FAQ's
Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:58 pm
Creation Workshop and this forum/ site are a collaborative project. By posting here, you're actively contributing to the community. Please help other users when possible, and contribute to documenting and expanding upon the SLA process. Be sure to post pictures of your machines and prints!
Good information on mask projection stereolithography:
Hardware and Firmware setup supported by Creation Workshop.
Various Resins and suppliers:
List of DLP projectors and mods:
I'm going to start to answer some of your questions below:
- What causes the part to stick to the vat bottom (in a bottom-up setup)?
You guessed right with vacuum force is the reason it sticks, more or less its the Van der Waals effect is what we are dealing with.
- Is the original build in the projector best?
Yeah, bulbs in general are expensive, you can go out and buy bulbs with more UV output but for the most part stock bulbs in DLPs output sufficient amounts. The one thing you should mod is the color wheel mechanism, so that you can allow more UV to come through. There is some concern on the UV damaging some of the components on the insides, but I don't have specifics.
- Is Sylgard 184 the only option for vat coatings?
No, you can get PTFE/ETFE film (adhesive or non-adhesive) as well. Sylgard is just what a lot of folks started to use.
- Which projectors are best to use?
What I've been told in my search is a DLP with at least 2500 lumens. Steve and others out there are starting to look into moving pico DLP projectors. The mod there is swapping out the usual RGB LEDs with UV LEDs.
- Is top-down or bottom-up better?
It's debatable. Bottom-up's major benefit is the savings on materials. You only need a shallow pool of resin as opposed to an entire vat that has a constant fill. On the other hand, bottom-up will need a release mechanism to free the newly cured layers from the bottom of the vat, while top-down might just need a wiper to help distribute the resin on the surface (depends on the viscosity).
Fell free to contribute to this thread, and I'll incorporate as much info into this post as possible.
Good information on mask projection stereolithography:
Hardware and Firmware setup supported by Creation Workshop.
Various Resins and suppliers:
List of DLP projectors and mods:
I'm going to start to answer some of your questions below:
- What causes the part to stick to the vat bottom (in a bottom-up setup)?
You guessed right with vacuum force is the reason it sticks, more or less its the Van der Waals effect is what we are dealing with.
- Is the original build in the projector best?
Yeah, bulbs in general are expensive, you can go out and buy bulbs with more UV output but for the most part stock bulbs in DLPs output sufficient amounts. The one thing you should mod is the color wheel mechanism, so that you can allow more UV to come through. There is some concern on the UV damaging some of the components on the insides, but I don't have specifics.
- Is Sylgard 184 the only option for vat coatings?
No, you can get PTFE/ETFE film (adhesive or non-adhesive) as well. Sylgard is just what a lot of folks started to use.
- Which projectors are best to use?
What I've been told in my search is a DLP with at least 2500 lumens. Steve and others out there are starting to look into moving pico DLP projectors. The mod there is swapping out the usual RGB LEDs with UV LEDs.
- Is top-down or bottom-up better?
It's debatable. Bottom-up's major benefit is the savings on materials. You only need a shallow pool of resin as opposed to an entire vat that has a constant fill. On the other hand, bottom-up will need a release mechanism to free the newly cured layers from the bottom of the vat, while top-down might just need a wiper to help distribute the resin on the surface (depends on the viscosity).
Fell free to contribute to this thread, and I'll incorporate as much info into this post as possible.