IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE BUYING A LARGE SLA PRINTER

Professionals in search of machines that make high-quality prototypes and end-use components are quickly adopting large resin 3D printers. Technological advancements are addressing major issues such as limited build volumes and high costs that were deterring people from using 3D printing earlier. This blog offers some information about large SLA printers including their advantages, disadvantages and how they differ from other conventional techniques, such as FDM and SLS. THE GROWING USE OF LARGE SLA PRINTERS SLA (Stereolithography) isn’t new by any means. It even has sub-technologies developed over the past decades: DLP and Laser SLA. Both offer precision and smoothness in their results but were restricted to small build volumes. Industrial systems were extremely expensive back then but a large SLA printer is quite affordable for entrepreneurs these days. They are beneficial for production and prototyping. LET’S LOOK AT THE MAJOR ADVANTAGES OF USING RESIN 3D PRINTERS: • Extremely detailed results - If you need to print durable parts with intricate details, resin printers are among the best choices for the job. • Excellent finish - No matter what you print, the resulting article will have a smooth surface finish. This is due to the ability of resin industrial 3D printers for sale to create really thin layers that are nearly invisible to the human eye. • Resin variety - There is an impressive range of speciality resins available in the market at present, from transparent and colourful to rigid and flexible variants. • Quick printing (except in laser SLA) - The quantity of the object you want to print rarely affects the speed of the 3D printer. In fact, the overall print time won’t change whether the resulting component consists of a single small object, multiple sections, or a single large model. THERE ARE A FEW DISADVANTAGES OF USING A LARGE SLA PRINTER, SUCH AS - • Cumbersome post-processing - Unlike a large format FDM printer, every part you 3D print using a resin 3D printer requires washing after which you must cure it in sunlight or UV light. For this reason, a majority of manufacturers offer products (sold separately) to make these steps a bit more convenient. • Costly Material - Resin increases expenses and procuring it can prove cumbersome if your system isn’t compatible with third-party resins. • Health Hazard - Resin gives out fumes and is dangerous to work with, which is why you must wear gloves and keep your distance from an active resin 3D printer. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LARGE SLA PRINTER AND LARGE FORMAT FDM PRINTER FDM printers can handle larger build volumes but a large SLA printer can do this with smoother, more accurate and high-quality results. In comparison, only a desktop SLS 3D printer may be able to match the quality an SLA printer offers. Such printers don’t have a large variety of powder types and shades, however. On the other hand, there are basic and standard resin options in a variety of colours available at a majority of manufacturers. You can even choose from several speciality resins depending on your application, such as: • Biocompatible and castable resins (for use in dentures and more) • Transparent or coloured resins • Hard and high-tensile resins • Resins that can resist extreme temperatures and offer flexibility Compatibility can be an issue here as some resin printers only accept the materials created by the same manufacturer. That said, industrial printers for sale in other technologies (FDM, FFF, etc.) share this issue. Printers using technologies such as MSLA are incapable of curing resins made for laser SLA variants, so they need specially-formulated resins. One of the reasons behind this is the use of a less intense light source.

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