Vat photopolymerization (VPP) is an additive manufacturing technique that creates three-dimensional parts by projecting two-dimensional light patterns onto layers of photopolymer resin. These images are typically delivered using digital light processing (DLP) systems equipped with digital micromirror devices. While conventional VPP relies on single-wavelength exposure, recent advancements have introduced multi-wavelength approaches that selectively trigger distinct photochemical reactions, thereby enhancing multi-material printing capability and geometric precision.

This dissertation establishes a data-driven framework for advancing the predictive modeling of both single- and multi-wavelength VPP processes. Through the integrated development of open-architecture hardware, selective ex-situ characterizations, and data-driven multiphysics simulation approaches, this work lays the foundation for robust and scalable simulation frameworks applicable to both traditional and novel resin systems. Together, these efforts create a bridge between laboratory-scale experimentation and industrially relevant predictive modeling for photopolymer-based additive manufacturing.

A dual-wavelength digital light processing (DLP) platform was developed to investigate wavelength-dependent curing dynamics and material interactions. The system’s open-source design, modular optics, and FPGA-based grayscale control enable flexible, high-precision exposure while maintaining full transparency for research and customization. This hardware serves as a testbed for quantifying the optical and thermal responses of photopolymers under controlled exposure conditions, addressing a long-standing limitation of closed, vendor-specific VPP systems.

Comprehensive material characterization—using FTIR, DSC, and thermal imaging—was combined with empirical, inverse heat conduction optimization, and physics-based kinetic models to capture the coupled influence of temperature, light intensity, and optical absorption on the curing process. These models were integrated into a multiphysics simulation framework that couples light transport, heat generation, and chemical kinetics, providing predictive capability for transient temperature fields, degree of conversion, and cured-layer geometry under dual-wavelength exposures. The performance of the framework was validated against experimental data from both conventional single-wavelength systems and novel multi-wavelength printing configurations.