Aug 4, 2015 | By Alec
Many owners of FDM 3D printers sometimes dream about making an upgrade towards resin, and many of those who do settle on DLP solution Now the only problem with DLP 3D printing is that the projectors don’t always project evenly throughout the surface, but one Italian company has come up with a machine that promises to avoid all typical projection issues. Developed by Robot Factory, this new 3D printer is called the 3DLPrinter-HD 2.0 and should feature high performance, high quality, and plenty of reliability – everything people typically look for in resin 3D printing.
The company behind the 3DLPrinter HD2.0 is Italian 3D printer manufacturers Robot Factory, which specializes in high quality 3D printing solutions. You might remember them from a previous release just a month ago, when Robot Factory unveiled their clever Copperface kit, a low-cost option for coating plastic or resin 3D printed parts in metal.
But as Andrea Martini, the director of Robot Factory explains to 3ders.org, they are now back with another high quality release intended for a professional audience. ‘The 3DLPrinter‐HD 2.0 is a fast, robust and precise 3D printer. It allows to achieve excellent surface resolution and definition of details, guaranteeing the best price ‐ performance ratio for the same range of product,’ he tells us. ‘[It] builds, with high precision, 3D models obtained by layering the light curing resin, using DLP printing technology. Excellent for the prototyping of 3D objects, aesthetic and designer evaluations, or for small series production in fields such as jewelry manufacturing, design, dentistry, architecture, the production of medical equipment, and more.’
This, obviously, requires a high resolution level – something the 3DLPrinter‐HD 2.0 does at a very fast pace. ‘With its unsurpassed printing speed the 3DLPrinter‐HD 2.0 is an extremely useful tool for the professional creation of accurate models with high definition, just think that setting a resolution of 50 μm, you can print one or more pieces of approximately 2.5 cm in height in one hour, a speed that is among the highest reach by printers in the same range of product,’ Martini tells us. Complete with a pretty decent building space of 100 x 56 x 150 mm, it thus looks like a pretty good option for 3D printing resin.
But most important is that this machine also combats the regular problems associated with DLP 3D printing. Of course a DLP projector is an excellent option for UV curing, but it has one major drawback: due to the proximity of the projector to the object, the intensity of the UV radiation differs throughout the surface, something that can affect the homogeneity of the printed pieces and limit the use of the 3D printer.
Robot Factory, we are told, have solved this issue with the Mask feature. ‘This feature uses a 'mask' composed of different shades of gray, that changes the lighting intensity making it homogeneous in every point of printing area. This solution resolve the issue of lack of homogeneity, requiring only a slight increase in exposure time and assuring ± 0.05 mm of dimensional difference in the entire printing area,’ Martini explains.
Embedded into the 3D printing software that comes with the machine, the specific use of the Mask is calculated for each and every print and determines exactly how the transparent mask is superimposed onto the image in question. ‘The result that we can obtain is the total dimensional uniformity on the complete printing area, a result that hardly other 3D printers with DLP technology, are able to reach,’ he says.
This definitely puts DLP 3D printing into a totally different light. While DLP 3D printers are especially famous for being the topic of a couple of do-it-yourself RepRap style builds featuring a projector, this Italian set has instead been designed to be a no-hassle, complete and professional 3D printing system. This is especially evident for the complete package that is part of the 3DLPrinter‐HD 2.0. ‘In fact it is provided with the management software and all the accessories needed for cleaning and finishing the printed part (including the UV oven and ultrasonic device).The 3DLPrinter‐HD 2.0 also has the EC Certification and it is provided with a warranty of 3 (three) years,’ the director tells us.
Included in this professional set are a massive number of components:
- Management and printing Software 3DL Printer
- "Ultrasonic Device" for printed part cleaning
- "UV Oven" special developed for printed part surface hardening
- Special pliers in plastic for manipulating objects
- Plastic spreader for cleaning the vat
- Pack of moistened napkins for lens and mirror cleaning
- Pack of disposable gloves for part handling
- Polypropylene tray for tools cleaning
- Metallic palette for resin mixing
- Hex service key of 2.5 mm
- Pack of paper sheets useful for initial zeroing
- Bubble level tool for tray leveling
- 300 gr. Castable Resin
- Package containing two Siligel replacements
- Roller for applying Siligel.
Aside from those many features, the software itself is also user-friendly and intended for professionals who want to spend less time tinkering with the machine and more time making. Robot Factory has further established a continuous support system to ensure that their professional customers get everything out of the machine, Martini explains. Of course, all of that comes with a price: €12,000 for the complete ready-to-use package, with oven and ultrasonic device (approximately $13,150 USD), but Martini explains that this is a competitive price when compared to similar machines. ‘This is especially the case when taking into account the exceptional convenience of all consumables, first of all the resin which, you know, is the element which more than any other influence on printing costs’, he tells us. That being said, it would not at all surprise us if this machine caught the glimpse of professional users looking to maximize efficiency. Go here for more information about ordering.
Posted in 3D Printers
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unimpressed technician wrote at 8/13/2015 11:06:00 PM:
Envisiontec has addressed this issue pretty much from day 1 with a calibration procedure that uses multiple points and a probe. While this Copperhead mask may INITIALLY improve quality, unless they include some sort of dynamic sensing the mask will not be able to adjust for the changes in the projectors performance over time. So fresh out of the gate, WOW its almost as good as a professional machine....and in a year....I swear it used to be soo much better...maybe I need to upgrade.
Craig wrote at 8/5/2015 1:22:43 PM:
These people have no problem with ripping others off. Their other machine, The CopperFace, is too close to ours named, The CopperHead.
3D wrote at 8/4/2015 4:04:01 PM:
MiiCraft also uses a unique Mask a few years now, it's a file that evens out the projector intensity.
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