When selecting 3D printing technology, SLA (stereolithography) 3D printing is the preferred technology if limited consideration is given to the details and surface smoothness of printed parts. So why is SLA not the most popular 3D printing technology? On the one hand, the price of the equipment is relatively high, and on the other hand, the photosensitive resin liquid material used is not handled well. If a company improves the resin loading system, its price will rise sharply. On December 13, 2018, the Antarctic bear learned from foreign media that Kick starter’s new all-metal SLA 3D printer is being crowd funded and fully functional.
It has an XY resolution of 50 microns and a Z resolution of 10 microns. It can print 60 cubic millimeters per hour in a 130x73x150mm build room. Its all-metal body includes dual Z-axis guides for increased stiffness and accuracy, and its light source is a 405nm 28-LED 1080p screen. In addition, Paladin is able to automatically level and auto fill the resin, although these features are only available for the $359 upgrade, which is still a bargain.
From experience that filling and storing photocurable resin is an annoying process, which is the main reason why I stopped using old SLA machines without these automatic feeding functions. These resins are usually corrosive and usually taste. For this reason, the Paladin is equipped with an air filter to minimize the unpleasant smell of the resin. SLA 3D printers with these features typically cost thousands of dollars instead of hundreds of dollars.
Four resins are available, including standard, durable, cast and flexible, while Paladin can also be used with third-party resins. The print quality level is as good as any other SLA 3D printer, but the price is only a small part of the competition.
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