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RESEARCH ARTICLE

A generalized printing process window for preventing surface overcuring in volumetric additive manufacturing

Yifei Wang1 ,  Feng Chen1* ,  Miaomiao Yuan1 ,  Wei Zhu1 ,  Yangguang Zhao1 ,  Ling Li1 ,  Xiaoxiao Han1
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1 College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
IJB, 026140128 https://doi.org/10.36922/IJB026140128
Received: 2 April 2026 | Revised: 7 May 2026 | Accepted: 11 May 2026 | Published online: 11 May 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Surface overcuring in volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM) occurs when material, process, and hardware parameters are not properly coordinated, leading to unintended polymerization near the vat boundary and impaired printability. Here, we develop a generalized theoretical model to predict the spatial light-dose distribution within rotating ink and to investigate the effects of key physical parameters, including projection beam size, vat dimensions, occlusion size, and material absorbance, on the onset of surface overcuring. The results show that this defect can be effectively suppressed through the synergistic regulation of these parameters. Specifically, lower material absorbance, smaller vat diameters, and narrower projection beams concentrate higher light energy in the central region of the vat while reducing energy deposition near the sidewalls, thereby promoting earlier solidification in the target region and preventing surface overcuring. Based on this model, a printing process window for suppressing surface overcuring is established as a quantitative guide for the design and fabrication of complex structures by VAM. The practical utility of this process window is further demonstrated through the successful fabrication of functional pH-responsive single- and multi-material drug delivery systems with controllable drug-release profiles. Overall, this study expands the printable design space of VAM for complex three-dimensional structures and provides a practical framework for more advanced applications.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Volumetric additive manufacturing
Surface overcuring
Theoretical model
pH-responsive drug release
Multi-material fabrication
Funding
The authors acknowledge the financial support received from the National Key Research and Development program of China (2024YFB4607700), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52575329), the Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province (2025RC1026), the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2025JJ50226), and the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing (CSTB2023NSCQ-MSX0999).
Conflict of interest
Wei Zhu and Xiaoxiao Han are Editorial Board Members of this journal, but were not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing
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