An apparatus and the method of its operation for
rapid prototyping of a three-dimensional object which includes a
radiant energy source of a
wide beam of
radiant energy of suitable intensity and
wavelength for curing a layer of photo-curable resin contained in an open vat, a
spatial light modulator (SLM) having an array of pixel elements which are individually digitally controllable by a computer, for modulating the
radiant energy beam projected from the radiant
energy source on a pixel by pixel basis, to form a series of time sequential images of the cross-sectional laminae of the object, an optical
system for focusing each image formed by the SLM, one at a time, onto successive
layers of photo-curable resin for predetermined
exposure times to thereby form stacked laminae of cured resin, each lamina of cured resin being in the shape of a different one of the cross-sectional laminae, and a
piston support for lowering each lamina of cured resin after it is formed by the SLM and for depositing a layer of resin corresponding to the thickness of one cross sectional lamina of the three-dimensional object before the step of projecting a new image by the SLM. The SLM, the
piston support for lowering, and the optical
system operate repeatedly and sequentially until a complete copy of the object is thereby produced.