01 - Build Plate Refinement

Post date: Oct 11, 2015 4:13:04 AM

As stated elsewhere, getting the build plate working well was was one of the more challenging tasks for building the DIY DLP-SLA printers. "Scuffed" aluminum with holes drilled and spring pressure adjustable build plate plane has so far yielded the best results.

• The holes in the plate do not produce a bulge at the base of the flex vat due to trapped resin material under the plate. This allows for accurate first layers as the plate can get very close to the vat bottom keeping the amount of resin uniform across the surface of the plate.

• The resin when cured adheres well to the aluminum but not too well, it still is relatively easy to pop loose using a small razor blade.

• The cured resin layers peel from the bottom of the flex vat well because of a good stick to the aluminum.

• The adjustable corners of the build plate allows for easy alignment parallel to the bottom of the vat letting gravity do most of the initial alignment.

The print area is less than 3" square but a larger one would be simple enough with a bigger vat.

It's a little rough (hand cut with a jigsaw during some random nocturnal insomnia episode). And the hole "pattern" is not uniform.

The lessons learned refining the build plate for the mini were used for the full sized SLA printer project.

Here are a couple of ideas that didn't work as well

This one used a triangle of 3 brass tubes that would slide inside of larger tubes with finger tightening set screws. It always shifted when tightening the set screws.

This one was a ball and socket pivot, it also suffered from shifting when the screw was tightened.