4K LCD 3D printer

When Gutenberg invented the world’s first-ever printing press, the ability to enjoy printing was only available for a few people. The private printing facility was relatively inaccessible until the introduction of the typewriter. The same thing goes for 3D printing.

Once the bastion of scientific universities, architectural firms, and art houses, LCD 3D printing or transparent 3d printing have changed the printing processes with a 4k LCD 3d printer for the hobbyist and professionals.

The introduction of LCD 3D printers has brought a great revolution that has allowed students to manufacture their dreams in unique 3D models or objects.

The global manufacturing industries are now building robust 3D prototypes utilizing state-of-the-art equipment. Such printers have enabled them to enjoy rapid prototyping. They design the product with a CAD-Computer Aided Design software and produce the final products using a tough resin 3d printer.

The introduction of a rough resin material that can easily withstand a higher-level of pressure has dramatically advanced it. On the other hand, the introduction of thermoplastics and the development of efficient and smaller machinery having faster printing speed have enabled 4K 3D printers to move out from the factory to the office desktops.

These printers utilize resin or filament to produce a high level of detail and super smooth surfaces. You can find them in jewelry workshops, clinics, and dental labs. However, with time their popularity also increasing among makes and hobbyists.

The way a 4k resin 3d printer works depends on the printing technology, for example, SLA- Stereolithography, DLP- Digital Light Processing, FDM- Fused Deposition Modeling, or LCD (an LCD screen is used to mask the projected light).

The work process of LCD 3D printers is the same. However, they may require different post-processing steps, for example, post-curing or resin removal. These 3D printers are computer-controlled devices. Using this, different types of objects can be designed and defined within the software, and you can give them a three-dimensional shape from polymers and plastic materials.

A 4k resin printer is designed to facilitate flexible and rapid production of models, spare parts, prototypes, and other items covering the industrial, commercial, and domestic spheres. The available range of 3D models can range from robust or tough designs for factory use to small and affordable models for home use.

So, if you have not tried out this fantastic machine yet, it is the right time to go for it. With this, you can give your production or 3D printing business a perfect boost. However, when choosing the best new resin 3d printer, you may face some challenges. So, how to buy the best one based on your requirements? This is where this buying guide will help you out. This comprehensive guide will get all the information to select the best budget resin 3D printer with LCD technology. Let’s get started with it.

Before understanding an LCD 3D printer, it will be better for you to know about 3D printing. This is called additive manufacturing, where different physical objects are produced utilizing materials in layers based on your digital models. The process requires hardware, software, and different printing materials to get the job done.

This printing can be utilized to craft anything from the high-end technical final product, simple parts to prototypes. Some examples are life-saving medical implants, airplane parts, eco-friendly buildings, artificial organs, and more.

In the world of 3D printing, you might have come across the word DLP-Digital Light Processing printing technology. This printing technology utilizes a digital light projector to cure resin material and produce highly-accurate 3D models. Such a process doesn’t use the laser light that you will find with SLA- Stereolithography. In a DLP printer- the light is projected by the DMD- Digital Micromirror Device.

The LCD 3d printer 4k just works like DLP 3D printers. In such a printer. Here the machine produces UV lights that generate from LEDs and projected onto the LCD panel. The LCD screen works like a mask, and it only shows the pixels required for the printing. When it comes to getting high-resolution 3D models, you can always trust a 4K LCD 3D printer. Now let’s have a look at some benefits of 3D printers.

Advantages of 3D printers

1. One of the significant advantages of 3D printers is rapid prototyping. You will be able to design, produce, and test different customized parts quickly.
2. The cost related to 3D printers and 3D printing is very cost-effective. If you want to produce a prototype within a few days, 3D printing will be a cost-effective technique.
3. Another most significant advantage is you can 3D print almost anything. Just feed the design into the slicer software, add required supports, and the printer will carry out the task.
4. With this, you will be able to conduct a physical demonstration of new products to investors and customers.
5. The machines are designed to produce robust heat dissipation.
6. They don’t require any type of leveling. The level of precision is right, and the details will come out quite accurately.
7. Made of advanced technology, the power supply during the printing process will remain stable.
8. As they offer a higher quality and consistency level, a 3D printer will let your business mitigate the risk involved in your manufacturing process.

The significant advantages of a 4K LCD 3D printer or the best affordable resin printer are realized in its cost benefits, speed, and flexibility. So, don’t think much and get one now for your business.

1.1, What does LCD mean and where does it come from?

LCD- Liquid Crystal Display is a flat panel display technology widely used in monitors, TVs, laptops, smartphones, and other electrical products. Speaking more about it, these were a significant lead in terms of the types of technology they replace, including LED- Light-Emitting Diode along with gas-plasma displays. LCD technology allows the displays to be relatively thinner than CRT- Cathode Ray Tube technology.

Such display panels utilize less power than LED as they work on the principle of blocking light. They don’t emit the lights. An LED panel emits light, but LCD’s liquid crystals produce the images by utilizing a backlight. Even though LCDs are gradually replacing outdated display technologies, they have replaced other advanced display technologies, such as OLEDs.

Have a look at the history of Liquid Crystal Displays

As per the report, the Liquid Crystals were first invented in 1888 by Friedrich Reinitizer, an Austrian botanist and chemist. He discovered them in cholesterol extracted from carrots.

Later in 1962, RCA, Richard Williams developed stripe patterns in a thin layer of liquid crystal material using voltage. That effect was based on the electrohydrodynamic instability, which is now known as “Williams Domains.”

According to different papers, between 1964 to 1968, a team of scientists and engineers at the RCA David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, New Jersey, led by George Heilmeier, Louis Zanoni, and Lucian Barton, developed a method to control the light reflected from the liquid crystals. That way, they successfully demonstrated the first-ever liquid crystal display.

The LCDs of Heilmeier utilized crystal display that he named DSM-Dynamic Scattering Method. In this, an electric charge is sent that rearranges the molecules to scatter the light.

However, the DSM technology not appropriately worked and consumed more power. Later, the DSM design was replaced by a better version that utilized liquid crystal’s twisted nematic field effect. It was discovered in 1969 by James Fergason.

It may be noted that James Fergason, a well-known inventor holds some crucial patents related to Liquid Crystal Displays that are filed during the 1970s, including a patent for “Display Device Utilizing Liquid Crystal Light Modulation.”

The ILIXCO- International Liquid Crystal Company, in 1972, manufactured the world’s first modern LCD watch based on the patent of James Fergason.

Different types of LCDs

1. TN- Twisted Nematic- These LCDs are inexpensive but offer high response times. On the other hand, these displays produce low contrast ratios, viewing angles, and low color contrasts.
2. IPS- In Panel Switching- These displays offer better contrast ratios, color contrast, and better viewing angles compared to TN LCDs.
3. VA panels- Vertical Alignment panels-Such panels come between IPS and TN display and offer medium-level features.
4. AFFS-Advanced Fringe Field Switching- This is a top performer compared to the IPS displays in color reproduction.

Such displays have brought a great revolution in the display industry, and all most all the products use LCDs. The best resin printer also comes with LCDs. Now, let’s have a look at how LCD 3D printers work?

1.2, How does an LCD 3D printer work?

Before exploring this, let’s know about the history of 3D printing. This is also known as Additive Manufacturing. A French engineer team made the first attempt, but the project was abandoned due to a lack of business opportunities. During the 1990s, significant technologies were developed, for example, FDM- Fused Deposition Modeling technology. This made 3D printing much faster and gave it new hope. Now, let’s talk about how the best resin 3d printer works?

In simple words, the best resin for 3d printer is a computer-operated fabrication device. Different design types and objects can be crafted in 3D format within a printing device from various plastics and polymers. Here the objects are developed through the rapid addition of layers of materials, and each layer covers the previous layer. The printing material, such as resin, is applied through the extruder. When heat is applied, it becomes soft, and when they have cooled, they become solid.

Designs planned for printing are generally created in 3D printing software, for example, CAD- Computer-Aided Design and AMI- Amazon Machine Image files. These define the object’s dimensions to be created. Before printing, the AMI and CAD files describing the 3D objects need to be converted into a programming language that the printer can read. Such conversion can be done by a software called “Slicer.”

The process

The printing process with a 4k LCD 3d printer starts with your designs or images. It starts as a 2D design and then structured as a 3D design using some software, or you can use a 3D scanner for this. When the design is digitally mastered, it is sent to the printer through Ethernet, USB, or wirelessly.

The design is carefully sliced in the modeling program into different thin layers that correspond to the cross-section of the 3D model. These are the guide of the 3D printer and decide how many layers are required to print.

The printing process begins after the 3D printer reads the digital design files and releases a flexible material, like resin, through the heated nozzle or extruder, creating hot beads that will melt onto a flat plate cooled; the material will get harden.

The nozzle is attached to a powerful mechanical motor, creating the 3D model in layers by layers, horizontally, side to side, and front to back.

Once done, the model is removed from the build platform and sent for post-processing to remove excess parts. Under this process, you may need to follow some steps, like UV-Curving, washing, sanding, support removal, and more.

Using 3D printers, you will not take much time for rapid prototyping. With time the machines are getting very powerful. For example, you can consider the LCD and FDM 3D printers of Dreambot3D, such as ME-192, ME-345, DB-293, L5-300, L5-400, L8-500, and more. Such machines can use different printing materials, such as PLA, TPU, 95A, wood PLA, nylon, PETG, ABS, metal filler, and more.

1.3, LCD vs. DLP vs. SLA: All you need to know

The scenario of 3D printing has to get a little confusing with the introduction of LCD printing technology. Previously the term was very clear as at that time 3D printers were using DLP and SLA technology. However, the primary question is, what is DLP, SLA, and LCD 3D printers? Why are they different from each other?

In terms of 3D printing, most people know that 3D printers use the SLA molding technique, a photo curing technique. But what about the DLP and LCD? Let’s know about them in datils.

About the SLA technology

SLA 3D printing or Stereolithography is one of the widely used and extensive strategies for additive manufacturing. This technology is worked using laser light to solidify liquid resin stored in a tank to produce the desired 3D models. In general, this printing process converts photosensitive fluid into 3D concrete forms in a layer-by-layer production process utilizing a laser along with a photo polymerization. After forming the resin prototype, it is treated and then polished, repainted, and tinted to get the desired product.

About the DLP technology

Texas Instruments introduce DLP-Digital Light Processing, and first, it was applied on projectors to get higher efficiency, better speed, and accurate spital light modulation. Here, a digital projector projects a single image of the layer. It uses UV light to cure the resin. However, some commercial DLP machines don’t use pure UV, and instead that they use resins or UV photopolymers. The best thing about a DLP 3D printer is it can offer a better accuracy level than an SLA printer.

About LCD technology

It is also called MSLA – Masked Stereolithography, as the LCD screen will work as a mask to block the UV light sources. LCDs are made of tiny pixels that being inactive and active. It is a red and blue color fluid crystal panel, which is transferred with lens magnification. The light source in the machine is UHP.

LCD and DLP technologies are faster than SLA as they can effectively project one top layer simultaneously. No matter how complex and significant the object is, its z resolutions and height will significantly affect the printing time. The resolution on the XY axis much depends on the pixel size of the LCD screen. If the screen resolution is high, you will get a higher XY resolution of the 3D model.

Some advantages and limitations of SLA

1. SLA printers can create parts having very high dimensional accuracy, and the level of detail will be quite useful.
2. You will get 3D models with a smooth surface. So, for a good-looking visual prototype, you can go for such a printing process.
3. This can be used for specialty SLA materials, for example, castable, transparent and flexible resins.
4. It may be noted that SLA parts are brittle, and you cannot use them to produce functional 3D models.
5. If the model is exposed to sunlight, it will lose its natural visual appearance and mechanical properties.

DLP vs. LCD printing quality

When compared to SLA printing, the advantage that both LCD and DLP share is construct rate. It is a fact that the whole layer is blinked at the same time, instead of a single factor. So, they can create 3D models quiet faster than SLA. Both these printers are used in the design, jewelry, oral, and fashion industry. The DLP and LCD printers can accomplish a fast print rate while offering great details, but in terms of price, the DLP 3D printers start to outdo their LCD counterparts.

As per the experts, if you are professional and looking for a device that can offer more important details with a faster printing rate, you should go for specialist DLP printers. However, if you are using 3D printers for the first time and are a beginner, then a cheap resin 3d printer with LCD technology will work great for you. Keep this thing in mind while buying one.

When it comes to getting a robust 3D printer with advanced features under your budget, you can always trust the brand Dreambot3D. The company has introduced some top-class products like ME-192, ME-215, DB-550, L5-400, DB-293, and more. With these printers, you don’t have to worry about the printing materials as they support all types of 3D printing materials.