While I wasn't (yet) able to print my lathe, the machine comes with a sample file which did print, beautifully. In fact, it's magic! To see a fully formed object rising slowing out of a 1/2" deep bath of clear liquid is nothing short of science fiction. The object, two 2" high rooks, were so intricate as to be hard to describe in words, so here're pictures.
If you look down inside you see a spiral staircase and a twisted support that extends from the top platform to the base.
You simply cannot see the layer lines. There are 1,000 layers in this print. They were .04 mm each. The printer is able to go down to .01 which is ridiculous. The resin cures hard as ceramic and appears quite tough. I put it under the UV light to finish it up for about 10 minutes.
Parts cleaning is done in 190 proof grain alcohol in two baths. I also cleaned the platen with the same solvent.
I'm in communication with the Chinese to troubleshoot my design, by I think it's probably something quite simple since the machine works perfectly. There are many less things that go wrong than with the filament machines.
I've sent a request to RJ Corman Rail Services to have a visit to their engine servicing facility in Lexington. I needed to get some first hand information about what I should do for my interior detailing. I'm also hoping that I could get some direct measurements off of a EMD prime mover if there's one sitting outside of an engine. I have good pictures and cutaways, but would like some real-world measures to scale the drawings.
I woke this morning thinking about just how many significant technological innovations had to come together to create a magic machine that turns drawings into beautiful objects. Here's my list:
- LED (in this case UV LEDs) - although based on much earlier research, first commercial availability was 1968
- Servo Stepper Motors - Servo systems were well developed during WW II
- Micro-computers - 1980s
- Photopolymers - 1960s
- High-speed USB connection - 1990s
- Thumb Drives (solid state memory chips) - Late 80s, early 90s
- Liquid Crystal Display - 1970s
- High Resolution LCD - 1990s
- SketchUp 3D Design Software for the masses - Early 1990s
- Slicer software to drive 3D printers - 2000s
- Stereolithography (first 3D printing tech) - Patented in 1986
That's all I can come up with from the top of my head. Feel free to add to the list.
They often say that "Any technology sufficiently sophisticated can be viewed as magic." After seeing this little thing work last night, it certainly seemed magical.
Frankly, the hardest thing to master is the 3D drawing and design. The machine is a snap. There are drawings available through outside sources. RCScalebuilder.com (a scale RC plane builder forum) has an entire library of free designs for scale planes. The scales are too big for us railroaders at 1:16, 1:9, 1:6 and 1:5.
