How To Succeed with LayerLock SLA Resin 3D Printing Construct Surfaces

Like FDM 3D printing, making certain a printed half sticks to an SLA machine’s construct plate is important to profitable resin 3D printing. Robust mattress adhesion is very essential when printing with resin on account of a big majority of SLA machines favoring the stereolithography technique of producing a print that’s hanging the wrong way up. Add on the truth that SLA printing includes some suction between the print and a further floor–an FEP movie–and now there’s one other issue that may have an effect on the print’s attachment to the construct plate.

With gravity pulling in your hanging print and the additional pulling drive occurring from an FEP movie (if it is not connected excellent), it is no marvel that customers strongly counsel printing on a construct floor with a texture that the resin can maintain onto. Most, if not all, resin 3D printers include a textured construct platform proper out of the field. Nonetheless, over time, the crevices in that texture naturally get crammed up by resin after a few Liters. It is then beneficial to sand the construct platform to breed a few of that texture.

Understandably, the intestine response to listening to you have to take sandpaper to your machine that prices tons of of {dollars} is not nice. So what’s another choice to protect the integrity of your construct platform whereas nonetheless ensuring these prints follow it? Enter LayerLock SLA Resin 3D Printing Construct Floor–a unbelievable answer to reaching robust mattress adhesion for Laser, DLP, and LCD/MSLA resins. This construct floor is fabricated from phenolic-like materials that gives the mandatory texture that resins can maintain onto. As an alternative of scratching up the construct platform, you possibly can take the sunshine 220g sandpaper supplied with each LayerLock SLA sheet to this LayerLock floor as a substitute, maintaining your construct platform pristine of any sanding. Efficiently produce the attractive intricate components made out of many common supplies similar to Peopoly Phenom Deft, AnyCubic UV Resin, Siraya Tech, MatterHackers’ MH Construct Epoxy-Free Photopolymer Resins, and lots of extra with LayerLock SLA Resin 3D Printing Construct Floor.

Set up for Varied Printers/Strategies

Set up of LayerLock SLA Resin 3D Printing Construct Surfaces is pretty simple, but in addition important for profitable digital fabrication. Take a look at the steps beneath on how one can correctly set up this sheet onto printers just like the AnyCubic Photon, Elegoo Mars Professional 2, Peopoly Phenom L, Creality LD-002H, and extra.

Don’t personal one in all our LayerLock SLA construct surfaces? Take a look at the sizes we’ve got in inventory for numerous resin 3D printers right here.

Step 1 – Verify Placement on LCD Display

• Clear off any mud, resin, and particles which will nonetheless be in your LCD display.
• Earlier than making an attempt to connect the LayerLock SLA sheet onto the construct platform, we suggest you place it in your printer’s LCD display.
  • This ensures you could have the proper dimension on your SLA printer and that the sheet attaches to the proper spot in your construct platform.

Be aware: After attaching the sheet onto the construct plate in Step 4, you’ll discover that the sheet doesn’t cowl the whole construct platform. That is intentional as some resin 3D printers use thick tape to carry the LCD display and somewhat bit of 1 fringe of the construct platform lays over it. This will ceaselessly trigger uneven mattress leveling–a contributor to poor mattress adhesion. Some printers might have extra exaggerated points than others.

By sizing the LayerLock sheet to the LCD display slightly than the construct platform, not solely does this resolve the problem detailed above, it additionally ensures that you’re nonetheless maximizing the whole print space so no print quantity is misplaced.

Step 2 – Sand Construct Sheet Floor

• When you’re happy with placement and compatibility, seize your LayerLock SLA sheet and flippantly and evenly sand the floor that will probably be printed on. It’s the aspect that doesn’t have the tan adhesive liner.
  • Use the 220g 3″ x 3″ piece of sandpaper offered along with your construct sheet.
  • Be aware that it is vital to sand the floor earlier than first-time use. When you print with out sanding it beforehand, it would have an effect on the effectiveness of the adhesion between the sheet and printing materials.
• When you end sanding, use isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel or microfiber material to wipe away the mud accrued on the sheet till clear.

Step 3 – Pull Off the Adhesive Liner

• When you’re happy with placement and compatibility, seize your LayerLock SLA sheet and take away the adhesive liner on the again of it.
  • Keep away from having your fingers contact the now revealed adhesive.
• With the adhesive aspect dealing with up in direction of the construct platform and away from the LCD display, place the LayerLock construct sheet again on the LCD display.
  • Be sure to line up the sting of the SLA sheet in opposition to the perimeters of the tape/LCD display.
• As soon as aligned, proceed to step 3.

Step 4 – Prep Construct Plate

• Be sure your construct platform/construct plate has texture on it. When you do not see or cannot really feel any texture on it, you have to to scuff it up somewhat with sandpaper. If the floor is totally clean, then adhesive is not going to follow it.
• As soon as you’ve got confirmed there’s texture in your construct platform/plate, seize a paper towel and pour some isopropyl alcohol (ideally with an IPA of 90%+) on it.
• Use that paper towel to wipe down the floor of the construct plate you may be attaching your sheet to.
  • LayerLock SLA Construct Surfaces may be connected to construct platforms and versatile spring metal plates.
• Clear the floor till there isn’t a mud, particles, or resin on it.

• Be aware: In case you are attaching a magnetic base in tandem with a LayerLock sheet, observe all the magnetic base’s tips for putting in their system on a machine earlier than making an attempt to calibrate your resin 3D printer with a brand new construct floor.
  • Some machines require a brand new Z cease spacer to be put in earlier than calibrating. Please set up these new spacers as they’ll permit sufficient play to soundly alter your printer’s construct platform.
  • The next printers want a brand new Z cease spacer if putting in a magnetic base system:
    • Photon
    • Photon S
    • Photon Mono X
    • Elegoo Mars 2 / Professional 2
    • Elegoo Saturn
      *Be aware that this checklist contains machines that LayerLock SLA has suitable sizes for obtainable magnetic base methods. When you resolve so as to add a magnetic base system and LayerLock SLA sheet to an incompatible printer or unlisted suitable printer, you have to to find out if a brand new spacer will probably be wanted to account for the extra Z top.
• Reattach the construct platform again onto the resin printer.
• Loosen all leveling screws till the construct platform can freely alter up and down.
• Be sure the LayerLock SLA sheet didn’t transfer from its place throughout this step. If it did, realign the perimeters of the LayerLock sheet consistent with the perimeters of the tape/fringe of the LCD display.

Step 5 – Connect LayerLock SLA Construct Floor

• Once more, if you’re putting in the magnetic base system on the similar time you are putting in a LayerLock construct floor, please be sure to adopted the magnetic base’s directions for set up earlier than continuing additional.
• Together with your LayerLock SLA sheet completely positioned on the LCD Display throughout the tape, transfer your Z to the house place.
  • To maneuver your Z to the house place, observe your particular resin printer’s directions.
  • As your Z strikes to the house place, don’t alter something till it finishes the homing course of.

• As soon as the printer finishes homing, apply gentle stress on the construct platform down towards the LCD display. The quantity of stress you ought to be utilizing needs to be the equal stress you employ to maintain the construct platform leveled in opposition to the LCD display as you tighten the leveling screws.

Step 6 – Verify the Edges Caught to the Plate

• Increase the Z top in your construct platform excessive sufficient to the place you possibly can safely detach it from the printer with out it hitting the LCD display.
• Detach it from the printer.
• To verify your LayerLock SLA sheet maximizes its adhesion to the construct platform, verify all the LayerLock SLA sheet’s edges are flat in opposition to the construct platform/construct plate.
• Use your hand to firmly press the whole construct floor in opposition to the construct platform to additional guarantee every thing is touching in opposition to the construct platform.

Step 7 – Calibrate Z Top / Construct Platform Leveling

• Connect the construct platform again onto your machine.
• Be sure the leveling screws on the construct plate are nonetheless loosened.
• Observe your SLA machine’s regular beneficial calibration directions.
  • Not all resin 3D printers have the identical adjustable Z top or observe the identical steps so we suggest following the producer’s particular required/beneficial tips.
• As soon as you’ve got adopted your printer producer’s directions on leveling and have tightened the leveling screws, proceed to Step 8.

Step 8 – Load Your Take a look at Mannequin

• Select any mannequin you wish to take a look at the mattress adhesion for the primary layer of your take a look at print. We suggest one thing that’s small and fast like this skinny sq. so you possibly can fine-tune your settings and alter your Z top correctly if wanted earlier than leaping to testing a bigger print.

Step 9 – Print and Alter If Crucial

• Print the skinny sq. take a look at print from Step 8. When you’re printing a unique mannequin, guarantee that is both 0.05mm tall or cease your print after it completes its first layer.
  • Once more, earlier than printing, be certain the LayerLock sheet has been sanded. If not, observe Step 2 earlier than printing.
• As soon as the print is accomplished, permit extra resin to drip again into the vat or fastidiously wipe any extra resin from the construct platform again into the vat with a silicone spatula or plastic putty knife.
• With a nitrile glove nonetheless on, gently rub your finger throughout the print.
  • If it requires a scraper and light-moderate drive to take away it from the platform, you are good to go!
  • If the next points come up similar to…
    • The half simply slides off the platform with simply your finger
    • Lifted corners
    • Air pockets beneath the print
  • …then take into account these potential resolutions:
  • Verify you adopted Step 5–sanding the construct sheet and cleansing off the mud ensuing from sanding
  • Guarantee sufficient resin was within the vat to print your take a look at print
    • Not sufficient resin within the vat may cause sometimes trigger air pockets/bubbles
  • If none of those resolutions resolve the problem, resetting the Z=0 top and re-leveling the construct platform could also be wanted. Repeat steps 6 – 8 till the primary layer requires a scraper and light-moderate drive to take away it from the platform.

Be aware: Please be sure to are usually not additionally printing with new resin if that is your first time printing with the newly put in LayerLock SLA Resin 3D Printing Construct Floor. New resin means a brand new variable which may be affecting mattress adhesion. We suggest first confirming mattress adhesion may be achieved with a resin you might be conversant in printing. As soon as that’s confirmed, then print with the brand new resin utilizing ideas from this How To Succeed information on how one can usually fine-tune most photopolymer resins to your SLA printer.

That’s it for set up! Your new construct floor is connected, every thing is correctly calibrated and also you’re now prepared to begin efficiently printing.

Remaining Printing & Upkeep Ideas

• Re-leveling your construct platform is beneficial when fine-tuning printing with a brand new resin.
• The next components outdoors of LayerLock SLA’s management are nonetheless mandatory for mattress adhesion success:
  • Utilizing the proper resin profile settings
  • Ensuring the pigments/dye of the resin haven’t settled to the underside earlier than printing
    • Instance: It is best follow to frequently stir/shake reasonably priced resins earlier than printing so all of the dyes/pigments are distributed evenly. If left settled on the backside, the sunshine is not going to shine by way of which means no profitable curing will happen. Chances are you’ll have to stir the vat of resin once more after a specific amount of hours, relying on the model you’ve got chosen.
  • Having correct drainage holes on prints
  • Guaranteeing your FEP movie is not too loosely or tightly connected to the vat
  • Having a calibrated Z top / leveled construct platform
    • A leveled construct platform may be troublesome to realize if the resin 3D printer has thick tape across the LCD show. With the LCD display beneath the best level of the thick tape, this may trigger an excessive amount of of a spot between the LCD display and FEP sheet.
  • Printing in an atmosphere that’s room temperature (ideally inside 68°F – 77°F)
    • Something decrease than 50°F or increased than 100°F extremely will increase the probabilities for mattress adhesion and curing points.
• Evenly sanding your LayerLock SLA Construct Floor is beneficial for first-time use and both after each 5L of resin printed or each time mattress adhesion is noticeably misplaced.
  • Bear in mind to put on a masks whereas sanding to keep away from inhaling any particles.
• As with different construct surfaces, watch out when utilizing sharp objects to take away prints from the construct floor to keep away from unintentional knicks, scratches, and grooves on the floor.
• Clear the floor with 90%+ IPA isopropyl alcohol after each sanding.
• Wipe the floor and construct platform clear of any resin if switching between materials/colours.
• Keep away from soaking the construct platform with LayerLock SLA connected in any solvent for lengthy durations of time.
  • There is a risk that solvents might erode the adhesive on the again of the LayerLock SLA construct sheet, thus lowering the adhesive’s lifespan.
  • Wiping the floor with a light-weight quantity of IPA is not going to be an issue.

As all the time, MatterHackers has your again.

With this information below your belt, we do not count on you to run into any issues; however in the event you do, please don’t hesitate to contact a MatterHackers Technician at help@matterhackers.com or by cellphone at (949) 613-5838. We’re right here to assist!