Introduction of DLP
Digital light processing (DLP) is a 3D printing technology that has been developed in recent years and is similar to SLA in many aspects. The components of a typical DLP printer are illustrated below in Fig. 1.
When manufacturing parts with DLP technology, the printing platform is placed in the resin tank firstly, and the printing plane is close to the liquid surface (keeping a printing layer thickness distance). Then use digital microscope components to project the section of the product onto the surface of the liquid light-sensitive resin, so that the resin is solidified under the light. After the first layer of printing is completed, the printing platform moves a layer of distance (upward or down), and repeats the process until printing is complete.
Fig. 1. Components of a typical DLP machine: 1-printed part, 2-liquid resin, 3-building platform, 4-light source, 5-digital projector, 6-light beam, 7-resin tank, 8-window, and 9-layer-by-layer elevation. (Pagac, M.; et al., 2021)
Services
CD BioSciences is a professional high-tech company that provides 3D printing products and services. It has an experienced team and is committed to bringing a smarter 3D printing experience to various industries. CD BioSciences not only offers SLA technology, but also DLP technology with high-precision printing.
It is worth noting that due to the limitations of its production principle, DLP printing technology cannot print large objects, so it is currently mostly used in desktop 3D printers, which can manufacture fine parts, such as jewelry, dental molds, etc.
Technical features of DLP
DLP technology does not require the use of a moving light beam and movable nozzle, so printing process deviation is small and the material will not be blocked;
The DLP printer uses a micro-reflector with high resolution and can print complex structures.
Different from SLA technology, which is limited to a single spot, DLP technology fully exposes each layer of material to the light projected by the digital screen, so the curing rate is high.
Materials for DLP
DLP molding technology generally uses photosensitive resins as printing materials.
Applications of DLP
Because DLP technology uses projection for printing, limited by the resolution of digital light mirrors, it can only be used to print products of smaller sizes. At present, it is temporarily used in the following industries.
- Medical treatment
- Jewelry
- Education
- Art
Advantages of DLP
- Production speed is very fast
- The surface of the parts is smooth and requires little post-treatment.
- High precision, excellent detail reproduction
- Low cost
- Make complex structures
Comparison of SLA and DLP
These two 3D printing technologies work by selectively exposing the liquid photosensitive resin to the light source to form a thin cured layer, and stacking layers to form parts. Here are the differences between the two techniques.
The light source of SLA is a laser, while DLP uses a digital light source from a projector.
SLA printing is point-to-line, line-to-surface, and DLP technology projects the entire layer of images, greatly improving printing speed.
In theory, the part printed by SLA can be infinitely large, while SLA can only print small-sized parts.
SLA and DLP technologies are selected based on the scenarios and requirements for which they are applied.
Due to its higher accuracy and faster printing speed, DLP is known as the second generation of SLA, which has a wide range of application prospects. CD BioSciences provides advanced DLP technology and a professional 3D printing technology team to bring a better experience to your production.
If you are interested in our services, please contact us. All services are available on a 24/7/365 basis.
For research use only, not intended for any clinical use.
