On the Use of Angled, Dynamic Laser Beams to Improve Stereolithography Surface Finish

Improved surface finish of Stereolithography (SLA) parts is an important goal for furthering the resolution of the technology. In order to improve the surface finish, a dynamic laser beam with changing angle, beam size, beam shape, and irradiance distribution is proposed. In this paper, an analytical irradiance model of an angled, dynamic laser beam in the SLA process is presented. This model is used to simulate cured shapes of SLA builds. Simulated build shapes are compared to established SLA analytical models and conclusions are drawn on the accuracy of the developed model.