Trying to get stuff together
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 3:57 pm
Hi,
as i said in my introduction i'm completely new to SLA/DLP so i try to sum up a bit what i've read so far and partly combined myself and hope you can correct me if i'm wrong. I've placed some (???) in brackets on some lines where i'm quite unsure and count on your help here.
- With a DLP printer Resin get's cured by UV-Light emitted by a DLP projector using a standard beamer bulb or a replaced one (or pico projector with an UV-LED)
- curing happens in a "bath" of resin inside the so called Vat.
bottom up:
- the beamer/projector sits below the vat/resin, curing happens on the lowest level of the resin bath.
- (???) to avoid sticking to the vat the bottom of the Vat is covered by a PTFE-Type film or anything similar that allows UV-light to pass along but avoids the object to stick to the bottom
- (???) the print plate where the object sticks to (how?), gets moved up by a linear drive layer by layer
- to cover the room between the last cured layer and the bottom of the vat with resin as good as possible the resin needs to be "helped" to flow in this space (depending on layer height). This is normally done by tilting or moving the vat.
- the projector is either placed vertically (light goes up) on bigger printer builds or mounted horizontally with a mirror for a more compact printer build.
top down:
- not investigated deeply so far, think for me it's not the right method to start.
software+electronics:
- movement of Z-axis, tilt and similar stuff can happen via a arduino-based reprap-like-electronic (Ramps, Rumba, etc.) with a reprap type firmware (Repetier, Marlin, etc.)
- (???) The image for the projection and therefore curing happens through a computer where the projector is connected to. Therefore this computer needs to have a second monitor out
- The software (creation workshop) does slicing and printing so also coordinates imagery sent to the projector and movements of the axis or shutters in front of the lens.
general / challenges:
- finding the right projector to start with (good price-feature relation)
- getting the right PTFE-Film or anything like that
- finding a print platform
I don't worry too much about constructing everything from aluminum profiles later on as i already have stuff laying around and already collected some experiences with that.
With everything else i'm a complete noob and try to collect facts - hope you can help me
Thanks!
as i said in my introduction i'm completely new to SLA/DLP so i try to sum up a bit what i've read so far and partly combined myself and hope you can correct me if i'm wrong. I've placed some (???) in brackets on some lines where i'm quite unsure and count on your help here.
- With a DLP printer Resin get's cured by UV-Light emitted by a DLP projector using a standard beamer bulb or a replaced one (or pico projector with an UV-LED)
- curing happens in a "bath" of resin inside the so called Vat.
bottom up:
- the beamer/projector sits below the vat/resin, curing happens on the lowest level of the resin bath.
- (???) to avoid sticking to the vat the bottom of the Vat is covered by a PTFE-Type film or anything similar that allows UV-light to pass along but avoids the object to stick to the bottom
- (???) the print plate where the object sticks to (how?), gets moved up by a linear drive layer by layer
- to cover the room between the last cured layer and the bottom of the vat with resin as good as possible the resin needs to be "helped" to flow in this space (depending on layer height). This is normally done by tilting or moving the vat.
- the projector is either placed vertically (light goes up) on bigger printer builds or mounted horizontally with a mirror for a more compact printer build.
top down:
- not investigated deeply so far, think for me it's not the right method to start.
software+electronics:
- movement of Z-axis, tilt and similar stuff can happen via a arduino-based reprap-like-electronic (Ramps, Rumba, etc.) with a reprap type firmware (Repetier, Marlin, etc.)
- (???) The image for the projection and therefore curing happens through a computer where the projector is connected to. Therefore this computer needs to have a second monitor out
- The software (creation workshop) does slicing and printing so also coordinates imagery sent to the projector and movements of the axis or shutters in front of the lens.
general / challenges:
- finding the right projector to start with (good price-feature relation)
- getting the right PTFE-Film or anything like that
- finding a print platform
I don't worry too much about constructing everything from aluminum profiles later on as i already have stuff laying around and already collected some experiences with that.
With everything else i'm a complete noob and try to collect facts - hope you can help me
Thanks!