Solid Ground Curing, SGC

Objects built using liquid photopolymer, i.e. plastic which reacts to light. An adjustable construction platform [1] is initially placed in its highest position, only covered by a thin layer photopolymer.

CAD model first layer is drawn on a glass plate [2]. The surface to be solidified, is transparent and the rest of the glass sheet are covered with color using an electrostatic process similar to the laser printing. The glass plate is then placed between the canvas with liquid plastic and UV spotlight [3] which then lights up. Areas where the UV light passes through the glass plate and hits the liquid solidifies, while non-illuminated surface remains liquid. The glass plate is removed to be colored according to the next layer, and the non-solidified photopolymer is sucked away from the canvas.

Water-soluble liquid wax is spread over the work to fill and solidify in the cavities created by the non-solidified resin. The surface is then milled to obtain the required surface finish and thickness. New photopolymer is spread out and the process is repeated with a newly stained glass plate for each layer.