The stereolithographic (SL) process is performed on the equipment shown in Figure 1. The movable platform on which the 3D model is formed is initially immersed in a vat of liquid photopolymer resin to a level just below its surface so that a thin layer of the resin covers it. The SL equipment is located in a sealed chamber to prevent the escape of fumes from the resin vat. The resin changes from a liquid to a solid when exposed to the ultra- violet (UV) light from a low-power, highly focused laser. The UV laser beam is focused on an X-Y mirror in a computer-controlled beam-shap- ing and scanning.
