Area-Exposure Additive Manufacturing Techniques and Devices: A Mini-Review

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the various three-dimensional printing techniques for area exposure additive manufacturing using the patterned control of optical devices. Additive manufacturing techniques can be broadly categorized into low-power exposure and high-power melting, both of which involve innovative patterning and light-sourcing methods. The working principles and accompanying auxiliary devices of core technologies including the digital micromirror device, liquid crystal display, liquid crystal on silicon mask, and optically addressable light valve are summarized. The discussed techniques and devices have played critical roles in advancing both vat photopolymerization and powder bed fusion additive manufacturing processes and can be applied to markedly enhance printing efficiency. The advances discussed in this review hold significant promise in fields such as biomedicine, robotics, and sensing. The associated challenges and opportunities faced by the considered techniques and devices are summarized accordingly.