Abstract
This paper proposes a method of fabricating 3-D object in color based on stereolithography. By combining inkjet printing process to stereolithography, color patterns can be drawn onto the resin layer surface. In conventional stereolithography, however, layer surface is flat and the drawn patterns are not visible in the viewing direction parallel to layer surface. On the other hand, refrigerative stereolithography, which the authors has proposed and been investigating, uses photopolymer resin in gel state, and the gel layer surface can be made rugged and non-flat. By drawing color patterns onto the rugged and non-flat layer surface, we can achieve improved visibility of the pattern in various view directions. In this paper, the basic idea is examined in two approaches to generate rugged surface : one is to scratch the gel surface by a notched-coater and the other is to punch the gel surface by a vibrating needle.
