Resin 3D printer

🛸 Location: Electronics workshop

Another 3D printer. It uses liquid resin which gets solidified using UV light rather than solid plastic which gets melted into a new shape. It's slower (each print takes a day or 2), dirtier, and requires more effort, but it promises more detailed objects and translucent objects, compared to the filament printer.

The printer model is Anycubic Photon Mono SE.

Experimental

This printer is currently in the experimental state. Please don't use it without first talking to someone who has some experience.

Safety

Using the printer involves dangerous chemicals and processes:

• the resin is a skin irritant - always wear gloves and glasses
• the resin stinks and can't be healthy - turn on the ventillation pipe
• isopropyl alcohol for cleaning is an irritant and stinky
• the printer emits UV light, which leaks outside and damages living organisms - rather be outside the room when it's working

Mechanics of usage

Read this before designing any object for printing. Maybe you realize you don't actually want to bother.

Preparation

1. Unscrew the vat, carefully slide it out (don't scratch the display underneath)
2. Clean out the remaining resin with a silicon spatula, and by rubbing a piece of cloth soaked in isopropyl alchol (unless you want to re-use the resin).
3. Use the interface to lift the arm up a lot.
4. Unscrew the hex bolt on the side of the lifting arm. It should be possible to wobble it without a lot of force.
5. Use the interface to level the arm: press the "home" icon.
6. Once the arm is flat on the display, adjust the rotation and repeat leveling if needed
7. Hold the arm to the display and tighten the screw.
8. Save the setting in the software.
9. Fill in the vat with resin. Make sure the entire bottom is covered, and that there is enough extra resin for the object.
10. Slide in the vat, screw it in.
11. Close the lid.
12. Power off the device
13. Insert USB stick with the prepared file
14. Power on the device
15. Select the file in the interface
16. Start printing

Printing

Leave the room, leave ventillation on, and come back in a couple hours.

Finishing

The object will be stuck to the top plate and everything will be sticky with resin.

1. Prepare a toothbrush, toilet paper, and a closeable liquid container big enough to soak your object
2. Unscrew the big screw on top of the lifting arm
3. Slide out the lifting arm
4. Use a metal scraper (not available, find one) to get your object off the arm plate, and put the object on toilet paper
5. Replace the lifting arm and screw it back on.
6. Wipe your object with toilet paper
7. Soak the toothbrush in isopropyl alcohol and brush the object
8. Fill the container with isopropyl alcohol, put your object inside and shake it to dissolve uncured resin (how long?)
9. Find a sunny place and leave your object there to finish curing with UV light from the Sun (may take many hours, doesn't work at night).
10. Clean all resin residue, because it will harden with exposure to natural UV light.
11. Don't pour anything into the sewer. Leave the isopropyl alcohol to evaporate in an open container. Whatever liquid resin is left, wait until it cures and then trash it.
12. If you don't intend to come back within a couple days, then pour resin from the vat back to the bottle (use the paper funnel to filter hardened residue) and clean the vat.

Software

The USB stick must be MBR (ms-dos), Fat32 formatted (primary partition).

PrusaSlicer can produce files compatible with this printer. Place the resulting file in the root directory of the USB stick.

Random tips

Large objects can be hollowed out by the slicer.

You can print directly on the base if you select "Pad: around object". The first layer will be flatter.

You can save resin on big objects by creating a hollowed-out profile. Wall thickness of 1mm should be enough for more uses.

This is a monochromatic model, meaning it's fast. 1s is enough exposure time for 0.05mm layer height.

Translucent objects

They won't shine after cleaning, but rather be cloudy. Internet suggests solutions like varnish, spray, or dipping in resin.

Problems

The object is stuck to the plate so hard it breaks

TODO: probably reduce exposure time for the first layer from 40s to 20s.

The side attached to the plate is too flat

TODO: maybe changing exposure is enough. Otherwise, use supports and cut them off later.