Additive Manufacturing Resin Removal For Photopolymerization Printed Parts

Additive manufacturing post-support material removal for SLA, DLP, or other photopolymerization printing methods still lacks the cleaning process equipment necessary to keep up with the faster production capabilities of these methods. The present cleaning methods rely on low-temperature solvents such as isopropyl alcohol to prevent dissolution of the parts’ structure during cleaning. The VCN process is such a fast, thorough cleaning method that higher temperatures can further reduce cleaning time. Field units take 15 seconds to 2 minutes for VCN cleaning.

The above video shows a standard VCN Cycle that generally takes 3 to 10 minutes to complete door-to-door. The cycle shown is roughly 5 minutes, with 1 minute of contact with the solvent and complete drying of the parts and the chamber.