Parameter study of lithophane for efficient reproduction of 2D image as 3D object using 3D printing

Abstract

Recently, 3D printing technology has received remarkable attention, because it enables rapid prototyping; it also offers an easy and clean way to produce complex shapes. Furthermore, as the related original patent rights on 3D printing technology have expired, it has been fused with IT technologies to create more varied applications. One of such varied applications is the lithophane printing technology for converting 2D images to 3D objects. However, the multiple parameter values that determine the output when reproducing 2D images as 3D objects has not been studied. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the optimal parameter values for producing lithophane. The parameters (vector per pixel, thickness, and the width of the thinnest layer) that significantly affect the quality of 3D objects among the parameters of lithophane were investigated in addition to the fabrication time. For the analysis of the parameter study, the fabricated 3D object was reconverted to 2D image through the camera, and the black and white pixels were counted using the Matlab program. Following the analysis, the following observations were made: (i.) The amount of time taken to fabricate the 3D object and the clarity of the 3D object were not proportional, (ii.) The vector per pixel had little effect on the standard deviation of the reconverted 2D image, (iii.) The difference between the thickness value and the width of the thinnest layer had a significant effect on the standard deviation of the reconverted 2D image. In conclusion, when the light was on, the clarity of the 3D object was dependent on the thickness.