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Reply to "Outgrown My Elegoo Mars Pro Printer!"

Thanks for all the  input; some good suggestions here.

I found a newer Kelant unit on the web, the S500. It has the same size build plate 192 x 120 mm as the S400, but more UV wattage and is apparently faster; up to 60mm/hr. Another nice thing is the Kelant uses the same slicer software as the Elegoo; chitubox. So there would be no need to get used to another slicer package. This is a plus for transitioning Elegoo users.

I see the Anycubic Photon Mono X (mentioned by Dennis) also has 192 x 120 mm plate size, and looks pretty comparable to the Kelant in most features. What looks better is the cover lifts completely off (same as the Elegoo) instead of a door with hinges like the Kelant, so you get full access to the inner workings when you want. And a better vapor seal most likely. Also one common complaint about the Kelant is that the resin vat is much bigger than it needs to be. Not so with the Anycubic; it looks just about right for the size of the build plate, at least from the pictures. Price is around $700.

Another common complaint about the Kelant I read is that the top of the build plate is flat, and resin tends to pool on it. I think this is just a function of inexperienced users adding too much resin. There is no need for anything more than about 1/8" to 3/16" of resin in the vat at any time, since printing occurs right at the surface of the FEP film on the bottom of the vat. Big depth of resin adds nothing to the process. With a bigger print project you may need to add some resin to the vat partway though printing for sure, but this is no big deal and can be done on the fly. Same would apply to the Anycubic as it also uses a flat build plate.

Elegoo printers all use a build plate with top surfaces that are sloped away from the center mount, so it tends to self drain instead of pool resin on top. Also the Elegoo includes a handy plate draining attachment that sets the plate at a 45 degree angle after printing. This greatly assists easy draining of resin before alcohol washing. It doesn't look like either the Kelant or the Anycubic have a similar gadget.

So for my money right now I would lean towards the Anycubic Photon Mono X in the large build plate class. Same MSRP as the Kelant, but a couple of nicer features. It's too bad Elegoo don't yet offer a large build plate model. Maybe something is in the works, but I have not seen it yet.

Rod

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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