Levine’s 3D printer is composed of an overhead projector that projects black and white images onto layers of UV curable polymer. Once each layer of a print is set, a UV light is used to cure the area.
While still in the earliest stages of development, the printer is capable of creating 3D prints that, by all appearances, look structurally sound and accurately rendered. In the next phase of development, the printer will incorporate a movable print table to increase the printer’s accuracy, and further tests will be done to determine which photopolymers work best for 3D printing.
Eventually, the group hopes to create a printer that has a build volume of 3”x3”x2” with feature resolution of “approximately .003 inch”. Other goals include reducing the layer cure time to under 10 seconds and ensuring that any user is safe from exposure to the UV radiation used to cure the polymer.
In the end Levine’s team wants to create a high resolution, photopolymer 3D printer for under $1,000.
Watch a Time-lapse of the Printer in Action:
Image and Video Courtesy of RIT