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Jun 17, 2016 | By Alec

3D printed model made on MiiCraft 125. The line is only around 0.2mm.

The Taiwanese provider of professional quality DLP 3D printers MiiCraft has just expanded their family of hardware options with the impressive MiiCraft 125 series. A larger version of the MiiCraft 100 series released earlier this year, the MiiCraft 125 DLP 3D printer is also a highly accurate option that is perfect for small batch production of very detailed end-use models. Open to third party resins and exhibiting very high resolution levels despite its large build volume, the 125 series adds an additional layer of flexibility that professional users will doubtlessly enjoy.

For those of you who’ve never heard of them before, MiiCraft is a successful developer of Digital Light Processing 3D printing technology that has been around for years. Based in Hsinchu, Taiwan, they have been part of the 3D printing scene since launching an Indiegogo campaign for their first desktop DLP 3D printer way back in 2012. Owned by Young Optics, they specialize in providing high quality 3D printing solutions for research applications. Among others, their 3D printers are used by professional to produce microfluidic structures, jewelry and even medical models and tools.

This is reflected by their 3D printer family, which offers plenty of variation in terms of building volume, resolution and printing wavelength. However, they are all very detailed and are all based on the same Digital Optics technology and mechanical concepts. But the 125 series 3D printer is more than just a larger version of the 100 series. Co-developed over the period of a year with a team of German designers, it brings a good combination of functionality, specifications and aesthetics to the table, which put it apart from the other 3D printers in the MiiCraft family.

For starters, the 3D printer’s exterior is already appealing. Made from anodized aluminum, the MiiCraft 125 series comes with an electric screen for an elegant and modern look. Building on the company’s Digital Optics technology and signature modularized mechanical design, the MiiCraft 125 series al ohas Full HD XY 3D printing resolution ranging from 30um to 65um. Capable of producing structures as small as 0.2 mm diameter cubes and 0.03 mm diameter apertures, it reaches accuracy levels that can easily compete with high-end laser 3D printers and should appeal to a lot of professional users.

The picture above shows the surface smoothing effect of MiiCraft software, it shows the right
side edge is smoother when the smoothing function is set to the higher level.

That resolution can be seen in the image above, a microscopic view of a number of 0.5mm diameter columns printed by different types of MiiCraft 3D printers. While the MiiCraft 50 series produces smoother edges, the 125 series’ result certainly isn’t bad at all.

In return for that small loss in terms of resolution, the 125 3D printer is the biggest 3D printer in the MiiCraft family with a build volume of 125 mm by 70 mm. “This makes it able contain more than 50 rings in one plate, and 7 dental arches in one plate as well,” the Taiwanese developers say. This was already visible at the VICENZAORO International Jewellery Show back in April, where the company gave a sneak peek of numerous batches made on a single print bed (below). This larger build volume should make this 3D printer a far more appealing option for small batch production, while the smaller MiiCraft 3D printers are more suitable for very tiny structures, such as microfluidic surfaces.

What’s more, the 125 series also guarantees the best possible 3D printing experience through a number of model correction and real time print status monitoring features. Among others, it comes with surface smoothing, edge enhancement and blurring, auto calibration and real time monitoring capabilities. Like the machine’s stop/check function, these should provide the power to achieve satisfying 3D printing experiences.

But more importantly, users can take full control over that entire 3D printing process through the machine’s flexible control system. This gives users access to all 3D printing parameters (including curing time, layer speed, peeling steps and more) in a single interface. The 3D printer also comes with a firmware package that was customized for the MiiCraft 125 series.

However, the most appealing feature of the MiiCraft 125 series is its open nature, as it can be modularized to accommodate a wide range of photopolymer resins. Capable of producing light at 365nm, 385nm and 405nm wavelengths, it covers just about the whole curing range of normally used photopolymer resins. This opens it up to third party resins as well, so you can use any material you prefer or conveniently have laying around.

If you’re interested in this remarkable Taiwanese 3D printer, you’ll be happy to know it is now already available. Depending on the package chosen, the MiiCraft 125 series starts at around $15,000 USD. For more information and for ordering, visit the MiiCraft website.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printer

 

 

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