Build Your Own SLA/SLS

The guys over at Diyouware.com have made a UV pcb printer out of an Xbox laser. Its got autofocus among other things, I think this is an incredible possibility that should be expanded on. They plan on making a 3d printer according to their site. The key component is basically a signal amplifier to read the signals from the laser head. Its open source and they provide the files for the circuit board. Check it out improve it, make SLA more accessible to everyone!

Thats a really good find, I mentioned before that I would really like to have a go at this,( bloody hell, can't find the link), its called kuntsman scanner if you google, when I get the time, and maybe the blueray sled.

This is the same principal as the Muve 3d resin printer. Just an XY motion system with a laser, under a vat of resin. You can really use any laser diode and mount with a culminating lens. It's a neat idea, using the laser instead of DLP projector but your speed just left the building! This type of setup wouldn't be any faster than your typical FFF extrusion printer. Like "minutes" per layer, not seconds.

Speed is one of the main attractions of using the DLP to cure the entire layer at once, in seconds, and having no limits to how complex your build is for it would take each layer the same amount of time.

I would like to see someone create a hardware solution for a laser and galvos, like the Form, but go one step further and have the laser scan the image from top to bottom, like a laser marker. That would be the fastest way to use a laser. May not match the speed of a DLP, but would allow for much higher XY resolution.

I agree not as fast as a dlp or many other systems, but its a 7$ replacement part, and as far as resolution goes they stopped at .1mm but that was because they had motion control limitations. For Blu-ray Disc, the spot size is 580 nm.....

and thats part of why I think this is such a promising (niche) avenue
The more detail the longer the build when drawing single lines the higher the resolution the less time is needed to cure a segment... and then the vibration damping... but 580nm details seems like for 3d printing it would be best limited to small builds. But imagine an investment casting resin printer for 200$, make your d&d character come alive etc.

Yes, I agree with those points. Personally, I'm not really trying to keep in an ultra low budget. Laser diodes are dirt cheap and like I said, they can be made to scan fast with the right hardware. I'm just not that technical to build that part myself.

I'm kind of a perfectionist. I won't be happy with something that is "good enough" for $200 or even $500.

I still believe you get what you pay for, I just don't believe you have to pay 30-80k or more for a quality printer that's achievable for the typical DIY'er for a couple thousand.

Just my personal opinion.

watsonstudios

Found the kuntman link, Take a look at this, http://laserpointerforums.com/f47/homem ... 32628.html
its something worth considering, I shall build one eventualy.

Don't forget - the devil is always in the details...

Curing with a moving laser spot is an order of magnitude more complicated than with a DLP. Stress issues along with the fact that laser power has to be modulated based on scan velocity make this path a much, much more involved one than it appears at first glance.