Wiki
Welcome to Denhac’s Resin Printing station!
We currently host the following equipment:
Equipment on loan from member Jason Roy
Additional supplies needed for printing can be found in the cabinet left of the printer:
- Isopropyl Alcohol (gal)
- vinyl gloves
- jars for used alcohol
- large jar funnel
- funnel with filter inserts
- sealing plastic containers for cleaning
- shop towels
- Resin storage
- Removal tools: (for removing prints from build plate)
Notes on Safety
Hazards
!!IMPORTANT!!
Resin printers use Ultraviolet light to cure the resin. The UV light is very strong, and may cause damage if viewed directly.
Make sure the printer is fully closed before beginning prints, and at all times while printing.
Additionally, UV resin is Toxic. The fumes emitted by the resin may be toxic. It is not safe to consume, and not healthy to touch.
DO NOT OPEN PRINTER WHILE PRINT IS IN PROGRESS.
DO NOT TOUCH RESIN WITH YOUR BARE HANDS.
non-latex (vinyl) gloves have been provided. Please use them at all times when working with resins.
Make sure that the ventilation fan is running before beginning work with resins.
Material Handling
Uncured resin in water or alcohol is still toxic. Please do not pour used alcohol or water down the drain.
Resin will solidify under any UV source. Including sunlight!
Waste water/IPA can be put in a clear container and left in the sun for a few hours. The resin can then be filtered out and the IPA re-used.
Resin printing is a messy and hazardous process. Please be courteous to fellow users.
Be sure to clean up after yourself, and keep the space and equipment in good condition for others to use.
Thank you.
Preparation
Check that the fluid vat is is clean on the bottom and empty.
Make sure that the retaining nuts are in place on the sides of the vat.
Check that the build plate is clean, with no resin on top or bottom.
Make sure the screws holding on the plate are tight.
Slicing
The slicing software for this printer is Chitubox.
Chitubox is available for use on the Design station in the fishbowl, or the Mac in the 3d print area.
Starting up Chitubox should present you with an empty build plate
Click the Load button in the upper-left and browse for your file.
Or, simply drag and drop from an Explorer or Finder window.
Your model as loaded may not fit in the build space:
But it can be rotated to fit:
It won’t print like this, though. We’re going to need supports.
Click on the support icon in the top right: 
This can take a moment to load as models are pre-processed.
Once loaded, this panel should appear on the right:
Most prints can accept the defaults here.
Of particular note is the “Z Lift Height(mm)” at the top. All models will be lifted off the build plate by this distance, held by supports.
This is to avoid issues with warping when pulling the model off the plate, but may instead cause warping. YMMV.
Click the +Platform button to auto-generate supports only to the platform, or the +All button to generate internal supports as well.
Your model should now look something like this:
Click back to the main tab, and click Slice:
This then makes the preview available on the right. Slide up and down to preview each exposure layer.
But I’ve made a mistake here. Can you spot it?
This prints a LOT of supports, all the way across the build plate.
On a standard printer, supports are risky, since they have to hold the whole print up.
But remember, our build plate is on the TOP. Our view is upside-down.
Prints _hang_ from the build plate. This makes vertical prints more practical (in theory).
et voila:
This uses MUCH less resin. Print time is longer, though, and with more layers, there are more chances for failure.
YMMV.
Finally, click Save. Choose a filename and location on the local PC to save.
We’ll upload in the next step, through the web interface. (sadly the Transform is not supported by Chitubox’s “Network Sending”)
A quick note on Resins:
You may have noticed that the slicing section did not cover resin / exposure settings. This was not an oversight.
While Chitubox does handle resin profiles, this information is not used by the printer.
Instead, resin profiles are defined on the printer directly. This will be covered in the Resin section.
Uploading
Files are uploaded through the web interface.
It can be reached at:
http://10.11.4.162/ or http://transform.inside.denhac.org/
From the main page, click on Plates in the upper right.
Click on Select File, then find and select the file you saved in the previous step.
Then, click Upload File
Once the upload is complete, your file will appear in the list below:
But don’t click print yet! We still have to set up our Resin.
Resin
Resin print settings can and do vary widely between different resins. Identifying the correct resin settings is beyond the scope of this document.
A separate page will be created to cover how to dial in resin profiles, and discuss and document known-working profiles.
For a start, here is a reference for a few known types:
Phrozen resin time reference:
https://www.fepshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Phrozen-Resin-Profiles-12-2020.pdf
As a rule, slower is more reliable.
Once you have found the desired settings for your specific resin, you’ll need to add a profile for it.
Resin profiles are defined on the printer directly. This is done through the web interface.
Click on the Profile tab on the upper-right to go to the Profile page:
To add a new profile, fill out the values in the first row, then click ADD.
Existing profiles may also be modified here.
If you want to modify a profile you did not create, PLEASE create a copy. Do not mess with others’ settings; you may cause failed prints, wasted materials, and many tears. Thank you.
Ready to print yet? Almost there!
Printing
Prints may be started from either the front panel, or through the web interface.
Either way you choose to initiate the process, make sure the printer is ready.
Follow the Preparation steps, making sure the printer is clean and ready.
Into a clean vat, pour enough resin to completely cover the bottom.
Add to that enough resin to print your model completely, including the supports. A volume estimate is shown in the Save screen in Chitubox.
Then add a little bit more for safety.
DO NOT OVERFILL The build plate still needs to descend into the liquid. Leave at least 1/4″ for the resin to displace.
Close the front doors fully:
From the front panel:
Tap Plates on the upper-left. Locate your filename and tap to select
+ and – to preview the layers. The O button will select the Resin Profile.
Make sure the correct Profile has been selected, then tap the Check button.
Tap the Check again to confirm. The status screen will show an estimate of print time. (not reliable)
And now we’re waiting…
From Web Interface:
The Plates tab shows all files currently uploaded.
Find your file on the list:
To change the resin profile, select it from the drop-down, then click Update.
Once the correct profile is select, click print.
This might take a while….
Post Processing
This is where the path really diverges from FDM printers. Resin parts, once printed, must be cleaned and cured.
Removing from Build Plate
Your print will be adhered to the build plate. Some effort is needed to remove it.
Tools have been provided to help pry the print off the plate.
Loosen the holding screws on top of the build plate, far enough to fit the drain wedge.
This allows excess resin on the build plate to drain into the vat. Let it sit for a few minutes to drain.
Once drained, remove the build plate and place it face-up on a work mat.
With the provided tools, pry the model from the build plate. Take care not to touch the model with bare hands. Leave on any supports for now.
Cleaning
Fresh resin prints will have excess uncured resin coating them. For best surface quality, this should be removed.
The ultrasonic cleaning station is used for this process. Isopropyl Alcohol 99% (IPA) is the best option for this case.
Small parts may be placed in the provided containers for cleaning.
Place parts in container
Fill with IPA over parts
Seal container with provided top
Place sealed container in ultrasonic bath.
Run Full-Wave mode for 5-50 minutes.
Alcohol used for cleaning can be filtered and re-used.
Save any used alcohol in the provided mason jars. The large funnel makes this easier.
Larger parts may require a larger supply of alcohol currently available. The cleaner holds just short of 8 gallons.
Bulk IPA on Amazon
Some resin is sold as “Water Washable”. Reports so far indicate that this is optimistic. IPA is still required.
Once satisfied that all excess resin has been removed, move the part to the Curing station.
Curing
Place item in the curing station, centered on the turntable.
Close door, press power.
Adjust to desired exposure time, then press power again to start.
Exposure time depends on the part, and the resin used. Longer exposures ensure more complete curing. 5-10 minutes is a good start.
Cleanup
Once printing is complete, the printer will need to be fully cleaned.
Empty the vat, pouring any excess resin back into the container.
The filtered funnel may be used to filter out any cured resin for disposal.
The funnel can be cleaned with used IPA from a mason jar.
Clean the empty vat fully with IPA, making sure no resin is left on the FEP film or the drain channel
.
Scrape off the build plate, the wipe off remaining resin with IPA.
Make sure to clean top of plate and inside coupling above.
Return build plate to its mount and tighten the screws.
Clean up any excess resin that dripped on the printer or workspace. Wipe down any such area with IPA.
Finally, wipe down all tools used. Please make sure that the Printer is ready for the next user. It might be you!
Used Alcohol, or water used for cleaning, can be filtered by putting it in a clear container in sunlight for a few hours.
Sunlight will cure any remaining resin, allowing it to be filtered and reused safely.
How to dial in any resin:
https://helpcenter.phrozen3d.com/hc/en-us/articles/6324821843993-How-to-dial-in-any-resin
3dmaterials superfast clear:
https://www.3dmaterials.com/sub/resins.php?ptype=view&prdcode=2109170001&catcode=10000000&page=1&catcode=10000000&searchopt=&searchkey=