Introduction and design
XYZprinting produces FDM 3D printers that are perfect for education such as the Da Vinci 1.0. These printers feature enclosed environments, cartridge filament systems and no nonsense straightforward software that makes them incredibly easy to use and an ideal choice for demonstrating the technology to students.
At present FDM (fused deposition modeling) printers are by far the most popular consumer choice, and with good reason – they're easy to use and don't create a great deal of mess, whereas SLA (stereolithography) printers take time to maintain between prints and can get messy.
So despite producing high quality prints the SLA process has, until now, really only been available to the pro market. There's a huge difference between the two technologies, SLA and FDM, so it makes sense for a company with a firm footing in the education sector to produce printers that demonstrate each tech.
The FDM process as used by the Da Vinci is simple to understand: a filament is melted, the printer follows a plan and the model is built layer on layer as the filament cools and hardens. When it comes to SLA printing the process is actually quite similar despite the raw material and the print being made upside-down.
The hotend and nozzle that extrudes the filament in an FDM printer is replaced by a laser, this again follows a pattern to build a model layer by layer, but rather than a solid starting material such as PLA or ABS filament, a liquid resin is used. As the laser hits that resin, which is UV sensitive, it hardens and creates the 3D model. Unlike an FDM printer this all has to happen behind a protective screen to prevent harm to the user by the laser.
Once the printer has finished the model making it's then over to you as the print requires washing and time to harden under UV light, so both SLA printing and finishing is time consuming and messy. However the results even at the lowest print settings are of a high quality. This is the reason that most SLA printers reside in professional printing environments rather than the home.
Design
Just a short time ago the majority of 3D printers looked like self-build kits, with the likes of the original Ultimaker, but XYZ have always produced printers that look complete and professional. The Nobel – which retails at £1,290 (around $2,000, or AU$2,800) – really wouldn't look out of place in a university science lab, with its large white base and removable UV shield. The design is well thought out and its simple appearance looks great, and this simplicity is reflected in an easy setup process, as well as general use.
The unit is surprisingly heavy for its relatively small size weighing in at 9.6kg, with a height of just 59cm tall and a small overall footprint of 28cm x 33.7cm, enabling it to easily be positioned neatly on a work surface.
At the back is the power socket, on switch and USB port – the latter can be used for either direct connection to a computer, either Mac or PC, or a USB key with the print-ready 3D models. On the front is the control panel and this gives you quick access to the setup and configuration options as well as direct print from USB.
Protecting the print area is a large plastic UV shield which once removed reveals the resin tank, bottle and print platform. The configuration of the print area shows the stark difference between SLA and FDM printing, with the print base suspended from the column rather than planted on the floor of the printer, and there is no sign of a hot head or rails. This build area is a respectable 12.8 x 12.8 x 20cm, a similar sort of area as seen with the FDM printers like the Luzbot Mini which boasts measurements of 15.2 x 15.2 x 15.8cm.
This print area, unlike an FDM effort, is suspended upside-down and is held at the top of the print column by a large bolt. When printing commences this base is plunged into a pool of liquid resin and a UV light source (laser) is fired from inside the Nobel to set the resin and create the 3D model.
The Nobel is of a high quality and if looked after correctly should provide a good length of service. Unlike an FDM printer that uses hard filament that is melted, the Nobel uses a liquid resin that is contained within a tank at the base of the printer. The setup process takes a good 30 minutes with tubes requiring connection, and time is needed for the printer itself to initialise.
Setup and printing
Getting started
As the box is removed it reveals the striking appearance of the Nobel. It's slim and tall, and the large UV shield along with the word Laser emblazoned across the base makes it look and feel like an object from the future, but one designed in the 1970s. Out of the box there are a few procedures to run through before the first print can be made.
This starts with installing the resin bottle which simply drops into a purpose-made slot, and then the two tubes connected to the Nobel are push fitted onto the resin bottle – the other end is then clipped in place to feed the resin into the tank. The resin tank is removable for cleaning and simply slots into place, it's advised that this is replaced if it starts to discolour over time as this will ultimately affect print quality.
After everything is connected the machine can be switched on and configured. The first process is just to make sure the print platform is calibrated – this process is handled manually and involves loosening and tightening bolts and pushing down the platform, not too taxing or time consuming. Once completed you then use the Nobel's simple interface to select the initialise option, then pop the lid back on and leave the Nobel to fill the tank and prepare for the first print.
Printing
We used a USB stick loaded with a sample model file and used the control panel to quickly locate the models saved on the root of the stick – the navigation system makes it quick and easy to locate the files and once the model you want to print is selected it's then just a simple process of clicking OK to start the print process.
Here the next big difference between SLA and FDM printing becomes apparent. Our first test print which was a glass downloaded from the XYZprinting website took just over an hour – we ran the same model through the Cura for Luzbot Mini and it took just 15 minutes. However, the quality difference between the two was marked.
When it comes to printing your own models the Nobel uses XYZ's own software and is not compatible with any other software – however, the Nobel is designed to be straightforward. The XYZ software supports the standard STL file format and once a model is imported into the software you can then adjust the position and print quality easily enough.
Although the print model is actually printed upside-down in the printer, the model appears the right way up in the software. In the quick print settings there are three quality options, printing our test model using any of these produced consistently good results. One setting that we did find was essential after a couple of initial misprints was the brim option that just ensures the print bonds correctly to the print platform.
After a few days of experimenting we found that a slight tweak meant the majority of models would print cleanly. The overall print process is slow compared with the already slow speeds of an FDM printer, and you're also limited on the print material.
You can only print with the resin and this resin smells both when being printed and generally speaking, but this smell does however disappear once the model has solidified. Smell is also an issue with ABS but at least with the majority of FDM printers you also have the option to print PLA or similar, which only has a mild odour when printing and no smell at all when cold.
Once the print has finished unlike FDM printing where a knife can be used to simply prize the model from the base, SLA prints need a little more work. Gloves on and a tub filled with nail varnish remover (one with an alcohol content greater than 75%) and you're ready to remove the print.
The first step is to unscrew and slide out the platform, then a knife can be used to remove the print from the base – the model should then be placed into the tub. If you just give it a wash with water the print will remain tacky and slightly flexible for days. In the tub the print needs a good ten minutes wash in the solution before being removed and washed with water. You can tell when it's done as the surface texture changes from slimy to more solid and smooth. After washing it can then be left to dry and harden.
This might all seem like a faff especially when compared with an FDM print which is ready directly after printing, but then comparing the quality of the two prints, the higher quality of the SLA print is blatantly obvious.
Verdict
We liked
The small footprint, quality prints and price make this printer very appealing. Compared to the price of other SLA printers the Nobel is considerably cheaper. However, the materials such as the resin are still quite pricey.
Print quality when compared with FDM printers even on the lowest setting is exceptional, and although models don't quite have the clarity of models produced by higher-end SLA printers, for home printing you really won't be disappointed.
The design and style of the printer makes it exceptionally easy to setup and use, and although it's only compatible with the XYZ software, in an educational environment this is no bad thing. The choice of either tethered or USB key printing is also welcome.
We disliked
The print process is by no means as smooth as that of an FDM printer with the resin tank requiring a complete change if the colour of the resin is swapped. The smell can also be a little overbearing so a well-vented room is essential.
Although the Nobel is well designed it's inevitable that some of the resin is going to end up dripping on the Nobel unit or work surface however careful you are. The biggest issue is having to clean the prints after printing – in the included documentation it recommends using alcohol of 75% or more, and in the UK trying to find a suitable substance takes some time, with some, but not all, nail varnish removers having the right chemical consistency to correctly clean prints.
Final verdict
The Nobel 1.0 has a fantastic eye-catching design and a footprint that sits comfortably on most work surfaces. Setup takes a bit of time compared to an FDM printer, and each time the printer is switched on it takes a good 10 minutes to initialise, this is in addition to the relatively slow print times.
However, if you're willing to see past the time aspect the quality of prints that this SLA printer produces are excellent, especially at the price. Compare this with other SLA printers such as the Form One + and you can see what the extra money buys with higher clarity prints. But compare a Nobel print at its highest quality against one from the Ultimaker 2 and the Nobel just has the edge – look closely at overhangs and you start to see where SLA printing excels, with less visible signs of layers and ribboning.
There is no doubt that the Nobel 1.0 produces high quality prints, and the looks and the style of the technology also appeal. However when you can get an FDM printer for about the same price, and with a print process that produces models that need little to no finishing, you do feel that this technology is better suited to professional and educational environments.
That said, there is no doubt that the Nobel 1.0's ability to print high quality, very detailed prints consistently is hard to match for the majority of FDM printers, so if you need fine detail then the Nobel 1.0 is a good choice.
from TechRadar: Technology reviews http://ift.tt/1EmwgF9
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