A Kickstarter for the Anycubic Photon Ultra 3D printer has been announced, which will debut on the website from September 15. The printer will cost $399 for the first 100 backers, and then $499 for everyone else. The printer aims to introduce affordable and precise DLP printing for consumers.
Consumer-focused 3D printing has skyrocketed in recent years, with more people than ever before investing in 3D printing setups. Whether you’re looking for desktop solutions or something a bit bigger, there’s a whole marketing of products to choose from in 2021.
Photon Ultra DLP
Announced earlier this week by (via all3dp) the Photon Ultra DLP is a unique printer compared to many of its contemporaries in the industry. Rather than focusing on Masked Stereolithography (MSLA), which uses light directed towards the build surface. The Ultra will instead use a light projector. This change in direction allows the Photon Ultra DLP to print above its 720p (80 micron) rating. It can print objects similar in detail to 2k/4k monochrome LCD screen printers.
The DLP nature of the printer means it can print finer details with far more accuracy. MSLA converges all light to a pixel, and this can cause noticeable bumps and shadows around the edges of models. The light-projected element of the DLP reflects lights to each individual pixel through micromirrors with little to zero light convergence. This includes the added bonus of being scalable. This means each pixel can be scaled by size therefore creating crisper black and white contrasts.
The Ultra is also far more energy efficient, using less energy while its lighting operates at ten times that of LCD-printers. This efficiency will ultimately benefit users, as it requires far less energy to run over a long period of time. Its efficiency also makes it better for the environment. Boasting faster printing times, better durability and a whole host of other features for less than $500, the Photon Ultra DLP could be a game-changer in the desktop 3D printing space.
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