Photon Mono X 3D printer survey: Plan
The Photon Small X is a Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer, which implies it utilizes a light source to turn a fluid tar strong. This strong material then, at that point adheres to the metal print bed, which is raised, brought down, and the interaction rehashes, making the print layer by layer.
It's a bit more complex than the FDM (Melded Affidavit Displaying) kind of 3D printer, which uses liquefied plastic to fabricate the layers, so SLA printers have commonly been the more expensive alternative. (Our #1 SLA printer, the Structure 3 from Structure Labs, costs $3,499.) Notwithstanding, SLA printers produce more complex prints with better detail since they produce better layers. The default layer stature for the Photon Mono X is 0.01mm, multiple times less than an ordinary FDM printer.
At 18 inches tall and 11.4 inches wide, the Photon Smaller than normal X is a little printer for the size of prints it creates: It's fit for delivering 9.6 x 7.5 x 4.6-inch prints — an aggregate of 331 cubic inches. The vast majority of the volume of the printer is the hood that fits over the printing region, made of transparent plastic that shows you the printing system, yet hinders UV light from getting in or out.
Numerous SLA 3D printers utilize a laser to destroy the tar, yet the Photon Mono X goes another course, utilizing a board of bright (UV) LEDs with a LCD screen above, directly beneath the tank that holds the tar. This works like the backdrop illumination on your HDTV: the light radiates through the LCD screen where every pixel is turned and obstructed where each is wound down. The screen has a 4K goal (3840 by 2400 pixels), which implies that every pixel converts into a space of under 0.01mm on the last print. The lower part of the pitch tank is a sheet of clear film made of a material called Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) that lets through the UV light to set the sap.
Both the screen and the FEP film require substitution after weighty use, as the UV light harms them after some time. AnyCubic claims that the monochrome screen utilized in this model will keep going for a very long time of printing, while the FEP sheet should be supplanted each 20 to 30 prints. That implies all the more light overcomes, so the printing is speedier. AnyCubic claims a printing rate of 6 vertical centimeters (about 2.3 inches) each hour, and we wouldn't conflict: this is a quick printer.
The Wash And Fix In addition to is a similar size and shape as the printer, with a comparable plan. Rather than the print head, there is an arm canvassed in UV LEDs which twists toward the finish to cover the whole print. A removable tank for washing is likewise included; it incorporates an implicit instigator to mix the fluid.
Photon Mono X 3D printer audit: Print measure
The prints that the Mono X produces are set up in the Photon Studio programming, accessible as a free download for Windows and OSX. It's a fair if marginally peculiar 3D slicer that permits you to stack at least one 3D models and set them in the mood for printing. The models can be moved, increased, and increased and down, the put something aside for printing. You can't make new models in Photon Studio, however.
The Photon Studio can consequently add the backings, the tree-like designs that hold the print set up while it is being delivered, and which are eliminated later. This didn't end up being excessively effective, however: a few of our print disappointments were brought about by inaccurately positioned supports, and I found that I would typically do the programmed upholds, then, at that point go through and physically add more to the spots on the print that may have issues.
One fascinating element here is the capacity to partition models. On the off chance that a model is too enormous to even consider printing immediately, Photon Studio can isolate it into pieces. Each piece is then imprinted thus and stayed together. That is a decent stunt that would be great to see on other slicer applications.
There is likewise an Anycubic application accessible for Android and iOS that you can use to begin a print or screen print progress from your telephone. You can't transfer a print record from this application, however it is ideal to have an approach to perceive how far a print needs to go before it's finished.
When the print is finished, you utilize the Wash and Fix In addition to — as the name recommends — wash the print to eliminate any fluid gum and fix it to cement the sap with UV light. Right off the bat, you wash the print in isopropyl liquor, which should be possible either after you eliminate the print from the print bed or mount the whole print bed onto one of two openings in an included bushel. This huge holder holds a ton of fluid — up to 8.5 liters (2.25 gallons). You will not generally need that much, yet you will require enough to cover the print totally. Right now isopropyl liquor isn't modest, as it is one of the fundamental elements of hand sanitizer.
At the point when the print is set up, you select how long you need it to be washed for, then, at that point press the control dial in to begin. The instigator mixes the fluid, altering bearing like clockwork to ensure that the entirety of the breaks and hole of the print are washed.
When your print is washed, you eliminate the print and let it dry. From that point forward, the time has come to fix the print, which you do by supplanting the liquor holder on the Wash and Fix In addition to with a turning stage. Once more, you utilize the control dial to choose how long to solution for: regularly, this would be 2 to 5 minutes, contingent upon the size of the print.
When you start the cycle, the stage pivots exposing the print to the UV light from the LEDs on the arm that pinnacles over the print. The interaction will not begin until you supplant the plastic cover, which obstructs the UV light from coming out. That is a decent safety measure, as this power of UV light can harm your eyes.
Photon Mono X 3D printer audit: Print speed
The Photon Mono X is a quick printer: our 4-inch high Scholar test model required 7 hours and 35 minutes to print, which is essentially quicker than most printers in this class. The Peopeoly Phenom, for example, required a little more than 13 hours to print a similar model at a similar size.
We ordinarily print the Mastermind model upward to make it reasonable for printers that need more space on the form plate to print the Scholar resting on a level plane. The Photon Mono X has a lot of print space adequately huge to deal with this, so we additionally tried this and discovered that it was a whole lot speedier, requiring only 3 hours and 56 minutes to print toward this path.
Photon Mono X 3D printer survey: Print quality
I was dazzled with the nature of the prints that the Photon Mono X delivered. My prints had perfect, sharp edges and smooth, natural bends and surfaces. We test utilizing three models that test the capacity of the printer to recreate subtleties: an output of Rodin's Scholar, a bunch of planetary pinion wheels, and a mathematical figure.
The Mastermind sculpture was by and large all around imitated, with fine subtleties and smooth, natural bends that resembled the genuine article on the head and shoulders. The Mathematical model had sharp, clean edges with decent focuses and precise interlocking surfaces. The Pinion wheels were handily gathered and moved along as expected, albeit the dim gum we tried with this printer delivered a great deal of residue and buildup (the white material) when we screwed the different pieces of the cog wheels together.
We saw a few issues on prints, however: now and again, a portion of the layers appeared to come free, prompting free folds of sap. See, for example, at the barrel in the even print of the Scholar: the inward calf of his right leg has a couple of layers that didn't adhere to the ones above. Moreover, one of the places of the mathematical figure is by all accounts smoothed in light of the fact that the layers were moved somewhere near the fluid gum as the print was delivered.
The majority of these issues can be adjusted by tweaking the print, however: the free layers and the crushed point show that the print required a couple of more backings to hold it set up while printing, or that the item may be better printed at an alternate point.
The entirety of this shows something valid for most 3D printers: they actually require a great deal of tweaking to get the best quality prints out of them, and a lot of this tweaking depends on working out why a print fizzled and attempting once more.
Photon Mono X 3D printer survey: Decision
The AnyCubic Photon Mono X kicks off something new, pushing down the expense of SLA printing to an amazing failure. It does as such without making an excessive number of compromises: printing stays a somewhat muddled business that periodically falls flat, yet when you become acclimated to the Photon Mono X (and purchase a cover and a major box of expendable gloves), it is for the most part bother free and quick.
SLA printing is most certainly still an interaction that requires tolerance, however, as certain prints from the Photon Mon X fizzled and require adjustment and once again printing. I would likewise suggest that you purchase the Wash and Fix In addition, as it makes the fairly disgusting business of cleaning and restoring SLA prints a lot simpler.
Joined, the two expense under $800 and can deliver enormous, great prints at a quicker speed than the greater part of the opposition. The Structure 3 remaining parts the SLA printer to get for experts who need to do a great deal of substantial printing, however the Photon Mono X is an excellent choice for at-home work by specialists or those inquisitive with regards to 3D printing.
