TriceraDLP - New DIY Resin 3D Printer

I'd like to introduce my DLP 3D printer. I call it TriceraDLP, about 70% of its parts are 3D printable on FDM printers, all of the files are available for download and the rest of the BOM can be seen in the build guide. My goals were to make it as 3D printable as possible, to have a unique look to it, to have an easy-to-make disposable flex-vat, and most importantly to make good 3D prints! The 3D printer is for sale (limited amounts for now), but please print and source it yourself! Below is a video of one of the prototypes, some pics and the download links for the STL files and build guide. It uses an authentic Arduino Uno r3, and Misumi linear bearings. I had a great time designing and building it, please check it out!

http://www.triceradlp.com

https://youtu.be/YFoWliTyNJM

STL Files: https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...VI3NmRMek9saHM
Build Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3D...NwbXMzUjA/view

http://i.imgur.com/Uzbc68W.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IllsGNl.png
http://i.imgur.com/c7eCltV.jpg

Is that rook print in real time ?
Bloody impressive if it is :-)
So why does it bob up and down ?

So the resin. Is that daylight resin and if so, do you have problems with it setting in the vat ?

Other than worries about that, given the cost of resin, you'd not want any to go to waste - have to say it's a very interesting looking machine.

What's the build volume ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by curious aardvark

Is that rook print in real time ?
Bloody impressive if it is :-)
So why does it bob up and down ?

So the resin. Is that daylight resin and if so, do you have problems with it setting in the vat ?

Other than worries about that, given the cost of resin, you'd not want any to go to waste - have to say it's a very interesting looking machine.

What's the build volume ?

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The video is not real time, it is sped up quite a bit. The actual print time would be 1 hour and 15 minutes for that print, I will make it clearer in the video description.

Print time actually depends on the resin and settings that you use. White and lighter resins would have a shorter light curing time so the print would be much faster than darker resins. Or maybe the resin manufacturer creates a fast cure resin. In the slicer settings, you need to choose the correct cure time per layer. A white resin could be a second or less per layer, and darker resin like red could be 3 seconds per layer resulting in a longer print time. I prefer darker resins with a longer print time because the longer cure time gives you a wider range acceptable settings to get better 3D prints.

The reason is bobs up and down in the video is because the printer is releasing the 3D print from the vat surface each time a new layer is cured. So, if our print layer height was .05mm the build plate moves up 2 or 3 mm (settings you choose, also affecting print time) to release the print from the build surface and moves back down to the proper height to let a .05mm layer cure and attach to the rest of the 3D print. The vat surface is a flexible teflon FEP surface that allows it to release easily. A big problem with DLP printers was getting each new layer to release smoothly, it would often stick and destroy the print. There have been some fixes like a tilting vat, non-stick silicone covered vats, and flex-vats (this type). I did not invent the flex-vat by any means, but I made it easy to assemble and replace the teflon sheets. The teflon sheets are consumables and need to be replaced occasionally.

About the resin, it is not stored in the vat in the 3D printer. The vat is removed from the printer and usually I use a funnel to pour the resin back in the bottle that it came in before storing it. Then I put the flex vat in a ziploc bag and store the flex vat and the resin in a dark place so it doesn't cure.

The build print size is 80mm x 90mm x 140mm. The actual build plate is 51mm in diameter, but you can print larger than that using supports.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by curious aardvark

Is that rook print in real time ?
Bloody impressive if it is :-)
So why does it bob up and down ?

So the resin. Is that daylight resin and if so, do you have problems with it setting in the vat ?

Other than worries about that, given the cost of resin, you'd not want any to go to waste - have to say it's a very interesting looking machine.

What's the build volume ?

---

I typed out a long reply yesterday morning, and the site said a moderator will need to approve it before it goes up, but it has been a while so I'll try again copying the post I wrote to the best of my memory.

The rook video is not in real time, it is sped up a quite a bit. The actual print time is about 1 hour and 15 minutes, I will make that clearer in the video description. The print time is actually determined by the resin. Lighter colored resins, like white, are cured faster by light than darker resins such as red. Lighter resins could cure in a second or less, and darker resins could take about 2- 3 seconds to cure (depends on layer thickness and brightness of the projector). I prefer darker resins, because they give you a wider range of usable settings to get great prints.

The build plate bobs up and down to release the 3D print from the vat surface after each layer. A big problem with DLP 3D printing is that the 3D print wants to stick to the bottom of the resin reservoir after each layer cures, and could destroy the print or cause errors. There are some fixes like tilting vats, non-stick silicone covered vats, and flex-vats (this type). The flex vat uses a clear non-stick sheet of FEP teflon film that is flexible so the cured layer never sticks.

Also, the resin is cured by light so leaving it out stored in the printer would probably waste it so I use a funnel to pour it back in bottle. I also remove the vat and put it in a ziploc back when I'm not printing with it, then I store the bottle of resin and flex-vat in a cool dark place so that no resin will cure while storing it.

The build size is 80mm x 90mm x 140mm, and the actual build plate is 51mm in diameter, but you can print larger than the build plate by using supports to offset the print from the build plate.

still not sure why on a long print the resin doesn't cure and get thick and gloopy.
Surely even the scattered light from the projector will thicken the nearby resin.
Does it have a particular light intensity threshhold ?

Also could you use one of the new mini-led projectors around and just put it nearer ?
Or even direct it directly at the base of the vat ? all you'd need would be Longer legs on the printer and a bracket to hold the projector.

£750 (ish) for the projector seems a lot to me :-) (but I am permanently lacking money)

I've never had a problem with scattered light curing any surrounding resin at normal layer times. I have left the projector shining on the vat for long periods just to see the outcome and it did cure most of the bottom of the vat. My favorite resin is MakerJuice, and it is not very sensitive to room light or scattered light from the projector. The ideal brightness is 3000 lumens, but I would think a threshold depends on the brand of resin.

I use a Acer H6510BD projector because there are no mods required to use it. Some people install a shutter like the one in the link below from Muve3D to stop scattered light, but I have never had a need for it.

https://www.muve3d.net/press/product/shutter-kit/

And those would be good ideas to try!

To further improve the projector performance you can do what I did to mine. I removed the color wheel and replaced the hot mirror on the halogen lamp with a UV pass filter. I cut my cure times in half and don't get any background curing. I am currently using Autodesk Magenta resin.

Video tutorials on these modifications are located here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...9__eXITNrbxwmS

-Garage Science