Best SLA / DLP 3D printers on the market in 2016

    Hello!



    If you are planning to purchase a high-resolution stereolithographic (SLA) 3D printer, we will help you with our list of the BEST available 3D printers that use photopolymers for printing in 2016!

    But first, a small introduction.

    How do DLP / SLA 3D printers work at all?

    Photopolymers are used as consumables for SLA printing. Under the influence of light, these liquid substances become solid.



    There are two ways to start the photopolymerization reaction. The first method is to use a laser to “draw” layers of an object and is called stereo lithography (SLA).

    The second way is to design the whole part of the object using a digital projector, exactly the same as that used when watching movies. This process is called digital light processing (DLP).



    Each of these technologies has its advantages and disadvantages.

    In our list, we consider 3D printers worth about $ 5000-10000, which means we left aside expensive professional 3D printers from companies such as EnvisionTEC, DWS, Prodways and others.

    In the lower limit of the price range, we did not include in the list the DIY SLA 3D printer kits or SLA 3D printers that come with external projectors.

    Formlabs Form 2



    In the wake of the success of the Form 1+ printer, the Formlabs team has set itself a more difficult task. After all, they single-handedly sold more SLA 3D printers than anyone else in the industry’s history. The company has gone beyond the familiar with Form 2, a new, easy-to-use SLA 3D printer with plug-and-play technology.

    Compared to its predecessor, the Form 2 work platform is much larger: 145 x 145 x 175 mm with a resolution between 25 and 200 microns.

    Faster, plus wireless connectivity. However, the main innovation was the cartridge system, thanks to which the process of replacing materials has become faster and safer (cartridges also have an “open mode” that allows you to work with third-party materials). Just keep in mind that composites containers are considered consumables and you will need to replace them periodically.

    Amazingly, the cost of Form 2 does not differ from the price of its predecessor, despite the fact that Form 1+ fell even further in price.

    Currently, the official Form 2 waiting period is about 10 weeks, but in fact it has been increased by another + 2-3 weeks due to the enormous popularity of this 3d printer.

    Recommended price in Russia: € 5,500

    Buy SLA 3D printer Formlabs Form 2

    DWSLab Xfab



    Xfab was first announced almost two years ago.

    Yes, it is not as affordable as Form 2. However, the price is fully offset by the high quality SLA 3D printers from Digital Wax Systems. A company from northern Italy boasts top-notch machines for the jewelry and dental industries, starting at € 10,000.

    The Xfab printer was released at a low price due to the company's desire to distribute this technology and make it as affordable as possible. The dimensions of the cylindrical inverted Xfab print area are 180 mm in height and 180 mm in diameter. For printing, 10 high-quality DWS materials are suitable, including nanoceramics, rubber-like, injection-molded and transparent composites, all in convenient containers.

    Recommended price in Russia: about € 8,000.

    Buy SLA 3D printer DWSLab Xfab

    Autodesk Ember



    The Ember project is considered the first step by Autodesk, a software company, in the hardware market.

    Although the decision to create and sell a publicly available DLP 3D printer did not excite large DLP manufacturers, this project showed how important 3D printing is for market leaders in the field of software.

    Ember effectively leverages the entire ecosystem for online, connected and multi-position 3D printing, and also supports a fund called Spark, which funds all 3D printing companies that contribute to what Autodesk calls the “future of making” things ”). The fund brings together HP and 3D Hubs, as well as exciting projects like Carbon3D and Voxel8.

    Recommended price in Russia: about $ 9,000

    Buy DLP 3D printer Autodesk Ember

    Formlabs Form 1+



    Created by graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Form1 + is probably the coolest desktop SLA 3D printer in terms of external parameters. You probably noticed him in a recent film from Marvel Studios Ant-Man.

    The previous Form 1 was the first low-cost SLA 3D printer to hit the market in 2012. The subsequent modification, Form 1+, was released in 2014 and today remains the best-selling 3D printer in its class.

    With the cessation of production of Form 1, Form 1+has become the true standard for Formlabs printers. Both printers have stereolithographic technology, and to date, no company has been able to offer a comparable product at a similar price. The operation of the printer is independent of the projector (a laser is used instead), which, in turn, means independence of image resolution and the ability to create larger objects while maintaining high resolution (up to 125 x 125 x 165 mm).

    Sold with four different types of composite materials, including injection molding and the new Tough Resin.

    There are no queues for this printer and you can get it pretty quickly.

    By the way, we examined in detail his predecessor in our review on that day.

    Recommended price in Russia: 4,500 €

    Buy SLA 3D printer Formlabs Form 1+

    XYZ Printing Nobel 1.0



    Taiwanese company XYZ Printing is one of the companies that take the consumer market seriously, supplying unimaginably cheap products of acceptable quality. This explains the extremely low cost of this SLA printer.

    With Nobel 1.0, it offers an SLA 3D printer with a work surface of 128 x 128 x 200 mm and a layer resolution of up to 25 microns at half price Form1 +.

    Thanks to the USB slot and automatic material loading mechanism, this product promises to become a stand-alone printer with an almost unlimited plug and play technology.

    Recommended price in Russia: 199 990 rubles

    Buy SLA 3D printer XYZ Printing Nobel 1.0

    B9 CreatoR v1.2



    Creator was one of the very first 3D printers to cost less than $ 5,000 with DLP 3D printing technology, which means that projector light is used instead of laser to solidify photopolymer material.

    It has a rather small work surface of 57 x 32 x 203 mm, however, the materials with which it works are supplied in different colors and with different mechanical properties. The price of materials ranges from $ 100 to $ 200.

    A DLP 3D printer is also included, reducing its cost to $ 3,490. The printer won the hearts of its users, who cannot but rejoice at its reliability and quality.

    Recommended price in Russia: 375,000 rubles

    Buy DLP 3D printer B9 CreatoR

    Russian DLP



    In mid-2014, 3DSLA completed the development of the high-precision professional Russian DLP 3D printer, which is focused on training, hobbies and 3D printing enthusiasts.

    Russian DLP has a working surface of 96 x 54 x 180 mm (optional 144 x 81 x 180 mm), and its maximum resolution of 45 microns along the X and Y axes looks very solid. For printing, it is possible to use Starlight branded materials that have orange (Orange Fluor Standard 8500 rub. / 1l) and red, black colors (Oh, all 7000 rub. / 1l).

    The printer definitely deserves attention, being one of the cheapest models in its class and providing print quality of 20 microns that is not inferior to competitors.

    A more detailed review of Russian DLP from Top 3D Shop.

    Recommended price in Russia: 349,900 rubles
    Buy a Russian DLP 3D printer


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