Students create their designs elsewhere using computer graphics software. Their graphics files, in STL format, are transferred to the desktop computer sitting alongside the STL machine. That computer drives a laser beam which traces out the intricate details of the three-dimensional shape, layer by layer, on the surface of the liquid resin. The resin hardens where struck by the moving pinpoint of laser light, which is barely visible in the picture below. The solid plastic model rests on a perforated platform.
Build times require a number of hours, depending on the size and complexity of the model.
STL rapid prototyping machines are now in common use in industry. ERAU students are fortunate to be able to obtain first-hand experience with this new technology. The facilities are used in a variety of courses, for student projects, and by local industry. The laboratory is a major point of interest in tours of the Lehman Center.