To start off, it is important to understand how the Kudo3D Titan 1 and Titan 2 work. Both printers come with an US patented passive self-peeling technology. The cured layer is peeled away from the resin container, without an additional actuator, when the build platform is lifted. Please refer to our PSP blog to better understand how the PSP works: http://www.kudo3d.com/understanding-kudo3d-psp-resin-container/

There are 5 parameters that you may need to adjust for the layers to speed up the printing process or to improve the print quality. Let’s discuss the impact of these parameters on your print. Afterwards, we will break it down the steps and provide a guideline regarding how to setup these parameters.

1. Exposure time: Exposure time has an impact on the resolution, the hardness of the cured material, and the adhesion between the cured layer and the Teflon film. The normal exposure time depends on the resin being used and the layer thickness. Please note that the normal exposure time could drift away due to the aging of the projector lamp or the resin. To identify the normal exposure time, please refer to the article in http://www.kudo3d.com/understanding-kudo3d-high-resolution-calibration-model/

    

2. Lifting height: The platform must be lifted to a height that gives enough time for peeling process to be completed. This number depends on viscosity of resin, adhesion between the cured layer and the Teflon film, lifting speed, exposed area, exposed pattern, and builds platform area.

    

3. Lifting speed: This number usually depends on the strength of your material and the adhesion between the cured layers. The separation force is higher when the lifting speed is higher. If the material is not strong, a high lifting speed may break the model. If the adhesion between the cured layers is not strong, a high lifting speed may tear the model apart.

    

4. Lowering speed: This number has an impact on very fine and weak structure. When the model is lowered at a high speed, the pressure exerted from the liquid resin will also be higher. If the structure is weak, this pressure could temporarily or permanently move the printed model in a micro scale. As a result, you could see more abrupt layer interfaces under the microscope. Sometimes, fine structures could also be distorted. When the viscosity of the resin is higher, the pressure is higher, meaning that you may need to slow down the speed even further.

    

5. Delay: When the platform is lowered in the resin, it will push the resin away. “Delay” is the time required to stabilize the resin. When the viscosity is higher, it takes more time to stabilize the resin.

    

In general, for each model, we can separate the layer zones into two sections. The first section involves both vacuum force and the adhesion force. The second section usually only involves adhesion (unless the cured layer has a large area). The following guideline is a rule of thumb for setting up the printing parameters. You can tune it up after gaining more experience.

First Section: (first 2mm for small build plate and 4mm for large build plate)

First zone

First layer only- This layer is called attachment layer, which is part of the base and the most important layer.

Exposure time

• 10 to 20 times the normal exposure time to make sure that any potential gap between the build platform and vat floor is fully cured and the first layer is attached to the platform firmly.

Lifting height

• Large build platform: 7 mm
• Small build platform: 5 mm

Lifting speed

• 10 mm/min

Second zone

Rest of the base layers- Normally, the base layers includes all the layers before the supports. The total thickness of base should be thinner than 0.3 mm.

Exposure time

• 5 times the normal exposure time defined with the calibration sample

Number of layers

• Depends on the thickness of the layers and base
• For example, if the base is 0.3mm and the layer thickness is 0.05mm, then you have 5 or 6 layers for the base.

Lifting height

• Large build platform: 7 mm
• Small build platform: 5 mm

Lifting speed

• 10 mm/min

Third zone

The rest of the layers that make up the first 4mm of a model using large platform or the first 2mm using small platform. This zone has the vacuum force influence. Please note that if your z-zero sinks below the Teflon film, the number of layers in the vacuum force section should include the number of layers that brings the platform from z-zero to the actual vat floor.

Normally, this zone contains only supports. This is part of the foundation so it must be strong and stable. You can adjust the number of layers accordingly depending on whether the resin viscosity is higher or lower.

Exposure time

• Half of the second zone

Number of layers

• For example, if the layer thickness is 0.05mm then you have 40 layers for the first 2 mm of printing with a small build platform. If the base consists of 6 layers, the remaining 34 layers will be assigned to this zone.

Lifting height

• Large build platform: 5 mm
• Small build platform: 3.5 mm

Lifting speed

• 15 mm/min

Second Section:

Fourth zone

This zone normally contains layers for supports plus a few layers of the model to make sure that the adhesion for the tips is strong. This zone is also part of the foundation.

Exposure time

• Same as the third zone
• If the model has supports close to the securing aluminum bar, you need to increase the exposure time about 2 times.

Lifting height

• 3.5 mm

Lifting speed

• 15 mm/min
• If the bottom of the model has a flat surface and the model is not rotated, the first few layers that attaches to the support tips usually has a larger area. Since the separation force is higher for large exposed areas, you might want to slow down to avoid the tips breaking off.

Fifth zone to Seventh zone

Layers for both supports and model

Exposure time

• Gradually lower the exposure time from the 5th to 7th zone to avoid horizontal lines caused by non-uniform layer shrinkage.

Lifting height

• Ranges from 2mm to 5mm, depending on the exposed area

Lifting speed

• 15 mm/min

Eighth zone and more

Layers for model only. These layers consist of purely model slices.

Exposure time

• Normal exposure time

Lifting height

• Ranges from 2mm to 5mm, depending on the exposed area.

Lifting speed

• 15 mm/min

This provides the basic overview of how to set up the printing parameters within the Kudo3D software. As mentioned before, there is no “one solution that fits all” for any type of resin or model. Being said, the best method to understand how to set parameters is to have as much practice and experience as possible. Once you understand how the numbers are set and why they are set as so, you will have a much easier time in creating parameters for different types of models!

For us, we simply attach a thin Teflon film to protect the silicone from contacting the resin directly so as to extend the lifetime of resin container. You might think that Teflon is a non-stick material. In general, it is true, but some cured resin materials can stick on the Teflon film firmly and are very hard to separate. The followings are the reasons why a cured layer could be hard to separate.

1. Some cured resin has a strong Van Der Waals’ force with Teflon. When the cured area is large, the separation force is high.
2. Over-cured resins tend to have a much higher adhesion to Teflon.
3. Hollowed model without vent holes could introduce tremendous suction force.
   
4. Bulk shrinkage in a tapered solid region could turn a flat layer into a bowl like shape that could also introduce tremendous suction force. A thin cone shape is more likely to happen. This phenomenon often happens when:
   • a. Material itself has a high native shrinkage
   • b. Fast curing ( < 1 second) due to strong light intensity or more photoinitiator concentration could introduce higher shrinkage for the same material
   • c. For a fast resin, low separation speed introduce more on-going curing after the light is turned off. Low separation height does not mix the resin near the curing area with fresh resin outside the curing area well enough so the viscosity becomes higher in the curing area gradually. The combination of the above two could introduce differential shrinkage between layers and across the layer and form a strong suction effect. The situation is more severe when printing repeated patterns. This suction force may result in a phenomenon where the cured layer suddenly sticks to the Teflon and does not come apart (as shown in the photo). To provide an example, suppose a certain resin has a normal exposure time of 1 second. During the printing process, the resin has absorbed photons from both background and scattering exposure near the exposed area. Please note that the resin in the build area close to the vat floor tends to have higher viscosity when partially cured and tends to stay near where it is. If the accumulated absorbed dosage is equivalent to 0.5s of normal exposure, the next print layer will technically be over cured for 1.5 seconds (1 second for the exposure time + 0.5 second from already being cured due to background and scattering exposure). During the buildup of the partially cured resin, the effective over-curing will keep increasing the adhesion between the cured layer and the Teflon film. If you cannot use another slow resin instead, you would need to increase the lifting speed and lifting height to slow down the buildup.
     

How will the above affect your print? They will significantly affect the consistency of the separation force and increase the failure rate. Even if the print survives, the surface quality may be deteriorated. They will affect both the Teflon film lifetime (please refer to the PSP resin container blog ) and the printing quality.

Knowing the reasons as to why high adhesion occurs and the solution to it will greatly smooth out your printing process. Even if your print did not come out the way you expected, it is important to understand why it happened. This way, you know what the cause of the problem is and learn to avoid it next time. Learning from failed print is perhaps one of the best way to quickly learn and understand more about SLA printing!

Impact of Background Curing

How does background curing affect the print or the printing process? During the printing process, the resin under background exposure keeps accumulating photons. Once the number of photons received per unit area reaches the threshold dosage, the resin will start turning into solid.
Have you ever seen bits of resin flakes attached to your print? This is a physical example of background exposure affecting your print. The reason for this is because the resin close to the printing zone is being cured slowly by both the background exposure and the scattering light from the pattern. Once the resin in the region near the patterns accumulates enough photons, thin layers attaching to the model may form and get separated from the Teflon film (as shown in the Photo 1). Sometimes, part of the layer could drop or remain at the vat floor (as shown in the Photo 2). A model that requires a longer time to print is more likely to form these flakes. The worst case scenario is when a fast resin is cured by the background light, it could stick to the vat floor firmly and pull your model out of the platform or even break your model into two pieces.

Even if you do not see the flakes on the print or within the pool of resin, the background exposure still affects the resin you are printing with. The background exposure partially cures the resin near the vat floor in the build zone. This will have an impact on the printing parameters of subsequent layers. Because the resin has already absorbed some photons, curing it with the normal exposure time will actually mean that the cured resin is being over-cured. As the liquid resin accumulates photon gradually, the resin will slowly become more viscous than before and the printing parameters may change.

It should also be noted that the exposure time scaling is not linear. The resin curing is an ongoing reaction even after the light is off. The faster the curing speed the more ongoing reaction. Therefore, fast resin or stronger light tend to have more ongoing reaction. In general, we have seen resins with exposure time less than 1 second are more likely to form solid background cured flakes.

The Solution to Background Exposure

There is no way to achieve infinite contrast ratio for DLP, but there are ways to reduce the background exposure during the printing process. This is where the shutter from the Titan 2 and Titan 1 Upgrade Kit plays its role. The shutter will remove the background exposure when the platform is moving for separation. (This is the time where there should be- ideally- no light being shined upon the resin.) With the shutter, the accumulated number of photons absorbed will be greatly reduced. The adhesion between the cured layer and the Teflon is then more predictable and the lifetime of recycled resin will be extended.

Another way to reduce the impact of background exposure is to lift the platform higher so more ‘fresh” resin will be sucked into the printing zone and dilute the resin that has been exposed under background light in the print area.

For the same resin, increasing the build size to increase the exposure time will reduce the background curing effect. As a result, you may see the background cured flakes appear at 37 or 50um XY resolution but not at 75um for the same resin. Using a shutter will alleviate this problem. Sometimes, the background curing is caused by the video card. For Titan 1, if you use Nvidia display adapter, it is likely that you will experience background curing. Using an Intel built-in video adapter will solve this problem. For Titan 2, video adapter of Raspberry Pi does not have this issue.

What is a PSP Resin Container?

PSP stands for Passive Self-Peeling. This is the key component to the “secret” of Kudo3D’s high-resolution 3D printer. Instead of forcibly pulling the printed layers apart from the vat floor, the flexible PSP resin container greatly reduces the separation force between each layer by passively peeling it apart. There is no extra motor to pull the container away and the bending of the container mimics the action of peeling a piece of tape away from a hard surface. This greatly reduces the separation force and thus results in a faster speed as well as the ability to print large models and fine details compared to other types of layer separation mechanism. The vat floor is formed with a layer of elastic clear silicone to assist in peeling. It is well known that clear silicone tends to react with resins and become cloudy after one or two prints on the same spot. Depending on the resin used and number of layers in a model, silicone could permanently bond with the cured layer when reacting with the resins. Therefore, we cover the silicone with a thin layer of Teflon to protect the silicone. By doing so, the lifetime of the container is greatly extended.

Brief History of Kudo3D’s Different Generations of PSP Resin Container

First Generation to Third Generation Resin Container.

During Kudo3D’s Kickstarter campaign, back in May 2014, we released the first generation of PSP resin container along with the Titan 1. It was a fairly simple design: acrylic container with silicone and Teflon, along with 2 thin plastic side walls. These side walls were first held together with double sided tape and sealed with silicone. Though it fulfilled everything that it promised, there was a slight problem with this container. When the container is lifted too much, the silicone sealant may not work. The resin may get to the adhesive through the gap between the silicone and the side walls. The resin weakened the holding between the side walls and resulted in a leakage after using for a while. Although first generation container has such a problem, it was easy for DIYers to make it by themselves.

Upon learning this, our team quickly found a solution to this problem. Using a stronger chemical bonding to replace double sided tape, we released the second generation of PSP resin container. The interface between the side walls and the acrylic is strong to prevent the resin from seeping through. However, we soon found that 3D-Materials resin could react with the side wall materials and cut through the side walls gradually. The side walls lasted about 120 hours if the container was maintained properly. The 3D-Material resin users experienced a lower resin container lifetime that ultimately could led to leaking containers- if not caught early on.

To extend the lifetime, 3D-Material resin users needed to clean up the container after each use and must monitor the sidewall condition. When using non-3DM materials, the lifetime was much longer for the second generation PSP containers.

To be more compatible with 3DM resins, the PSP resin containers went through another round of testing and development in order to identify a material that resists 3DM resins while still be chemically bonded to the acrylic. Finally, Kudo3D’s R&D team was able to create the third generation of PSP resin container, our current generation, which is deemed “all-resin safe.” We are happy to state that we have been accident-free of leaking resin containers since the release of it over a year ago!

Soft Silicone? Hard Silicone?

Do you see the stickiness of the soft silicone?

But not for the hard silicone!

As you may notice, we offer two types of resin container: soft silicone resin containers and hard silicone resin containers. However, what exactly is the difference and how do you know when to use which type of silicone?

The soft silicone resin container, as the name states, uses a soft silicone with a Teflon sheet on top of the silicone. The adhesion force between the Teflon and silicone is much higher than of the hard silicone. The silicone is extremely sticky. If you touch the silicone (which we do not recommend unless necessary), the silicone will stick to your finger and stretch out, almost like when you try to pull gum off your shoe. This soft silicone resin container is very useful when printing smaller objects, such as rings or miniatures. The separation force, when using this resin container, is much lower and is generally recommended for first time users. The downside of this resin container is that the Teflon film is more susceptible to warpage and is not ideal for larger prints and prints require flat surfaces.

The hard silicone resin container uses a hard silicone and a Teflon film on top. The adhesion force between the Teflon and the silicone is much lower than of the soft silicone. If you were to touch the surface, the surface will feel tougher and will not come up along with the finger. Unlike the soft silicone resin container, the Teflon film on the hard silicone resin container will have less warpage, and users are able to print large objects or objects with a flat surface. The downside is that users will need to print at a lower printing speed, due to the higher separation force.

How Do You Maximize the PSP Resin Container Lifetime?

Although the silicone is protected by the Teflon to increase the lifetime of the container, the Teflon film itself still has a lifetime which is dependent on the separation force. Teflon film starts warping after experiencing a high separation force. Since Teflon and silicone are the two most chemically resistant materials, there is no way to permanently bond them together. Severe warpage could induce a gap between the Teflon film and silicone. The resin can enter through the gap and separate the Teflon from the silicone. If the silicone is not damaged, it is possible to replace the Teflon film. For hard silicone, you would need to use a clear double sided tape to bond a new film. For soft silicone, you would need to peel off the Teflon film　gently to avoid damaging the silicone, and lay a new film down slowly to prevent dusts or bubbles from getting in-between. For details, please refer to our forum.

To maximize the PSP　container lifetime, users must minimize the separation force and avoid model dropping. Please refer to Printing Guide to prevent model dropping. The shrinkage of the cured model could introduce warpage on the Teflon film. When the adhesion between the cured layer and the Teflon is larger, the front of the container will be lifted. If the container is lifted over 5 mm before dropping back down onto the frame, you may need to reorient the model and make some adjustment to the printing parameters. The height being lifted is a good indicator of the separation force.

There are many factors that has an impact on the separation force and thus the lifetime of a resin container:

1. Exposed area of a slice (reduce cross-sectional area)
2. Pattern of the layer (avoid circle and square patterns that are hard to separate)
3. Orientation of the print (avoid printing same pattern on the same spot)
4. Lifting speed (lower speed reduces separation force)
5. Exposure time (less exposure has less adhesion to the Teflon)
6. Reactivity of the resin (when the resin temperature is higher, the film is more likely to warp)
7. Native adhesion between cured resin and Teflon caused by the Van Der Waals’ force (use resins with less adhesion)
8. Layer thickness (thinner layer with less exposure has also less adhesion to the Teflon)

The golden rule to elongating the lifetime of your resin container is:

Once you understand how to minimize the separation force, it is quite possible to use a single PSP resin container for more than 100 prints. Take it slow and try to understand more about not only Kudo3D’s printer but also about its printing process involved. This will allow you to have a much more successful print.

This blog will guide you through and help make sense of each feature on the sample.

1. Rectangular columns and spaces (Slots)

To determine what the “normal” exposure time is for a certain resin, check the 4 rectangular slots on the leftmost side of the calibration print. The columns in-between the slots should have the same measurement for the first 4 on the left side. The width of each slot and column should be 0.8 mm. The width of the right most three slots are 0.6mm, 0.4mm and 0.2mm, respectively.

Too narrow of the leftmost opening will mean that the resin was overexposed. Too narrow of the column in-between will mean that the resin was underexposed. If the resin does not have a high resolution, have high viscosity or the XY resolution is not high enough, the right most slot may be closed.

2. Pillars

Take a look at the pillars on the left side of the print. To make most of the pillars protruding and present, the resin will need to be very hard. Hard resin or overexposure will increase the number of pillars printed successfully. This is because the pillars will be hard enough to overcome the gravity at an angle of 45 degrees. Hardness and the strength of the resins will determine whether the pillar will survive at the angle or not. Another thing to note is the diameter of the pillars. Thicker pillars are stronger and tend to survive during printing even if they are longer. If printing with a low resolution resin, light bleeding makes the pillar thicker and also change the shape of it. When a higher resolution resin is used, more holes are opened and the pillars will be closer to the original dimensions. However, thinner pillars may not survive if the material is soft. Therefore, for precision applications, you would need to use a high resolution hard resin.

3. Holes

Take a look at the 7 holes below the rectangular slots on the “Titan 1” side. Hole openings are influenced by the viscosity of the resin, the depth of the hole and the ability of resin to block light. To make all 7 holes open up, the resin may need to be underexposed. Overexposing the resins will result in the smallest few holes to close up due to light bleeding or scattering. With a resin that has a lower viscosity, there will be more holes open. Because the resin is more likely to drain out of the hole during printing, light bleeding is less likely to seal the hole. However, low viscosity resins in general have more monomer in the formula so the material tends to be weaker and more brittle.

4. Trenches

Check the trenches near the top of the “Titan 1” side of the print.

We limit the aspect ratio of the trenches to be one so the depth and the width of the trenches are the same. Having the resin be overexposed will result in a narrower, shallower trench. An underexposed resin will further widen the distance between each trench. The reasoning is the same as that for the slots and holes.

Given all this information, the questions is: When do you need to print this calibration print again? We usually recommend doing the calibration for the following situations:

1. Using a new type or new bottle of resin
2. Printing at a different XYZ resolution
3. If you regularly recycle (pour the leftover resin from a print back into the original bottle) the resins without replenishing with fresh resin
4. Every 500 hours of usage of the projector (to determine if the projector lamp intensity decays)

You can measure the size of the features on the high resolution calibration model with Netfabb basic by pressing the “ruler” button. For actual printed sizes, you would need to use a camera or microscope and take a photo of the printed sample with a benchmark.

This calibration sample only gives you an idea about the exposure time, the resolution and hardness of the material. The lifting height is related to the resin, lifting speed, cross-sectional area and cross-sectional pattern so there is no calibration sample to predict the lifting height. If you are not familiar with the resin used, please be more conservative about the lifting height and speed.

Now, you are ready to continue on your printing journey! Please be sure to share any awesome prints with our team as well! Have fun!

Many of the consumer level printers were FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printers. This involved a spool of filament to be heated to a high temperature and deposited into the shape that the user wishes to create via an extrusion head. With this type of printer, users only get the shape or form of the print but will not get details nor reach surface smoothness. In addition, the printing speed is relatively low.

Apart from the FDM technology, some 3D printers adopts the stereolithography (SLA) technology. Some SLA 3D printers use laser galvanometer to create patterns. This type of printer usually has laser stability and reliability problems.

How about the Titan 1 and Titan 2? Instead of the laser-based SLA technology, we use Kudo3D uses a highly reliable DLP technology developed by Texas Instrument to generate digital light patterns in a two dimensional fashion rather than scanning with a laser diode which is susceptible to ambient temperature, dusts and mechanical failure. DLP can also provide a resolution that laser galvanometer is impossible to match.

Using a better digital light pattern generator improves the resolution of the printers but it is not the main factor that attributes to our success in the last two years. So what exactly set our 3D printer apart from the other SLA 3D printers out in the market? The answer lies within the layer separation technology of the printer.

Most low cost SLA printers incorporate a bottom up light source and a transparent resin container. The challenge to these SLA printers is to separate the cured layer from the resin container floor. The separation force is proportional to the area of the cured layer. That is why most of the low cost SLA is not able to print big models.

To overcome this challenge, we have developed a patent pending passive self-peeling (PSP) technology that greatly reduces the separation force that others are hard to match by using both flexible and elastic materials for the resin container. PSP not only enables large area printing but also increases the speed and resolution of the prints. Since the peeling is passive, there are no motors involved. The printer’s structure is simplified. With less moving parts, the Titan 1 and Titan 2 are very reliable.

We understands that the lifetime of the consumables is a main concern for consumers while resin container is definitely a critical part for low cost SLA printers. Because of the low separation force, our container is less stressed and the lifetime is much longer. Besides, there is a protective film on the vat floor of Kudo3D’s containers to prevent the attack from the resin. As a result, our printers are compatible with more materials and relax the constraint for material developers.

With the PSP technology, Titan 1, our first generation printer, proved its worth when Kudo3D showed off a biomedical tissue scaffold research model printed at 37 micron XY resolution and 20 micron Z layer thickness. The beams have a diameter of 0.18mm (next to the print is a coffee bean for scale).

Pushing the printer to the extreme, we proved once more that our printers can print fine features that other low cost SLA printers cannot achieve. In the image below, a 45 micron thin needle was printed with the Titan 1. This needle is less than half the diameter of a hair. No other low cost printer can achieve this resolution.

Now in June 2016, we have launched its second-generation 3D printer, the Titan 2.

The new Titan 2 features:

• WiFi enabled.
  – There is no need to connect the printer to the computer after uploading the data.
• Allows web-based controlling.
  – Users can use any device (PC, Mac, smartphones, or tablet) to control the printer. Once the printing starts, the control device can be used for other purposes.
• One device can be used to command and control multiple Titan 2 3D printers.
  – This is especially helpful for those who would like to use the printer to setup a production line.
• Has a built-in computer.
  – The Titan 2 will be independent from the user’s computer.
• Has a shutter to reduce background exposure during prints.
  – This can ensure high quality prints.
  Additionally, the new Titan 2 will be assembled and calibrated before shipping, making the startup process even easier for first time users.

It is definite that 3D printer will keep evolving in technological advancement. Users are now able to print high quality things that they design or even better than they could ever imagined.

While staying true to its original Titan 1 base – a patent pending passive self-peeling (PSP) technology, the Titan 2 has new upgrades that provide a more user-friendly experience, including wireless connection and web-based controlling software. We also add a shutter to reduce background exposure to extend resin lifetime and a mask option to make the intensity more uniform. At the same time, the new mesh-like build platform reduces the vacuum force between layers and make printing a lot easier. We are always dedicated to improve our 3D printing technology to meet the demands for different applications.

Apart from the technical aspect, we have always been trying to improve the user-friendliness of our printers. It is easier to install and configure Titan 2 now. Titan 2 is WiFi enabled with built-in Raspberry Pi 3, so it doesn’t need to connect the printer to the computer and it will be independent from the user’s computer. Only one power cord is required to run the Titan 2. The new web-based controlling software is compatible with PC (windows, Mac, Linux) or device (smartphones, tablets). One PC or device can be used to manage multiple Titan 2 which is helpful for those who would like to use the printer to setup a production line.

Pushing the printer to the extreme, Titan 2 can print fine features that no other low cost SLA printers can achieve. In the image taken by a microscope below, a 45 micron thin needle was printed with the Titan 2. This needle is less than half the diameter of a strand of hair.

The new Titan 2 body will be fully assembled and calibrated, making the start up process even easier for first time users. Also, to celebrate our new release, there will be a $200 USD discount on the Titan 2 for anyone placing an order before June 19, 2016.

What are you still waiting for? Don’t miss the chance to experience the most advanced technology brought to you by Kudo3D now!

(** The first shipment of Titan 2 will be on July 6, 2016. Please feel free to contact our team members for more information.)

Erik Moon, one of our Titan 1 Kickstarter backers and owner of Decadent Minimalist, has just released his second Kickstarter campaign, DM1: Titanium and Carbon Fiber Wallet!

The DM1 is truly a minimalist design. With no straps, no clips, no clasps, hinges, or magnets, the DM1 is just one piece of aluminum cut into an ideal shape to hold multiple cards. Now, the DM1 has a 12 card option and is available in Carbon Fiber, Titanium, and Nickel.

Erik captured his first prototype of the DM1 by filming the printing process on the Titan 1. He explains how he transformed his DM1 idea into an actual product.

Watch to see how the Titan 1 can quickly transform an idea into a prototype!

Titan 1 was featured on an article on Stereolithography by Eaglemoss Publications!

Learn more about how light causes photoresin to cure. Also enjoy the pictures of prints by the Titan 1!

What makes the Titan 1 different from other SLA 3D printers?

But first, what is SLA 3D printing? SLA stands for stereolithography. In this method of additive manufacturing, a 3D printed object is built layer-by-layer using a liquid resin (photopolymer) that is cured using UV or visible light. What differentiates the Titan 1 from other SLA 3D printers, is that the Titan 1 uses Digital Light Processing (DLP) to shine light patterns via a projector. Many SLA 3D printers use a laser galvanometer to generate patterns.

Here’s a quick guide to everything you need to know about DLP and laser 3D printing.

DLP 3D Printing

A high resolution projector, light pattern powered by DLP technology, sits beneath the resin container and projects image slices to cure each layer. The projected image is just black and white as seen below. Since the resin is UV sensitive, the white areas of the projected image will direct UV and purple light to the areas require curing.

This method is quite simple when compared to the stunning resolution and details that it produces. The projector remains completely stationary during printing (and it is important that it doesn’t move or else the layers won’t align properly), which means there are few moving parts and little machine maintenance required. For Kudo3D’s Titan 1 and Titan 2, the only moving part is the stepper motor that lifts the build platform as the model grows after each layer is cured.

(Image Source: http://m.iopscience.iop.org/1758-5090/6/1/015003/article)

A sliced layer that will be projected onto the resin container. From Pranav Pancha’s model of the Eiffel Tower (https://grabcad.com/library/eiffel-tower).

Laser 3D Printing

Laser based SLA 3D printing uses a laser to trace out the cross-sections of the model. Similar to fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing, where each layer is deposited in a continuous stream of filament, the laser essentially “draws” the layer to be cured. The laser is focused using a set of lenses and then reflected off of two motorized scanning mirrors (galvanometer). The scanning mirror directs the precise laser beam at the reservoir of UV sensitive resin to cure the layer. Alternatively, some laser based SLA 3D printers move the laser directly using a XY stepper motor arrangement similar to those used in filament based printer.
(Image Source: http://biega.com/3d-printing.shtml )

Now that we know how each method works, let’s do a comparison.

SPEED AND ACCURACY

DLP 3D printing is very fast because it projects the profile of an entire layer at one time, turning 2-dimensional images into a 3D object. In comparison, lasers have to trace out the entire sliced profile line by line which takes a lot more time. Small inaccuracies are also likely to occur and can affect the structural strength and surface smoothness of the print.

RESOLUTION AND BUILD SIZE

The projector makes DLP 3D printing versatile. Depending on the resolution and size of the 3D model desired, DLP can be easily moved up or down to adjust for your customized settings. DLP 3D printers can produce details with much higher resolution than laser based SLA 3D printers. However, resolution depends on the projected pixel size. This means that higher resolutions are limited to smaller XY build area.

Laser 3D printing generally has a fixed laser spot size of about 300 um, while the DLP projector in the Titan 1 can be customized to print from 37 to 100 um. Tuning the laser spot size smaller will make the printing speed extremely slow. On the other hand, since lasers sweep a continuous path, they’re less likely to show surface “pixelization” artifacts the way a DLP 3D printer printed model will. The pixelization is usually more noticeable for large prints. Pixelization can be removed with anti-aliasing or pixel shifting.

MAINTENANCE

Laser based SLA 3D printers require a number of moving parts in their design. XY motion is achieved via the use of two stepper motors to move the laser itself, or a galvanometer which rotates a mirror assembly to reflect a stationary laser’s light to the desired location. DLP 3D printers do not require any mechanical XY motion for photopolymer curing since projector illuminates the entire XY plane at once.

The Titan 1 and Titan2, with patented passive self-peeling technology, only require one stepping motor for Z-axis linear stage, eliminating the need for sliding or rotating tray mechanisms. This minimizes assembly complexity, maintenance, and wear on the machine.