This paper studies the feasibility of a 3D printing method that enables a hydrostatic condition for supportfree fabrication, named hydrostatic 3D printing (H3P). Soft structures are difficult to build in additive manufacturing due to the low stiffness. H3P utilizes low one-photon polymerization (LOPP) to achieve "inliquid" curing surrounded by the hydrostatic pressure. Single-spot curing and continuous printing were investigated for a UV-curable silicone material under different light intensities and exposure times. Initial results have demonstrated LOPP effects for H3P. The equivalent exposure time in continuous printing was found shorter than a stationary single-spot curing due to a non-linear intensity distribution.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.