This article details methods to enhance the printing accuracy of LCD 3D printers, including printer/material selection, parameter adjustment, calibration, and optimization of slice settings and support structures.
Method for improving printing accuracy of LCD 3D printer
- Select the appropriate printer and materials
Choosing a high-precision LCD 3D printer and suitable materials is fundamental. Different models of printers and materials have different accuracy and applicable ranges, so it is necessary to choose the appropriate equipment and materials according to specific needs.
- Adjust print parameters
Optimizing printing parameters is the key to improving printing accuracy. For example, reducing printing speed can reduce vibration and resonance phenomena, thereby improving accuracy; appropriately adjusting temperature can improve material fluidity and adhesion; a smaller layer height can provide more details and a smoother surface.
- Calibrate the printer
Regularly calibrate the mechanical structure and transmission system of the 3D printer to reduce errors and deviations. Calibration includes checking and adjusting the levelness of the print bed, adjusting the position of the print head, and checking the tightness of the transmission system.
- Optimize slice settings
Parameters such as layer height, exposure time, and lifting speed in slicing software have a significant impact on print quality. For example, a thinner layer height can improve print quality, making the surface smoother and details clearer; reasonable exposure time and lifting speed can avoid model damage and support structure damage.
- Use appropriate support structures
During the printing process, the suspended part may have verticality problems or collapse phenomena. Using appropriate support structures can improve printing accuracy.
- Combining visual scanning and laser sensor technology
By real-time monitoring and feedback adjustments, printing accuracy can be significantly improved. For example, using a laser sensor to scan and adjust errors during the printing process in real-time, ensuring that each layer of printing conforms to the ideal model size.
- Optimization design file
During the design phase, overly complex structures should be avoided and tolerance compensation should be set reasonably to ensure stability and accuracy during the printing process.
- Material selection and handling
Choosing the appropriate material and adjusting printing parameters based on material characteristics, such as nozzle temperature and diameter, can effectively improve printing accuracy.
Choose high-precision materials suitable for LCD 3D printing
- Photosensitive resin
Photosensitive resin is the preferred material for light-cured 3D printers such as LCD/DLP, with high precision and surface quality, suitable for printing small and complex models. There are various types of resins available on the market, such as general-purpose resin, high-temperature resistant resin, high-toughness resin, and flexible resin.
- Material properties
Photosensitive resin is brittle and brittle. It will turn yellow and become more brittle after prolonged exposure to light, and has weak temperature resistance. Therefore, when selecting materials, it is necessary to consider their performance in specific applications, such as whether high temperature resistance or high toughness is required.
- Security and processing
When using photosensitive resin, it is necessary to pay attention to safety, avoid skin contact, and ensure a good ventilation environment. This is because the chemical components in the resin may cause irritation to the skin and respiratory system.
- Printing requirements
Choose the appropriate resin type based on specific printing needs. For example, if you need to print high-temperature resistant parts, you can choose high-temperature resistant resin; if you need to print parts with high toughness, you can choose high-toughness resin.
- Budget and cost
Although photosensitive resins provide high precision and good surface quality, they are relatively expensive and may require more maintenance and treatment during use. Therefore, when choosing materials, budget and cost factors also need to be considered.
- Brand and model
Choosing well-known or specialized brands of photosensitive resins, such as eSUN’s PLA-CF carbon fiber reinforced material, can ensure the quality and stability of the material. In addition, the ELEGOO Saturn 3 Ultra Saturn light-cured 3D printer also provides high-quality photosensitive resin materials, suitable for DIY and figurine enthusiasts. iFUN’s Green Wax Casting Resin (700D) can provide finer application details and is suitable for jewelry design.
When selecting high-precision materials suitable for LCD 3D printing, the accuracy, surface quality, temperature resistance, and toughness of photosensitive resins should be given priority, and attention should be paid to safety handling and cost factors.
Optimal printing parameter settings for LCD 3D printers
The optimal printing parameter settings for LCD 3D printers involve multiple aspects, including layer thickness, exposure time, lifting speed, model placement, etc. The following are detailed explanations of some key parameters.
- Layer thickness : Layer thickness has a direct impact on print quality and speed. Thinner layer thicknesses (such as 25 µm to 100 µm) can provide smoother surfaces and sharper details, but will increase print time.
- Exposure time : The exposure time is affected by the type of resin. It is recommended that the bottom exposure time be 8-12 times the normal exposure time to ensure that the bottom raft adheres firmly.
- Lift speed : Lift speed needs to balance print quality and time, avoid too fast or too slow to damage the model or increase print time.
- Model placement : Model placement will affect the print quality, structural mutations may lead to uneven contraction and surface layer.
- Anti-aliasing technology : makes the model surface smoother by reducing lines and vertical artifacts.
- Print speed and layer height : Print speed and layer height are key parameters that affect print quality and need to be adjusted according to project requirements and time constraints.
- Support structure and filling density : The support structure is used to support the hanging part, and the filling density affects the internal solidity of the printed item. Choose the appropriate parameters according to the project requirements.
- Resin settings : including layer thickness and curing time, the exposure time of aging layer and ordinary layer needs to be fine-tuned according to the resin properties and model placement.
- Machine Setting page : It involves communication method and Codes code, which determines the communication method between the system and the printer control board and the G code sent. Display settings include LCD screen resolution and pixel density, which need to be modified according to the printer size to ensure accurate printing size.
By adjusting these parameters, the quality of LCD 3D printing can be significantly improved to meet the production standards of high-quality prototypes.
Which parameters in the slicing software have the greatest impact on the accuracy of LCD 3D printing?
The parameters that have the greatest impact on LCD 3D printing accuracy in slicing software mainly include layer height, fill density, and printing speed. Their settings directly affect printing accuracy and quality.
- Layer height : Layer height is one of the key parameters affecting 3D printing accuracy. Thinner layer height can improve printing details and surface finish, but it will increase printing time. For example, it is mentioned that layer thickness determines the accuracy of the model in the Z direction, that is, the relative displacement distance of the printing platform in the Z direction before each exposure. The smaller the layer thickness, the higher the model accuracy, but the longer the printing time. It is also pointed out that layer height affects printing speed and surface effect, such as 0.02mm can achieve no layer pattern effect, 0.1mm balances printing time and accuracy, and 0.2mm speeds up printing speed but reduces accuracy.
- Fill density : Fill density affects the degree of filling inside the model, which in turn affects print strength and consumable usage. It is mentioned that the fill rate is generally selected from 20% to 40% to save time. The impact of fill density on model strength and consumable usage is also emphasized. Lower fill density can reduce material usage, but may affect the strength of the model.
- Printing speed : Printing speed affects printing time and accuracy. It is mentioned that printing speed needs to balance the extruder and moving speed to ensure printing quality. It is pointed out that printing speed parameters affect printing time and accuracy. It is recommended to use low speed when printing complex models and high speed for simple models. It is also mentioned that normal printing speed controls the printing speed of the wall to reduce vibration and improve drape quality.
Layer height, fill density, and printing speed are the parameters that have the greatest impact on LCD 3D printing accuracy in slicing software.
