Multi-material Stereolithography

Rapid Product Development (ME 617) By Saurabh Pandey (Roll No. 123110024) Shrikrishna Raghunath Birajdar (Roll No. 123110005)

Under Supervision of Prof. K.P. Krunakaran

Department of Mechanical Engineering INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BOMBAY (October 2013)

Contents
Sr. No 1. 2 Introduction Multiple Material Stereo-lithography 2.1 MMSL Retrofit Machine 2.2 MMSL Automatic Machine 2.3 MMSL single Vat multiple material 3 Issues With Multi Material Fabrication References Topic Name Page No. 1 2 4 7 10 12 13

1. Introduction
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies allow for fabrication of complex three-dimensional (3D) shapes from computer models by successively manufacturing thin slices of the desired object and stacking them together one layer at a time. Commercial AM systems, originally introduced in the late 1980s, have been traditionally used for prototyping in the automotive, medical device, aerospace, space, toy and other industries. Since their introduction, considerable advancements in processing speed, accuracy, resolution and capacity have been achieved, and the range of materials available for use with AM technologies has expanded a great deal, enabling customized end-use products to be directly manufactured in a wide range of applications. Many new AM technologies have been released over the past two decades that use different processes for fabricating the individual layers from a wide variety of liquid, solid, and powderbased materials ranging from photo-reactive polymers to metals (Wohlers 2012). In parallel, researchers have used and developed new AM technologies to take advantage of the layer-based additive manufacturing method and access to individual layers during fabrication to manufacture unique, multi-material 3D devices. One particular focus of our group is in the area of manufacturing 3D spatially complex embedded electronic systems as well as bioactive implantable scaffolds, and developing the systems and methods required to fabricate these functional devices. We have used commercial stereolithography (SL), an AM process that selectively crosslinks a photo reactive liquid polymer contained in a vat using an ultraviolet laser, for more than a decade to fabricate a variety of multi-material products. SL would not typically be considered a strong candidate for using multiple materials, primarily because of contamination issues associated with using multiple viscous materials in a single build. Contamination between multiple resins can alter performance characteristics of the SL resins, making accurate builds difficult. In addition, uncured resin remaining on a part during a material exchange can negatively impact accurate layer thicknesses with the new build material. Fortunately, processes similar to the solvent cleaning performed on conventionally manufactured SL parts when finished with a build can be employed during a material exchange in multi-material SL.

SL offers several advantages that may help justify using SL for multi-material fabrication such as high quality surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and a variety of photocurable material options that include implantable materials. Additionally, SL builds in essentially ambient, minimally controlled environmental conditions that provide easy access to the build chamber and enable convenient conversion of existing single material SL systems to multiple material and multiple technology (hybrid) systems. Motivated by the potential advantages offered by SL, strategies for building a multimaterial stereolithography (MMSL) machine and hybrid stereolithography and direct write (Hybrid SL/DW) machine were conceived and have been the focus of research over the past decade (e.g., Palmer et al. 2004, 2006, Lozoya 2005, Medina et al. 2005a, 2005b, Wicker et al. 2004, Inamdar et al. 2006, Lopes et al. 2006, 2012, Navarrete et al. 2007, DeNava et al. 2008, Olivas 2011, Choi et al. 2011a). In addition to our group, MMSL has also received recent interest from other research groups (Chan et al. 2010, 2012, Bartolo 2011). As a result of these developments, this reportr describes the evolution of these multi-material, multi-technology SL systems into technologies that can fabricate functional devices with mechanical, electrical, and biochemical functionality.

2. Multi-material stereolithography
The key elements of conventional SL may be characterized as including a scanning ultraviolet (UV) laser system, a vat containing a photocurable resin, a layer coating and levelling system, a vertically movable platform on which the part can be built, and process control hardware and software. Extending these elements to build with multiple materials requires a materials management strategy and system (for managing the different materials during the build) and a modified process control system (for managing the starting and stopping of the SL process during material changeovers).

To manage multiple materials, there are at least two possibilities that include (1) exchanging the entire vat of material during a build, or (2) exchanging the material within the vat during the build. Both approaches for materials management have been used by our group and are described in this paper. The addition of a materials management system also adds complexity to the process control system, although the ability to start, stop, and restart the SL process during a build makes process control during material exchanges manageable. Our group has developed methods of MMSL fabrication using simple operator-controlled STL file management as well as fully automated MMSL systems. The following describes these developments in MMSL technology in more detail.

2.1

Multi-material stereolithography (MMSL)- Retrofit machine

As mentioned above, multiple materials can be included in a single SL build during fabrication by exchanging entire vats or by replacing the current material within a vat with a different material during the build. To demonstrate the entire vat exchange strategy, a design for modifying an existing 3D Systems SL apparatus 250/50 was developed as shown in Figure 1 (Wicker et al. 2004, Lozoya 2005) with the resulting machine called the MMSL Retrofit. One considerable constraint on this design was fitting the modifications within the existing envelope of the 3D Systems SL machine, which reduced the build size considerably by limiting the build platform to a 7.6 cm by 7.6 cm cross-section (reduced from 25.4 cm by 25.4 cm in the commercial system). As shown in Figure 1, three vats were arranged on a manual rotary stage (called the rotating vat carousel), and the modified (smaller) platform was attached to the original elevator (z-stage) mechanism to traverse the platform to and from the vats. The vat located under the platform was designed to be in the centre of the machine to maintain the vertical position of the laser beam located at the centre of the platform. The rim in the process chamber remained in the traditional configuration to continue using the laser beam profiler sensors, as the laser scanning system and software worked the same as the commercial system but with a reduced scanning area.

Fig 1. Three vat carousel system However, because of the multiple vats with reduced size and rotating vat system, the sweeping blade recoating system was removed and a deep dip re-coating process with extended z-wait
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(for levelling) was employed during part building (Lozoya 2005, Choi et al., 2011a). The consequences of removing the recoating system include increased z-wait times (increased time between layers for the resin to flatten into a uniform layer on the previous fabricated layer) as well as possible fabrication errors that result from successive material build-up on the top surface of the fabricated parts due to insufficient levelling. One solution to levelling issues is to limit use to low viscosity resins (less than _200 cP) that allow for relatively fast and sufficient levelling. This is the primary method employed by our group. Other possibilities include development and use of non-contact recoating and levelling strategies, levelling with flexible materials (such as a Mylar sheet used as a flexible doctor blade), and/or modified vat designs that allow the resin to flow over the part. These strategies are beyond the scope of the present discussion, although further details of levelling difficulties and possible solutions can be found in other studies (Lozoya 2005, Sandoval and Wicker 2006, Sandoval et al. 2007, Choi et al. 2010, 2011a). For the MMSL Retrofit, the vats were designed for connection to a peristaltic pump (for filling and removing resin from each vat as well as controlling resin height in the vat during fabrication) as shown in Figure 1 (Lozoya 2005, Grajeda 2010). The peristaltic pump was selected for its accuracy as well as isolation of the resin from moving pump parts. Operation of the system in Figure 1 is fairly straightforward, and two-material dogbone samples manufactured using this system are shown in Figure 2. To build the samples shown in Figure 2, a process plan was required to determine the material build sequence (see Kim et al. 2010a, 2010b for additional MMSL process planning details). For the two material dogbones illustrated in Figure 2, the process only required two STL files, one for the material on the left and one for the material on the right. The material on the left was built first since it represented the bottom most material at the interface between the two materials (Figure 2b). Both STL files were sliced normally using the 3D Systems slicing program and only the vertical start locations for each build needed to be managed by the operator. To begin, the sliced file for the first material was sent to the machine to build with the first material vat placed underneath the platform. These samples were built directly on a Mylar substrate as described in Wicker et al.(2004) and Lozoya (2005) to provide high quality surface finish and dimensional accuracy on the bottom surface, remove the requirement for base support, and enable easy removal of the fabricated parts from the Mylar substrate when completed. Once finished building with the first material, the platform with the partially built dogbone was raised above the vat containing the first material and the vat with the cleaning solution was rotated underneath the
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platform for intermediate part cleaning. The platform and part were submerged in the cleaning solution and manually cleaned by the operator to remove uncured resin from the part and the platform, and then the platform and part were raised above the cleaning vat and allowed to dry. Once dried, the platform with the second material was rotated underneath the platform and the dogbone was completed using the second material. The operator was required to manage the build files, the platform locations at the start of each build (for accurate registration) and during part cleaning, and material vat locations to ensure a successful multi-material build.

Figure 2 illustrates the successful multiple (two) material parts fabricated using the approach described above. In addition to combining multiple SL materials, this system was also used to explore composite SL resins as a means for mechanical property improvement (Sandoval and Wicker 2006, Sandoval et al. 2007). Further details of the MMSL Retrofit system and its use can be found in Lozoya (2005). However, the results described here served to motivate the development of a more capable MMSL system described below that included increased automation during the build and larger building capabilities.

2.2

Multi-material stereolithography (MMSL)-Automated

Machine
Based on the results from the MMSL Retrofit machine, a new Automated MMSL machine was designed and fabricated as shown in Figure 3 and described in detail in Inamdar et al. (2006) and Choi et al. (2011a). Similar to the MMSL Retrofit machine, a 3D Systems SL machine was used as part of this system, although in this case, the laser scanning system was essentially the only major sub-system that remained. The overall design of the Automated MMSL machine is briefly described in the following.

Fig 3. Automatic MMSL Machine Setup The components from an existing commercial 3D Systems 250/50 SL machine that were incorporated in the Automated MMSL machine included the optical system, the rim assembly with beam profilers, the associated controllers and the wiring harness. The 3D Systems scanning system was retained to avoid development of a new laser scanning process. For the 3D Systems scanning system to operate, the laser, entire optics system and the rim assembly with beam profilers and associated scanning controllers and wiring harnesses were transferred to the new system. The Automated MMSL machine consists of the Manufacturing Centre (hardware) and the Control Centre (hardware and software). The Manufacturing Centre includes a new machine frame and all of the fabrication hardware, including four vats positioned on a rotating vat
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carousel. Due to possible interference issues associated with previously fabricated layers, this system also did not include a sweeping blade recoating system and instead employed a deep dip recoating strategy with increased z-wait as described above and in Choi et al. (2011a). However, for accurate control of resin height in the vats, an automatic resin height control system was developed (Grajeda 2010, Choi et al. 2011a). The automatic resin height control system included a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control algorithm as part of the LabVIEW control program described below. The system used a peristaltic pump to fill and remove resin from each vat according to measurements of the location of the resin surface using a laser displacement sensor. Although still not as large as the original 25.4 cm by 25.4 cm platform, the Automated MMSL system incorporated a 16.5 cm by 16.5 cm platform that enabled larger multi-material parts to be fabricated than the original MMSL Retrofit machine. The build envelope was constrained by the maximum load capacity of the direct drive rotary stage selected for the vat carousel system, and details of this precision stage as well as the other stages integrated in the new system can be found in Choi et al. (2011a).

Fig 4 Process flowchart for multi-material fabrication using MMSL machine

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The Control Centre includes the automatic resin height control system described above, the 3D Systems 250/50 controller, a new LabVIEW program that manages the overall MMSL process, the scanning mirror controller, and a new signal conditioning module. The LabVIEW program serves to manage the entire MMSL process, and directly controls the rotating vat carousel system, the linear (z-stage) and rotational stages (for the automatic resin height control system, and communicates the vats and platform), directly with the 3D Systems software that controls the laser scanning process. The LabVIEW program communicates with the 3D Systems software by capturing a signal through a National Instruments signal conditioning module from a stepper motor used in the original 3D Systems recoating system (Choi et al. 2011a). This signal informs the system that laser scanning for the current layer is completed and so the LabVIEW program can proceed with its processes (such as proceeding with the next layer by moving the platform deeper into the current vat of material, or initiating a material changeover process). Scanning the next layer does not proceed until the LabVIEW program closes an interlock switch that informs the 3D Systems scanning program to continue. For complete details of the system design and operation, the interested reader is referred to Choi et al. (2011a). The system described above and shown in Figure 3 has been used to build a variety of multiple material parts using a sequence similar to the description provided above for the MMSL Retrofit machine.

Fig 5 Rook model developed by Automated MMSL

To demonstrate a multiple material part fabricated with the Automated MMSL machine, Figure 5 illustrates a multiple material rook fabricated using three different SL resins with one of the four material vats filled with a cleaning solution for intermediate cleaning between material changeovers (Choi et al. 2011a). The process for building this part required three build material changeovers that occurred when changing from material one to material two, material two to material three, and material three back to material one. It should also be noted that, between each build material, changeover included an intermediate cleaning process using the vat filled with cleaning solution. The build sequence for this part can be observed in Figure 4. In this particular case, only three build material changeovers were required as the entire build sequence for each single material could be completed without interruption. That is, as described in Choi et al. (2011a) and Kim et al. (2010a, 2010b), different considerations can impact the number of required material changeovers, such as the existence of an un-built layer of a different material underneath the current material or a laser beam obstruction due to a previously built layer that blocks the laser beam from fabricating a new layer out of a different material. These considerations as well as several other multiple material fabrication issues are described in more detail in Choi et al. (2011a) and Kim et al. (2010a, 2010b). However, as a technology demonstration, the ability of the Automated MMSL machine to fabricate a variety of material combinations for this multi-material rook as well as a human mandible with a tumour are shown in Figure 5. The mandible with tumour model was used by a surgeon as a pre-surgical planning aid to assist in the patients treatment. These demonstrations provide compelling evidence of the capabilities of this system for fabricating unique multiple material parts.

2.3 Multi-Material Stereolithography (MMSL)-Single Vat with Material Exchange

In addition to the manual and automatic vat exchange approaches described above, MMSL fabrication can occur by stopping the SL process, removing the existing material from the vat, and filling the vat with a new material. This single vat, multiple material approach has been used extensively by our group for fabricating multi-material tissue engineered implants (Arcaute et al. 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011a, 2011b, Arcaute 2008, Tonde 2009, Zuverza 2009) and multi-material micro-scale parts using micro-SL technology (Choi et al. 2010).
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For tissue engineering applications, SL enables control over scaffold architectures (through multiple material fabrication) including placement of cells and bioactive agents within the scaffold during construction. A number of complex, multi-material scaffold architectures fabricated using the single vat approach are described in Arcaute (2008) and Arcaute et al. (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011a). Briefly, to accomplish multi-material builds with implantable, cross-linkable hydrogel materials, a mini-vat setup was designed, constructed and placed on top of the existing build platform of a 3D Systems 250/50 SL machine as shown in Figure 6 (Arcaute et al. 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011a, 2011b, Arcaute 2008).

Fig. 6 Self-aligning mini-vat setup used for MMSL of implantable, bioactive hydrogel scaffold architectures. (Adapted with permission from Arcaute et al. 2010.)

The mini-vat was used to reduce the volume of solution required for a build, and during multiple material builds, significantly reduced the time required to change materials because of the relatively small volumes of materials involved. The primary design feature of the mini-vat was a self-aligning base with a key/keyway setup that secured the mini-vat in a specific x-y orientation and maintained registration of the part during removal of the base. Solution was retained within a cylinder attached to the base via an o-ring seal on the outside of the cylinder, and the length of the cylinder could be adjusted depending on the overall length of the implant under construction. The mini-vat setup allowed the part to be easily removed and rinsed, and different photo-crosslinkable solutions to be easily removed and added to the vat for multi11

material fabrication. The original elevator platform of the SL machine was used to hold the mini-vat fixture. During the fabrication process, the elevator was lowered a distance equal to the elevation increase of the liquid solution in the cylinder as precise quantities of new photopolymer solution were added for each new layer, maintaining the laser beam focused on the surface of the photopolymer at its nominal diameter of _250 mm. The complete build process for these manual, multi-material builds can be found in Arcaute (2008) and Arcaute et al. (2007, 2010, 2011a), although several multi-material, poly(ethylene) glycol (PEG)-based hydrogel scaffolds fabricated using this technique are shown in Figure 7, demonstrating multi-material fabrication both within the same layer and across layers. shows a multi-material hydrogel rook during and after fabrication, highlighting the use of the mini-vat setup during construction.

Issues with Multi Material Fabrication

Fig. 7 shows several issues associated with multi-material fabrication: (a) laser shadowing, (b) Trapped volume, (c) surface tension between two materials, and (d) surface tension on The previously built layer.
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References
Ryan B. Wicker & Eric W. MacDonald Multi-material, multi-technology stereolithography Taylor Fr., vol.7,pp 181-194, 2013 Choi, J.W., Kim, H.C. and Wicker, R.B., 2011a. Multi-material stereo- lithography. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 211, 318328. Inamdar, A., et al., 2006. Development of an automated multiple material stereolithography machine. 17th Annual Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium, August 1416, University of Texas at Austin. Lozoya, O.A., 2005. Development and demonstration of a multiple material stereolithography system. M.S. Thesis. University of Texas at El Paso.

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