UV curing photopolymer for rapid prototyping

I've read through the many discussions on UV curing resins and it seems like this is an adventurous group that likes to experiment.

My question is quite simple. We own a Envisiontec Ultra (similar to the Perfactory, discussed in some threads here) and we are looking for alternate sources for the photo polymer, the cheapest of which costs $285/kg. Wondering if anyone here has experience working with other photopolymers compatible with the envisiontec machines and where they source them.

The material we use now is this one (SI500):

[www.envisiontec.de]

Thanks for any input on this.

TJ
Re: Photo Reactive Resin
May 19, 2011 12:46PM

You guys , Please heck out our webside about our rapid prototype printer

here

There is lots and lots of info resins,eletronics,aluminum etc everything you need to build a DIY printer.
TJ SNYMAN
Rapid prototype printing development

[sureko.pl]

jdoggy72 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> we are looking for
> alternate sources for the photo polymer, the
> cheapest of which costs $285/kg.

They charge $285/kg since they can get it. Similar to $3K/L for aqueous inkjet ink when sold in 30mL plastic cartridges. The cost of raw polymers are <$20/kg in volume. But then you need the formulation expertise, other additives, high shear mixers or other specialized blending equipment, etc etc.

Dom. Romane Conti sells for $1500/750mL yet it's mostly made of water, grape juice and yeast. But there is a reason they ask that price. If you want to buy photopolymer by the drum let me know.

I am interested in buying photopolymer by the drum. Who would you suggest I contact?

A good service must be worth of its price. Could you image a quality rapid prototype service only cost your half pirce? Seeing is believing. Latest technologies ,unparalleled skill and best service, will help you have a good rapid prototyping. I recommand you to have a view on [www.rapidprototyping-china.com]

Hi Jdoggy72

Did you find some "copy"-material...

You see I got my own Envisiontec Ultra but it is too expensive to run... because of the resins... I can earn a cent...

Let me know if you found something ....

Tanks and best regards Kaare Knudsen

Mail: kaaredination@mail.dk

@jdoggy72, Kaare et al.
I am in the process of testing my own formulated resins on real DIY DLP printer setups.
Contact me if you are interested in samples (as long as I have test resin available).
If these tests go well (prospects look very encouraging), I will look into providing my resins commercially at a reasonable price, if it makes economic sense.
If I can't provide at good prices it would make little sense competing with the established providers though.

Spota: I am very interested and have some very good ideas commercially in terms of your product as well.

Email me at jaeson@d3.cc and then we can discuss further.

Best,
Jaeson

Hi Fernando,

do you have resins reacting with 445nm?

I have diodelasers with this wavelength focussed on a spot of maybe 0.05mm diameter.

The optical power is between 0.3 and 1 Watt CW maximal, but with short pulses or PWM i can apply any lower energy too.

***
Really interesting could be cheap heat curing resins, that will settle without changing volume.

With IR-diodelaser i'll have spot diameters of 0.1mm or bigger with max. powers of 5, 9 or 25 Watts ... or a spot diameter down to 0.01mm with a 50Watt-fiber-laser.

Would be a nice option when fixing a laserhead beside the extruder

---

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Hello Viktor!

If you take a look here [3dprinter.wikidot.com] you will see that I used Photoinitiators that work in diverse visible light ranges. I have a sample of H-Nu470 available that could be tested against blue laser setups.
In the tests with H-Nu470 I have conducted so far I found this PI to be quite intensity hungry the higher you get in your wavelength, the best results being achieved in the near UV/violet-blue range. It seems that you have quite a powerful device though and it may be worth a try. If you want you can contact me and we can work out the details of sending a sample.

As for heat-reacting resins, I have toyed with those quite a while ago (I posted some info on it in this forum somewhere...) and it's been quite a bumpy ride. The resins I tested were somewhat unstable when primed and hard to systematise. In my view, heat seems to be a difficult trigger to focus and control for localised curing processes. But somebody with more expertise than me in this speciality field may have a different view.

Hi Fernando,

... this "H-Nu-470"-formula seems to be the perfect candidate for 445nm-diodes.

I have a 405nm blu-ray-diode with 200mW max. power, but here the absorbance is below 0.5 ... with 445nm, 1W max. power and and absorbance of 0.7 to 0.8 this should be the ideal light source!

It could even be possible to use a widened parallel beam and a DLP-beamer or a scanner system for high-speed curing.

I have some of your old formula with the powder component, that won't solve - do you think it's usable after over two years storage time?

My main problem is lack of free time and the sheer count of interesting projects delaying on my desk

If you need help with the diodes - i can send you a set ... but it will take some time (around Christmas/New Year) until i'll have the possibilities to assemble it ...

---

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Ughh, had forgotten about that one! It was UV curable Polyester resin right? That's all quite old fashioned and a rather non-functional solution compared to what I am using now. I am working with very reactive acrylic systems and better Photoinitiators that allow us to work in the visible spectrum and with a lot less irradiance power.

I would have to send you these new resin systems. But if you have no time to test it now, better wait until I have finished the current tests with the many users that already have working setups. Requests are piling up and I will try and satisfy most of them, but I have to be sure that tests will be conducted and results are flowing back to me in a reasonable time-frame.

Have a look at this guy: [www.instructables.com]
He's doing something similar to what you are intending?

You always were a busy bee, I know. Too many interesting things to do and so little time, space and resources!

... it's even worser than you can image

A friend got two old Stereolitho-printers (initial prices around 600000 Deutschmarks twenty years ago) for free and is willing to give me one of them.

The original applied UV-lasers (around 30mW power?) are outdated and won't bring enough power even when refilled.

So we thought replacing the lasers but use the mechanics and drivers.

My idea was to apply my 50Watt fiber-laser and replace the UV-curing resin with powder, that the laser will solidify in the spot.

My friend is interested in one of the 445nm-diodelasers and photo-initiated or -cured resins, so your formula would be really interesting for him.

I'll transport the printer to my basement in the next weeks, so i can work on reactivating/modifying it over Christmas ...

---

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Well then I think you or your college should definitely give my resins a try!
I am currently making a list of resins that I have to send out to people.
None of my current contacts is going to use the setup you mention with 445nm and I am very interested in being able to get some results on that.

So, should I get you 50g of several candidates with different cure speeds to see which one works best?

... my friend is interested too, so we'll accept your probes

---

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

spota,
I guess [3dprinter.wikidot.com] is the best place to keep track of the progress?
MikeJ

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2012 09:42AM by B9Creations.

@B9Creations

Yes, that would be the place where I post my results. I am currently quite busy preparing samples to send out and coordinating providers and materials, evaluating the resin feasibility. This is why lately I have not posted much new stuff in the wiki.

I am also participating in a diy email list which discusses details of 3D printing in general.
But I always keep an eye on what's being posted in the Polymer Working Group here at RepRap, as I know many people are posting here.

What is your setup?

@spota,
I have an off the shelf viewsonic DLP projector with adjustable rigging.
( Similar to [nano-cemms.illinois.edu] )
I like to first select a resin after evaluating the properties/safety/cost trade space, then work on the printer mechanism.
MikeJ

Interesting. You plan on leaving the projector unmodified?
The higher the irradiance (watts/area), the faster your setup can cure the same resin.
Or in other words, at a constant cure interval, the less reactive the resin needs to be.

There is no simple relation between ANSI Lumens and irradiance, but if you tell me the Lumens your machine produces I could make an educated guess at what resin would be best for you.

Most of us on this project seem to be ready to modify our optics to achieve a smaller build area, with greater watt/area values. It is a compromise between speed and potential object size.

2300 lumens, 2000:1 contrast ratio. Probably not the best but one I happened to already have.
I certainly expect to modify the projector/lens, etc.
I'd much rather spend more on the final machine if there's a significant "sweet spot" in the resin trades that result in lower material costs.

Well, your setup is a little more powerful than mine, so several of the resins I test should be fine for you.
You may go a little more intense but it is not really necessary.

I have been reading the diy_3d_printing_and_fabrication Yahoo group all day...(only up to May, 1500 more messages to go).
Just came across this one, it's all starting to make sense to me now! :-) (BTW, can some approve my request to join the Yahoo group?)
________________
RE: [diy_3d_printing_and_fabrication] wiki
By the way, I have signed in as "spota".
Sorry if there is a mixup in user names on the email list, so here is a glossary

My name is Fernando
My email nick is spacecaptain
My wiki nick is spota

I decided to use that nick as it was the one I was using when I posted
on the reprap wiki a while ago.

Heheh, yeah spota=spacecaptain=Fernando, I have been uncovered

As for approving new users, that would have to be done by the list owner, and I do not exactly know who it is.
Isn't there a way to PM or email him directly so that he knows you have joined?
Maybe he has a look at inscriptions only from time to time...

I would rather the whole group migrated to a forum as the one here on RepRap, I think it's cleaner and easier to search.
But that yahoo group has got a wealth of info on many subjects, it's just harder to find.

My membership in the yahoo group was approved, I was just a bit impatient.

Is it possible to add a forum section to [3dprinter.wikidot.com] ?

MikeJ

@ spota

I'm another person very interested in your materials.

I have 2 envisiontec machines and also Meiko LCV-700 SLA machine that also operates on 405nm.
Especially meiko resin is hard to get and cost over 600,-USD per kg.
I also do not need a wax filled resins - no direct metal casting.

I'm able to order a batch of materials or I'm able to buy prototypes of material for testing or participate in development.

For my models I need the best resolution and thin layers. But I may test any resins that cure on 405nm.

Anyone that can sell me the material or point me to someone that can do so, please contact me.
email: silhanek(at)cmkkits.com

Thank you,

Petr

... last weekend i've got the parts from the SLA-machine - the lenses and mirrors could be coated for UV, so maybe this setup would be best used with my 200mW-405nm-diodes or the 1W-445nm diode.

For tests with the IR-lasers and powder sintering i'll better reactivate a flatbed-plotter with heavy-duty mechanics i can modify to operate through the removed vacuum-plate ...

---

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

I posted this in the other thread about visible light cured resins. But in case anyone is only looking for UV cured I decided to make some 385-390nm UV cured photopolymers with a few different monomers and oligomers. They have different viscosities with various strengths and weaknesses.

I'll post the Howto on modifying a low cost DLP for use with a low cost UV LED array. DLP + UV LED's for under $500. I'd like to find a low cost source of DLP projectors. I found a few on closeout for under $100 @ 720p. DLP will print faster than a micro-nozzle array or syringe.

The first design will move in the z-axis only. If I get around to it I'll have the UV projection scan a larger area using a x-y stage. Or I'll leave it up the other devs to expand the design.

EMC2 is probably overkill for the motion controller. Maybe just a PC for video out to the DLP and USB to drive a stepper and limit switches since it's not a realtime application. Project the image onto resin, blank screen, step z, project image, .....wash rinse repeat.

Hi @2ShedsJackson and @Spota,

I have a 355 nm laser and I'm currently working on coupling the beam to my Prusa. When thats done, I'd love to have a go at some of these resins. 355 nm is probably not optimal but theres up to 10 W available so hopefully it'll have some effect well below that power.... aside from vapourisation . If either of you have any samples left please do pm me.

all the best,

Alan

You may indeed have more power than needed. Well more is always better than less as you may use different approaches to mitigate that output, by pulsing it on and off real fast.

As for resins, you may want to have a look at this: [www.suscomp.com]
These work at 359nm mostly, so you 355nm should hit close enough to the maximum absorption peak to work fairly well. Plus the excess power will help. But no kidding, vaporisation of whatever the laser touches may be your major concern.

As for photoinitiators, you would be interested in the following:
4,4'-Bis(diethylamino)benzophenone
Diphenyl(2,4,6 trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide
Methybenzoylformate
Thioxanthen-9-one

Good hunting!