of Multi-Material 3D Printing of Functional Materials via Vat Photopolymerization

“…Vat photopolymerization-based technologies offer the best solution among all 3D printing technologies in view of the outstanding surface finish and printing resolution, lower equipment, and energy costs. Moreover, they are well suited for the printing of structures with multi-material properties [37,[51][52][53]. The main disadvantage of vat photopolymerization-based technologies is the limited number of material classes that are available for photopolymerization.…”

“…Additive manufacturing, often termed 3D printing, is a comprehensive materials development technique which has gained signification attention following its discovery in the 1980s [1][2][3][4][5][6][35][36][37]. At present this technology is experiencing significant growth and can now be applied using a wide range of methods, including material jetting [38,39], binder jetting [40,41], material extrusion [42][43][44][45][46], powder bed fusion [47,48], vat photopolymerization [37,[49][50][51][52][53], and sheet lamination [35,36,54,55].…”

Synthesis and Property of an Organosilicon Polyurethane Acrylate Prepolymer Containing Disulfide Bonds for Photopolymerization

“…Photocuring technology has been widely concerned by academia and industry because it is efficient, economic, environmentally friendly, energy-saving, and enabling. [1][2][3] Photocuring DOI: 10.1002/macp.202200458 technology involves the free radical photopolymerization system and cationic photopolymerization system. The free radical photopolymerization system has the advantages of fast curing speed and abundant raw materials, and thus has become the focus of researchers.…”