OWL Nano 3D Printer - Resolution of 100 nanometers

[LambdaFF]

One of the frustrating things with those printers are the small dimensions of the output. Has anyone heard of a Form2 or OWL Micro where we would stay with 20cm max dimensions in SLA ?

[Mike]

One of the frustrating things with those printers are the small dimensions of the output. Has anyone heard of a Form2 or OWL Micro where we would stay with 20cm max dimensions in SLA ?

The thing to remember with SLA is that there are differences in how it can be done and those differences may alter final output size when playing with resolution settings.

If the curing light is produced by video projection (DLP for example), build size decreases as resolution increases. If the curing light is produced with a laser, there is no build size decrease with a resolution increase. So, a laser SLA machine like the Form 1 does not decrease an object's size just because you max the output resolution settings, but the same is not true for a B9Creator.

A Form 1's max build size is 12.5 x 12.5 x 16.5 cm, no matter the resolution – that's just the build envelope the printer was endowed with when it was designed. The OWL is also a laser machine, but it comes with a slightly bigger envelope at 15 x 15 x 20 cm. The Italian DWS Labs XFAB also uses a laser, but for roughly the same price, has a slightly larger build envelope at 18 x 18 x 18 cm. The upcoming Lightforge SLA machine has a decent envelope at 19 x 12 x 23 cm, but it is DLP and I don't know if that envelope measurement was taken at max resolution. The recent Kickstarter hit, FSL3D's Pegasus Touch, is a great value, being laser and having a build envelope of 18 x 18 x 23 cm.

[Valter]

Mike is right.
Did someone check Xfab or Owl nano in action? Could confirm high resolution print? I can't found any video of them on the net. I want to get a xfab, but need to see in action first. DWS and OldWorld Lab don't show many act video of them.

Excuse my english.

[Mike]

Mike is right.
Did someone check Xfab or Owl nano in action? Could confirm high resolution print? I can't found any video of them on the net. I want to get a xfab, but need to see in action first. DWS and OldWorld Lab don't show many act video of them.

Excuse my english.

I've seen both. Their output looks like any other SLA machine's I've seen – smooth as silk and very detailed.

[eain]

I'm dubious about their .1 micron resolution. Seeing as how it's orders of magnitude finer than anything else out there... How? Why haven't we seen it before? etc.

[Mike]

I'm dubious about their .1 micron resolution. Seeing as how it's orders of magnitude finer than anything else out there... How? Why haven't we seen it before? etc.

It's not that others can't make a machine to do it. It's that others are like, "why bother? You'd need a powerful microscope to see the difference."

To be clear, there are bacteria 5 microns long. A tenth of a micron is smaller than the human eye can see, by quite a bit. Certainly, some research labs have experimented with super fine printing, but from a practical standpoint, most people are going to have a hard time appreciating the difference and we aren't talking about bioprinting here.

[eain]

It's not that others can't make a machine to do it. It's that others are like, "why bother? You'd need a powerful microscope to see the difference."

To be clear, there are bacteria 5 microns long. A tenth of a micron is smaller than the human eye can see, by quite a bit. Certainly, some research labs have experimented with super fine printing, but from a practical standpoint, most people are going to have a hard time appreciating the difference and we aren't talking about bioprinting here.

Where are these research labs? I'm not saying you're wrong, but I'd like to see what they're up to.

[Mike]

Where are these research labs? I'm not saying you're wrong, but I'd like to see what they're up to.

http://www.3dprinterworld.com/articl...oscale-objects

http://www.3dprinterworld.com/articl...o-battery-buzz

http://www.3dprinterworld.com/articl...ia-3d-printing

http://www.3dprinterworld.com/articl...ectroformation

[eain]

Nice! I wonder if any of them are even vaguely close to something like commercial release. I'm figuring not, though...

[Veneficus]

I have been trying to get the Old world labs crew to send me a test print so i can make a decision as to if its worth buying their machine to print my models. Given that their claims of the .1mu resolution, i was sceptical (as 0.1mu is inside the UV spectrum) but open minded enough to request a test print. After all $5k for a machine that can come close to such a resolution would be an absolute bargain, and given how small the build is, surface finish shouldn’t be an issue either…

So after having tried to get these guys to print a test model for me for the better part of two months, they keep telling me there is a delay and that they will do it 'next.... the last email said give us another 5 weeks... im pretty sure this is either a scam or they have over exaggerated the resolution on this machine to a point where they don’t want people discussing the actual print quality. Im pretty disappointed both with their lack of customer service, honesty and ability to deliver something as simple as a test prints. Their email communication is highly unprofessional and im left feeling that if your considering this one, to wait for an actual ‘test print’ (if they can do one – has anyone seen the machine do an actual print?) before handing over any money.