Lecture 'Meet the PhD Jury: Volumetric additive manufacturing via tomographic reconstruction: process capabilities and scaling principles'

CAL is inspired by the principles of computed tomography and synthesizes a three-dimensionally controlled illumination dose within a volume of photocurable resin precursor. The photosensitive volume rotates steadily while synchronized patterns of light are projected through it. In this way, the cumulative light dose in the material is controlled in 3D, and where the dose exceeds a threshold, the resin solidifies and the part is formed.

Important considerations for computing optimal light patterns for projection in CAL will be covered. Material-dependent, optical, and mechanical factors governing the position- and orientation-dependent spatial resolution of CAL, as well as its fabrication speed and potential for scaling will be discussed. The application of CAL to producing silica glass components will also be covered. Finally, some other applications of CAL, including the ‘over-printing’ of structures around pre-existing solid objects will be described.