The stl file is the standard file format needed for 3d printing and rapid prototyping purposes. Origins it was first discovered in the japanese researcher. Stereolithography sla is the original 3d printing process still widely used today for its accuracy and speed. Stereolithography sla utilizes a vat of liquid photopolymer resin cured by an ultra violet uv laser to solidify the pattern layer by layer to create a solid 3d model from customer supplied 3d data. Stl stereolithography is a file format native to the stereolithography cad software created by 3d systems. Parameters that fall into this category include linewidth compensation. Stereolithography is an imaging progression which is used to create unique 3dprinted objects. Although stl can be considered proprietary, 3d systems has encouraged its use. Enhanced mechanical and thermal properties of stereolithography. Stereolithography systems 10 and methods using internal laser modulation are disclosed. The unique 3d printing machine also referred to as stereolithography apparatus converts liquid plastic into solid objects.
Fundamentals of stereolithography pdf book manual free download. Stereolithography is derived from the greek word stereo solid body, litho stone, and graphien to write. Stereolithography sl is an am technology well known. Very much like the txt file format used in desktop publishing, the stl file allows users to print and make copies of their designs via 3d. The most commonly used input to a rapid prototyping rp system is thede facto stereolithography file stl. In part 1, several existing and proposed formats have been discussed. May 12, 2017 the stereolithography or sla uses photopolymerization to create models from a digital 3d file designed with one of the many software on the market maya, catia, 3dsmax, etc. Stereolithography more commonly referred to as sla 3d printing is one of the most popular and widespread techniques in the world of additive manufacturing. Stereolithography sla production printers build accurate parts directly from 3d cad data without tooling by converting liquid plastic photopolymer into solid crosssections using an ultraviolet laser. The stl file format was openly documented by its originator, charles hull of 3d systems, inc. Stereolithography sla 3d printing overview 3d systems. Stereolithography sla 3d printing simply explained.
Stl 3d models download stereolithography stl file format. It works by using a highpowered laser to harden liquid resin that is contained in a reservoir to create the desired 3d shape. Stl is a file format native to the stereolithography cad software created by 3d systems. Aug 03, 2016 the main requirements of stereolithography are. Stereolithography, the first 3d technology erpro group.
Stereolithography is an additive manufacturing process using a vat of liquid uvcurable photopolymer resin and a uv laser to build parts a layer at a time. Since stereolithography is a process that is a combination of physics and chemistry, a number of. Stl an abbreviation of stereolithography is a file format native to the stereolithography cad software created by 3d systems. Stla is a data directory which contains examples of ascii stl files. Several problems plague these stl files owing to the very nature of stl files and the nonrobustness of commercial cad system model tessellators. Due to the large setup, maintenance requirements, and material volume, rightsideup sla requires a high initial investment and is expensive to run, so it is mostly found in industrial machines. Stereolithography sla parts on demand stratasys direct. Stereolithography sla is the oldest 3d printing process and is particularly suitable for the representation of especially thinwalled complex geometries. However, it is necessary to improve the stl format to meet the development needs of rp technologies. These machines, currently operating in 20 countries on five continents, amount to about 90 percent of all the rapid prototyping systems now in use. We are specialists in decorative elements paint finish, precision parts and also very large scale objects with two systems with a capacity of 1500x750x550mm. Stereolithography is used to make parts as large as 20 x 20 x 24, and engineers and industrial designers envision myriad applications for this process.
A study of stereolithography file errors and repair. The stereolithography sla process and its methods are introduced in this chapter. The implementation of stereolithography is fair, though there are many different variations which it is used. An stl object must define a complete and closed surface. Stereolithography sla is an industrial 3d printing process used to create concept models, cosmetic prototypes, and complex parts with intricate geometries in as fast as 1 day. A wide selection of materials, extremely high feature resolutions, and quality surface finishes are possible with sla. Stereolithography sla is a laserbased 3d printing technology that uses uvsensitive liquid resins. This file format is supported by many other software packages. Their aim was to facilitate rapid prototyping of plastic parts 2. Parts made from sla can quickly be used to make cavities in silicone molds, serve as patterns for investment or plaster castings, and can also be easily painted for form and fit studies. Input data file formats supported stl, ctl, obj, ply, zpr, zbd, amf, wrl, 3ds, fbx, mjpddd, 3dprint, bff, iges, igs, step, stp, sli. Pdf development of a multimaterial stereolithography system.
After establishing sla as pertaining to the highresolution but also highcost spectrum of. The rapid prototyping stereolithography process was developed by 3d systems of. The sla process addresses the widest range of rapid manufacturing applications. Stereolithography printers prototypes, tools and production parts with projet and prox sla 3d printers 3d systemsthe inventor of stereolithography sla and the only sla manufacturer offering the total solution with integrated hardware, software and materials finetuned to achieve renowned sla parts qualitybrings you legendary precision. Equivalent dpi based on laser spot location resolution of 0.
As with many other am processes, the physical parts are manufactured byfabricatingcrosssectionalcontours,or slices,oneontopof another. Stereolithography is the first and the oldest layermanufacturing process and continues to produce conceptual models in a few hours or days. Feel free to browse the selection and do not forget to use the other search filters to find pbr, rigged, animated or printable 3d models for all your needs. Uniontech owns nearly 20 years of proven leadership in globallysourced 3d stereolithography printing systems and is now the market leader of sl equipment in china. Research in the area had been conducted during the 1970s, but the term was coined by charles chuck w.
Introduction it has only been a little over four years since the introduction of the first stereolithography system, the sla1. The system includes an internally modulated diodepumped frequencymultiplied solidstate dpfmss laser 40. Stereolithographic article about stereolithographic by. Us20154160a1 stereolithography systems and methods. Stl exporter for revit the stl export addin for revit is designed to produce a stereolithography file stl of your buildi.
Very much like the txt file format used in desktop publishing, the stl file allows users to print and make copies of their designs via 3d printing using a wide variety of 3d cad software. One limitation is in the materials available for use in am that can meet the needs of enduse applications. Fundamentals of stereolithography pdf book manual free. Stl is also known as standard tessellation language. Overview stereolithography sla production printers build accurate parts directly from 3d cad data without tooling by converting liquid plastic photopolymer into solid crosssections using an ultraviolet laser. Originally documented in stereolithography interface specification in 1988 by 3d.
This approach mostly appears in large scale industrial systems, and before the appearance of desktop systems it was. The stereolithography sl process, although a relatively new technology, has revolutionized the domain of part and process research and development. As the stereolithography sla laser moves along the vat three dimensional parts are built layer by layer on a tray that sits. Stereolithography information about the first 3d printing. Stereolithography or sla 3dprinting process and technology. The stl stereolithography file format, as developed by 3d systems, has been widely used by most rapid prototyping rp systems and is supported by all major computeraided design cad systems. The stereolithography or sla uses photopolymerization to create models from a digital 3d file designed with one of the many software on the market maya, catia, 3dsmax, etc. Stereolithography is an additive manufacturing process which employs a vat of liquid ultraviolet. However, from its early days of development, attempts have been reported in using infrared ir light through a co 2 laser source for the photopolymerization of thermosensitive materials such as epoxy resins 150152, since a co 2 laser is considerably cheaper than a. The format has not been maintained through a formal governance structure. Sl is often used for prototypes, large concept models, form and fit models, investment casting patterns and master patterns. You can choose which to create when you export a 3ds max scene. After establishing sla as pertaining to the highresolution but also highcost spectrum of the 3d printing. He then set up 3d systems inc to commercialize his patent.
Stl 3d models download stereolithography stl file format 3d assets there currently are 215,364 3d assets ready for download in the stereolithography file format on the marketplace. Highest accuracy and smoothest surface finish of all 3d printed. The part is created layer by layer, with each resin layer built on top of the next until the part is complete. Sl process parameters are inherent to the stereolithography process. Before going on with the print job, another software will perform a file analysis so to precisely determine which printing operational mode is to use in the model. But it is also possible to produce solid components. Stereolithographic article about stereolithographic by the. The consequences of not correcting these errors are detrimental to the creation of the intended. The stl file extension is mainly associated with standard tessellation language, a common cad stereolithography format for 3d modeling, prototyping and for use in 3d printers the stl format was developed by the albert consulting group albertbattaglin consulting group today for 3d systems in 1987 for moving 3d cad models to its stereolithography apparatus. Many of the stereolithography systems are tightly sealed to inhibit the leakage of vapor from the resin, since it is harmful and contains an odor smell. Improvement of the spatial resolution of prototypes using infrared laser stereolithography on thermosensitive resins. Bioinspired materials for medical applications, 2017. Interface between cad and rapid prototyping systems. Solid state lasers for stereolithography sff symposium.
Thanks to our 10 stereolithography machines, we are able to create a particularly accurate prototype or model working from a 3d cad file. There is an ascii stl format as well as a binary stl format. Other stl machines use metal powder to create a model in steel. Stereolithography is the oldest 3d printing technology in november 1981, hideo kodama of the nagoya municipal industrial research institute nagoya, japan published a paper titled automatic method for fabricating a threedimensional.
Asme historic mechanical engineering landmark stereolithography. Stereolithography an overview sciencedirect topics. In a nutshell, this process converts photosensitive. The ascii representation of the stl stereolithography file format is a simple, openly documented, plaintext format for describing the surface of an object as a triangular mesh. After each crosssection is scanned, the powder bed is lowered. Stereolithography sla uses a uv laser to photocure large vats of epoxy based resin in the shape and form of an electronic 3d file. Stereolithography is an additive manufacturing process where liquid materials and composites are turned into manufactured parts and prototypes, layer by layer, using an ultraviolet laser.
Stereolithography systems use ultraviolet lasers to solidify liquid resin into the desired form as defined by the cad file. Stl has several backronyms such as standard triangle language and standard tessellation language. Stl has several afterthefact backronyms such as standard triangle language and. Each pdf file encapsulates a complete description of a fixedlayout flat document, including the text, fonts, graphics, and other information needed to display it. Pioneered by chuck hull of 3d systems, stereolithography sl uses a liquid photopolymer that is cured one layer at a time with a uv laser. Feb 12, 2014 stereolithography is an additive manufacturing process using a vat of liquid uvcurable photopolymer resin and a uv laser to build parts a layer at a time. The stereolithography systems in most cases use uv laser sources operated at a wavelength of 352 nm. Maximum part size is dependent on geometry, among other factors. Developed by 3d systems type of format stereolithography stl file format from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia stl stereolithography is a file format native to the stereolithography cad software created by 3d systems. Stereolithography is a technique for layer by layer structure fabrication, where a laser beam is focused to a free surface of a photosensitive liquid to induce polymerization of the liquid in that region and transform it to a polymerized solid sun et al. The first stereolithography printers used rightsideup methods, which require a large resin tank. Introduction it has only been a little over four years since the introduction of the. Stl stands for stereolithography, and indicates that the primary purpose of this file format is to describe the shape of a 3d stationary object.
Stereolithography was the first process developed for rapid prototyping, and though it is among the oldest 3d printing methods, it is still very popular today. On each layer, the laser beam traces a part crosssection pattern on the surface of the liquid resin. Developed by 3d systems type of format stereolithography stl file format from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia stl stereolithography is a file format native to the. Stereolithography stl stl an abbreviation of stereolithography, is a file format native to the stereolithography cad software created by 3d systems. The ultimate guide to stereolithography sla 3d printing formlabs. Stereolithography system an overview sciencedirect topics. With our patented mammoth stereolithography machines, we can print large 3d models up to 2 meters long in a single piece. There is no external modulation system ems within an external optical path ope between the laser and a scanning system 80. File formats by admin 3d, 3d pdf, 3dpdf, adobe, dae, dwg, file format, pdf, pdf3d, stl, stp, vrml comments off on file formats the following file formats are available for pdf3d reportgen, xml server utilities and the interface layer of pdfdsdk pro development toolkit. In part 1, several existing and proposed formats have. Jul 16, 20 stereolithography was the first process developed for rapid prototyping, and though it is among the oldest 3d printing methods, it is still very popular today.
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