mhackney's Beta DropLit build

[bubbasnow]

dayum that is looking pretty good!!

[guanu]

gettin there... fyi blue is the hardest color to print, I've found that it either doesnt expose, or it over exposes, and there really is no in between... they may have changed formulas up some since last I got some, but pretty much any other color I've had better results with.
Heres the last thing I printed on the droplit, which I believe is the same model you are printing..

Guanu

[mhackney]

Thanks and yes I got feedback that blue is more difficult. If course that would be the color I started with! I am going to print in red today with the same settings and see what comes out.

Yes, that is the same model, pretty cool looking, that's a nice print.

cheers,
Michael

[vonhellsing]

Cool nice print!!!


i stay with some problems with resin (its a sample from one partner in brazil thats makes to me one 3d print resin) dont stick in my build plate

i print one build plate in PLA to test.

some idea ?
cheers!


angelini

[mhackney]

Yes, the red is easier to print! I didn't change any of the exposure or projector brightness and this part came out pretty nice. I'm printing a bigger one now.

[mhackney]

Angelini, can you post photos of your parts?

[vonhellsing]

all fail!!

all flat dont sticks to the print base

cheers!

angelini

[mhackney]

And you have the same aluminum base as I do? Did you clean it with isopropyl alcohol to make sure there is no grease or oil on it? If so, then you might rough it up with some very fine sandpaper.

[vonhellsing]

no, i did a PLA base

cheers!

angelini

[mhackney]

Try aluminum then! Is PLA even used for a base for resin printing?

[mhackney]

I'm starting to get the hang of this...

[vonhellsing]

i'll try,

I see in buildyoursla forum, that's ABS no, but PLA don't have any problem with Resin, i will make one last test, using sandpaper and isopropyl alcohol. if dont stick alu asap kkk!

I did many changes in my printer, downloaded lasercut on github of droplit, and Z axis to change linear and lm8uu, stay really fast and no backslash s.

soon i'll publish my changes in forum. files, STL's etc ...

[vonhellsing]

yep i need alu kkk!

[mhackney]

I wonder of you could cover your PLA plater with aluminum foil? That might be interesting to try.

[vonhellsing]

and i belive thats i need remove color wheel from benq mx613st

[barry99705]

I wonder of you could cover your PLA plater with aluminum foil? That might be interesting to try.

Bolt a thin plate to the pla. Then you have a removeable build plate.

[mhackney]

FOlks, it may be that the grbl hex file I uploaded the other day is not the correct one I am using! I think it may have been my experimental build. In response to a private message I got last night, I looked through my archives and discovered a more recent grbl.hex file and source base that I built on 8/22/2014. I believe that is the one the is correct and may be why folks are having problems with the one I posted the other day. I've asked the inquirer to try the new one. Once he's validated it, I'll distribute it. If you'd like to try it between now and then, PM me and I'll send it along. I just don't want to spend time fixing a bunch of posts here until I know that's the problem!

[mhackney]

Now that my DropLit is printing of course my mind turns to ways to improve it! First up is that tiny little platform, it's about 1" diameter. I realize that as print surface area increases, the part sticks to the bed material and may separate from the platter. All sorts of interesting mechanisms are used to break the part free from the bed non-stick surface, like the tilting vat. The other item that seemed a bit challenging was making sure the movable print platter is perfectly parallel to the non-stick surface. If it isn't, parts may not stick or partially stick. So I had an idea to address all three of these in one mod! And here it is...

The Hackney Passive Tilt, Manual Auto Build Platform Aligner, Large Platform Thing (THPTMABPALPT for short, pronounced thptmabpalpt). If it works or partially works, I take full credit for it.

The device is printed in PLA, here it is in lovely purple (I was going to name it the Purple Plater Placer but like THPTMABPALPT better).

[img]http://mhackney.zenfolio.com/img/s10/v1 ... 0195-4.jpg[/img]

As you can see, it is a drop in replacement for the stock aluminum dumbbell:

[img]http://mhackney.zenfolio.com/img/s5/v13 ... 0416-3.jpg[/img]

How does this device do all of that (THPTMABPALPT) in such a small package you ask? Here's how...

Lets start from the bottom up. I started with a piece of 64mm x 48mm x 2mm aluminum as the new platter. This is glued to the base (purple block in photo). Altogether, they are about 10mm tall so they can submerge into the vat of resin.

Next up is the manual-auto adjusting leveler. I used 3 Traxxis universal joints - the exact type folks use for mini kossel arms. These are mounted to the round sub platform at their u-joint end. They have about 10° of freedom all around. Above this is the mounting base. It has three holes for the Traxis arms to pass. A spring under each keeps the whole unit "pushed down". The cap screws and washers at the top of each Traxxis keep the device from spontaneously disassembling. The magic is the three Nylon thumbscrews. You can clearly see one but each arm has one. This entire unit is affixed to the DropLit with a stunning purple "short dumbbell".

To use you simply loosen the three magic thumbscrews. Then lower the Z down until the aluminum plate touches the non-stick bed surface. At that point you go down in small increments (.1mm) until all three springs are slightly compressed. Lock the Traxxis units in place with the thumbscrews and you now have a completely aligned/parallel aluminum build plate.

In operation, after the exposure, the unit raises on Z. The solid plastic ticking between the bed and platter cause the springs to compress as it platter unit rises. The bed tilts ever so slightly, resulting in breaking the part free from the non-stick surface (that's the theory I'm going with). This repeats over and over and over again as the part prints.

I am running my first print with it now, I have no idea if it will work. I'm mostly concerned about the sticking to the non-stick surface and not sticking to the aluminum bed.

[vonhellsing]

Nice!!!

if works share with us your stl's

i fix some problems im my printer, changed mirror to doble side mirror and end my problems with ghosts!

now back to stick problem

cheers

angelini

Now that my DropLit is printing of course my mind turns to ways to improve it! First up is that tiny little platform, it's about 1" diameter. I realize that as print surface area increases, the part sticks to the bed material and may separate from the platter. All sorts of interesting mechanisms are used to break the part free from the bed non-stick surface, like the tilting vat. The other item that seemed a bit challenging was making sure the movable print platter is perfectly parallel to the non-stick surface. If it isn't, parts may not stick or partially stick. So I had an idea to address all three of these in one mod! And here it is...

The Hackney Passive Tilt, Manual Auto Build Platform Aligner, Large Platform Thing (THPTMABPALPT for short, pronounced thptmabpalpt). If it works or partially works, I take full credit for it.

The device is printed in PLA, here it is in lovely purple (I was going to name it the Purple Plater Placer but like THPTMABPALPT better).

[img]http://mhackney.zenfolio.com/img/s10/v1 ... 0195-4.jpg[/img]

As you can see, it is a drop in replacement for the stock aluminum dumbbell:

[img]http://mhackney.zenfolio.com/img/s5/v13 ... 0416-3.jpg[/img]

How does this device do all of that (THPTMABPALPT) in such a small package you ask? Here's how...

Lets start from the bottom up. I started with a piece of 64mm x 48mm x 2mm aluminum as the new platter. This is glued to the base (purple block in photo). Altogether, they are about 10mm tall so they can submerge into the vat of resin.

Next up is the manual-auto adjusting leveler. I used 3 Traxxis universal joints - the exact type folks use for mini kossel arms. These are mounted to the round sub platform at their u-joint end. They have about 10° of freedom all around. Above this is the mounting base. It has three holes for the Traxis arms to pass. A spring under each keeps the whole unit "pushed down". The cap screws and washers at the top of each Traxxis keep the device from spontaneously disassembling. The magic is the three Nylon thumbscrews. You can clearly see one but each arm has one. This entire unit is affixed to the DropLit with a stunning purple "short dumbbell".

To use you simply loosen the three magic thumbscrews. Then lower the Z down until the aluminum plate touches the non-stick bed surface. At that point you go down in small increments (.1mm) until all three springs are slightly compressed. Lock the Traxxis units in place with the thumbscrews and you now have a completely aligned/parallel aluminum build plate.

In operation, after the exposure, the unit raises on Z. The solid plastic ticking between the bed and platter cause the springs to compress as it platter unit rises. The bed tilts ever so slightly, resulting in breaking the part free from the non-stick surface (that's the theory I'm going with). This repeats over and over and over again as the part prints.

I am running my first print with it now, I have no idea if it will work. I'm mostly concerned about the sticking to the non-stick surface and not sticking to the aluminum bed.

[mhackney]

Ok, I've made 6 prints on the new platform and call it ready! Large surface area prints are a problem - but that's the Achilles heal with SLA printing. Sort of the opposite of the FFF problem of getting the first layer to actually stick.

Here, without further fanfare, are the files:

DropLit Adjustable Platform.zip

(295.84 KiB) Downloaded 332 times

You'll need three of these Traxxis Rod Ends: https://traxxas.com/products/parts/5525

They are the same part used for Mini Kossel arms.

[JFettig]

One of my customers has 3 really expensive SLA machines and one of the earlier projector based printers, the actual SLA machines never print right onto the build plate, they make a support structure 1/8"-1/4" tall then start printing on top of that. Is that an option here?

These are the the ones that have the platform that sinks into a vat, I think one is a 3D Systems Viper.

[mhackney]

Thanks JFettig, that's what the guys on the BuildYourOwnSLA forum said too, design and position the part creatively. Yes, it is an option. This ball I'm printing has integrated support structure and I'm sure that's why it prints so well. The software has some simple "pin cushion" support I'll try. Something new to learn everyday.

The other thing is the "rage" right now is in "flex vats". I've designed a printable flex vat and got the film in yesterday. Apparently it works really well and releases well, lasts a long time and is easy to replace when needed. That's this weekend's project. I already printed the first prototype vat but now that I have it in hand I realize I can reduce the bulk of it and reduce the number of calming screws. o V2 is on the printer, in purple of course.

[vonhellsing]

I don't print yet,

vat_flex.zip

files to print in PLA flex vat

(15.04 KiB) Downloaded 468 times

but its simple solution to flex vat are 2 inners, one inside other and put pet cook film one inner makes presure in other to adjust film

Cheers!

Angelini

[bot]

I want in on this NOW! By that I mean I want to buy and build a droplit... where is the best place to start to learn about the workflow, etc, of DLP resin printing? I'm going to be experimenting with a friends' form 1 soon, but would love a DLP resin unit of my own to supplement it.

[mhackney]

bot, there really is no one place I've found that goes through the workflow. That's why I am trying to document things here. Also, at this point, you have a choice of 1 slicer/controller, although I've read that Prontorface has projector control (I haven't ben able to try it with the pre-built version since it is missing a required module). The documentation that comes with pre-built units is probably a good place to start.

They are surprisingly simple machines now that I've seen it operate. The print time is not dependent on the layer area, only on Z height, since it takes the same amount of time to flash the projector for a tiny dot or the entire platter.