3D printing using DLP Projectors

Published on 19 Mar 2021. Written by Koustubh Prem

3D printing or rapid prototyping method that has been traditionally used till this point have been very effective but the industry has been rapid just for name sake, to dissolve this problem DLP technology is introducedwhich can be used to print the same quality of print 4-6 times faster compared to standard printing techniques, in this type of printing the instead of a laser running over the photosensitive resin one after another it projects the whole layer at the same time only due to which the print type decreases.

DLP can achieve faster print times because each layer is exposed to light at the same time, rather than traced with a laser line by line. This fast print time is applicable in two cases. For large fully dense prints in which the print fills up the whole bed, each layer is printed faster compared to be traced line by line in SLA's. For very small prints which are finely detailed prints, it is possible to change the lenses according to the area of the build, and use a small area of lights small layers. As the light spreads out at corners we can't expect the DLP to print all multiple models of the same object with high accuracy at the same time but we can achieve this SLA printer. DLP projector print quality depends on the projectors. For example, full HD is 1080p which will give very precise and fast printing of any model in a wide range of bed area but same accuracy and speed can't be achieved by 480p resolution printer. The projectors in DLP should focus on image size we are going to print and quality of image.

Project Requirements:

DLP Projector: will be used to project light on photosensitive resin to cure it till it solidifies.
Arduino Uno R3: R3 board is one of the best compatible board with Stepper motors and is widely used for projects related to CNC.
CNC Shield: it acts like power and command distributor to provide power to all motors efficiently.
Aluminum Extrusion Frames: Frames will be required for bed supports and for Z axis motion.
Lead Screws: Lead Screw will be required for movement of the bed in Z direction.
Mirror: will be used to reflect the beam of light on the base plate from DLP projector.

Project Implementation:

Following are the steps to complete this project

Design the frame structure for the DLP based 3D printer.
Place all motors in place and test for smooth operation.
Download the specific firmware for DLP printer it will be available on GitHub.
Upload the firmware file in Arduino board.
Set the movement in terms of Steps/mm for the machine and check the current voltage for stepper motor driver.
Test run the machines and try to remove vibrations and make it print at higher speeds.

Software requirements:

Slicer: software used for slicing the model into Layers.

Kit required to develop 3D printing using DLP Projectors:

Arduino

Technologies you will learn by working on 3D printing using DLP Projectors:

3D printing using DLP Projectors

Project Requirements:

Project Implementation:

Software requirements:

Any Questions?

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