Copyright 1995 The Washington Post

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November 09, 1995, Thursday, Final Edition
Correction Appended

SECTION: WEEKLY - MARYLAND; Pg. M01

LENGTH: 544 words

HEADLINE: On the Cutting Edge; U-Md. Machine Carves Shapes From Resin

BYLINE: Gagan Nirula, Special to The Washington Post

BODY:
A thin blue laser the width of a paper clip carves abstract shapes into a watery substance. As the laser cuts tiny slices through the resin, the liquid begins to harden in the shape of a letter of the alphabet until it forms a "U." This is the newest creation of the stereolithography machine the University of Maryland bought this fall.

The machine, which operates out of the Advanced Design and Manufacturing Lab at the university, is the latest in rapid prototyping technology, which allows industries to build prototypes and parts of products for testing in a matter of a few hours, as opposed to the weeks it can take traditional methods. In addition, the machine does all this without having to be staffed or looked after. Housed in a case about the size of a refrigerator, the machine gets a set of codes and instructions from a computerized design program and translates the codes into stereolithography instructions and variables it can read. They control a laser beam, which then carves layers six-thousandths of an inch thick into the liquid resin and creates a part by stacking layers. After it is done, the part is cured and cleaned up in an oven-like apparatus.

The technology, which has been around since 1986, serves a variety of industries. Stereolithography and rapid prototyping can be instrumental in building and testing small automotive parts, medical, surgical and dental procedure tools, and Braille manuscripts for blind students. In the federal government, stereolithography has been used to design and manufacture new weapons systems. "It's an immense feeling to hold a part that you designed just a few hours ago in your hands," said Rena Surana, manager of the stereolithography equipment and a graduate engineering student at the university.

Maryland plans to market the machine to companies on the East Coast. There are plans to work with the National Institutes of Health to develop and test pro totypes of new surgical and medical tools. In addition, Guangming Zhang, director of the lab, said he hopes to work with the National Science Foundation in developing more uses of the technology.

Maryland's stereolithography machine also will be available as a research tool for university students.

"The machine's acquisition has further enhanced Maryland's national reputation as a research university," Surana said.

Only a handful of stereolithography machines can be found in the Washington area, with Maryland's the only one available for public use. Approximately 500 of the machines are available in the United States.

Zhang said the prices for use of the machine will depend on the size and complexity of the part it makes.

The university bought the machine for about $ 200,000 from Valencia, Calif.-based 3D Systems Inc. The purchase was financed by the university's engineering department and Maryland Industrial Partnerships, the university's on-campus link to industry.

"There is so much that can be done with the technology, and companies that don't make use of it are really missing out on the future of prototyping," Surana said.

"One of the more appealing characteristics is that this machine doesn't just produce visual aids," Surana said. "These parts can actually be tested."

CORRECTION-DATE: November 16, 1995, Thursday

CORRECTION:
An article in the Weekly last week on the University of Maryland's new stereolithography machine incorrectly reported the source of funding for the machine. Funding was provided by the university's Engineering Research Center.

GRAPHIC: Photo, tyler mallory for The Washington Post, A prototype of a Braille plate made by the machine. Rena Surana demonstrates the stereolithography machine, which makes prototypes of industrial parts out of resin.