14 DAY TRIAL // Filament-based 3D printers, those that use FDM technology (fused deposition modeling), have become quite cheap, but the same can't be said about those using DLP/SLA technology. Or couldn't be said until now.
3D printers that use a system of curing resin tend to have a higher resolution than FDM ones, and, thus, are capable of creating much more detailed and accurate objects.
They also have the advantage of essentially growing the items from a tank of fluid, making support structures unnecessary.
Moreover, Digital Light Processing (resin is exposed to light, “curing” it and rendering it solid) can make more than one item at a time. Or, well, some of them can.
Unfortunately, even the “cheap” DLP / SLA 3D printers (stereolithography) tend to cost several thousand dollars.
Fortunately, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Brad Hill has the way. Otherwise known by his web name of goopyplastic, he is the inventor of LittleDLPer.
Basically, it's an open-source 3D printer that costs under $500 / €500 to put together. Provided that you put it together yourself anyway.
He explains that the initial projector he used in the setup cost $95/ €95 on eBay, but he eventually switched to a $310 / €310.
You don't have to do the same. You can just get the plans and build your own version, though you might have to wait a bit before deciding (until June 28, 2014).
After all, while Brad Hill intends to post a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter, he hasn't done that yet, and he will ship some pre-build LittleDLPers for $1,000 / €1,000.
Even if it's twice the “wonder” price mentioned above, it's still a fourth or third of what DLP printers normally sell for.
Brad Hill ultimately aimed for the same simplicity as RepRap kits without settling for second-rate performance and quality. He's already used a prototype of LittleDLPer to create over 50 different prints from more than one brand of resin, and at different layer heights (as low as 25 microns, which is four times better that what filament-based FDM printers can usually manage).
As for the speed, making 1 mm at a 0.5mm layer height takes around 2 minutes. So a 40mm / 1.57-inch tall item would take 80 minutes to produce. The recommended build volume is of 60 x 40 x 100 mm / 2.36 x 1.57 x 3.93 inches, but can be changed.
“While the design is flexible for different components I will recommend a specific configuration,” Hill told 3D Print.com. “I initially designed the printer as a cheap way to get into investment casting for jewelry. It would also be great for scale model builders. The Form 1 and other higher priced DLP printers are excellent printer choices, however the LittleDLPer will provide comparable print quality, at a fraction of the cost, for those comfortable building the kit.”
