Rapid prototyping with ceramic‐filled epoxy resin by optoforming

Abstract

Optoforming is meant to be a potential substitution for the established Stereolithography (SLA) process. Its potential is that different ceramic‐filled photo‐curable epoxy‐resins can theoretically be used to manufacture highly loadable parts and tools. The stiffness as well as the thermal and chemical resistance of the material used (an epoxy resin named Tooling B) are higher than those of established SLA‐materials, such as SOMOS 7120. Automotive applications, in fields where the parts are directly used parts, such as lighting housings for prototype purposes, as well as tools for the veneering process in small batch production, were successfully tested. In order to enable precise and cost‐effective fabrication, optoforming has to be developed further in the field of secondary processes, such as inline‐filtration of the material and its feeding, as well as the machine software. Currently, another competitor offers a more mature process based on upgraded SLA machines, which use a ceramic‐filled epoxy‐resin also.