Intensity adjustment of tomographic volumetric additive manufacturing projection image sets

Tomographic Volumetric Additive Manufacturing (TVAM) enables fast, support free fabrication by curing an entire 3D geometry simultaneously through the superposition of projected light patterns. However, low power TVAM systems often struggle to deliver sufficient optical dose when projection image sets exhibit low mean intensity, leading to long print times, incomplete curing, or total print failure. This work investigates how linear intensity scaling and saturation of projection image sets affects printability and print quality. A projection image set of The Thinker was generated using the Object Space Model Optimization (OSMO) algorithm and scaled to saturation levels between 0% and 20%. Six prints were performed at different saturation levels using a 75:25 wt% BPAGDA/PEGDA photopolymer mixture on a custom low power TVAM setup. Polymerization progression and printability was monitored in situ, while print quality was evaluated through visual inspection, micro CT scanning, and quantitative comparison to the reference geometry using Jaccard Similarity Index and Cloud-to-Mesh (C2M) signed distance analyses. The 0% saturated projection image set failed to print, while excessive saturation caused localized geometric deviations. An optimal saturation level of 8% produced the highest quality print, achieving a Jaccard Similarity Index of 0.84 and an average dimensional deviation of −70 μm with a standard deviation of 192 μm. These results show that linear intensity scaling improves printability and print quality on low power TVAM systems, while excessive saturation degrades geometric fidelity. The findings highlight the need for consistent, geometry-agnostic intensity adjustment strategies to ensure reliable and predictable printing performance in TVAM.