DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SLA 3D PRINTER

Abstract

Additive manufacturing has become an important technology for rapid prototyping and production of complex components. Stereolithography-based resin printing provides high dimensional accuracy, fine feature reproduction, and improved surface quality compared with several conventional additive manufacturing techniques. This paper presents the design and development of a compact UV resin 3D printer intended for rapid prototyping applications. The proposed system consists of an aluminium structural frame, resin vat, build platform, Z-axis linear motion mechanism, stepper motor, UV light source, controller, and user-interface system. A threedimensional CAD model is developed for the printer structure and major components. The printer is fabricated and evaluated using different layer thicknesses and exposure conditions. Representative experimental results show that a 0.05 mm layer thickness provides a suitable balance between printing time and surface quality. The developed system achieves approximately ±0.08 mm dimensional accuracy and approximately 3.2 µm surface roughness under the selected conditions. Structural analysis of the printer frame gives a representative maximum stress of 42 MPa and deformation of 0.18 mm, with a factor of safety of approximately 4.76. The study demonstrates that a compact UV resin printer can provide suitable performance for educational laboratories, prototype development, small mechanical components, and research applications.