Damage Potential of Post-Processing Methods in Vat Photopolymerization of Additively Manufactured Glass Components
摘要
Vat photopolymerization enables indirect additive manufacturing of high-resolution (below 100 \(\upmu \) m feature size) glass components. Post-processing is essential to remove uncured material adhering to the printed parts, typically using solvents. However, limited solvent diffusion often requires additional mechanical assistance such as agitation, spraying, or ultrasonic cleaning. These methods can cause mechanical stress to delicate structures and sensitive surfaces. Compared to polymer resins, glass-filled resins have higher viscosity and, in printed form, lower mechanical strength, increasing the potential for damage. Excessive solvent exposure can further induce swelling, leading to surface cracking. Ultrasonic baths additionally pose risk of surface damage through cavitational erosion. This study investigates the damage potential of various cleaning approaches used in the post-processing of vat photopolymerized glass components. The aim is to identify process characteristics and parameters that minimize structural and surface degradation, thereby enabling reliable and application-specific post-processing of complex, high-resolution components.