Orange 10 SLA 3D Printer (Hardware)
User Review
Product Information:
The Orange 10 is a new SLA printer that boasts some pretty awesome features for a small price tag. Does it match up to the hype that other Youtube reviewers have been giving it or do you really get what you pay for?
Note: Orange 10 SLA 3D Printer provided by Longer directly.
Review by Devin and proofing by Xzi.
Introduction
The Orange 10 uses Stereolithography (SLA) technology to create objects out of resin. It does this by lowering a metal build plate into a vat of resin that has clear film on the bottom. Underneath that film is a UV LCD screen that shines a UV light pattern directly into the vat which cures the resin and attaches it to the build plate. The build plate is then moved up and another layer of resin is cured on top of the previous layer. This process is repeated until an object is created.
Specifications
- Unit Height: 170 x 170 x 360mm
- Print Height: 98 x 55 x 140mm
- Print Resolution: 854 x 480
- Light Source: UV LED 405nm
- Display Screen: 2.8" color touch screen
- Max Build Speed: 30 mm an hour
- Unit Weight: 5.4kg
- Power Consumption: 41W
- Connections: mSD card
- Supported Resins: Rigid, Dental, Castable, and more.
- Price: $268.00 (Additional $20 savings with Amazon coupon.)
Unboxing and Setup
The Orange 10 SLA printer includes the following:
- 5x Acrylic Sheets (Hood)
- 2x Bands
- 1x Main Base
- 1x Build Plate
- 1x Resin Vat
- 1x 16GB mSD Card
- 1x mSD Card Reader
- 1x Power Adapter
- 2x Resin Filter Funnels
- 1x Pair of Latex Gloves
- 1x Scraper
- 1x 250mL Bottle of Brown Resin (Note: The bottle was in a vacuum sealed bag initially.)
- 5x Playing Cards
- 1x Release Film (Preinstalled on resin vat.)
- 1x Wrench Kit (Containing wrenches that are 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, and 4mm.)
The next step was to turn on the printer so that I could raise the z axis in order to install the build plate. The printer turns on via a switch on the back of the main base and when turned on it displays file and setting options on the touch screen. Raising the z axis was as simple as clicking the settings option, clicking move and pressing the up arrow. Once the z axis was raised high enough I was able to install the build plate. A simple thumbscrew holds it in place and you'll want to tighten it down well so the plate doesn't move while printing. Once that was done I was ready to level the bed so the build plate didn't come crashing down into the vat when trying to print. To level the bed all you need to do is loosen the four screws surrounding the build plate using the included 4mm hexagon wrench. Once they're all loose to the point where the build plate wobbles freely, you're going to want to grab a sheet of A4 paper and place it on the LCD screen located on the top of the main base. After that you'll want to go back into the machine's settings and click the home button (located in Settings -> Move, middle button on the bottom row). This will bring the build plate all the way to the bottom of the z axis until it touches the A4 paper you have on the LCD screen. Once it stops moving you're going to want to press down lightly on the build plate and tighten those four screws. When all four screws are tightened you're going to want to try to move the A4 paper. If it requires some force to move the paper then it's leveled properly but if it's too easy or too tough to move the paper then you'll need to relevel. If it's too easy then apply more pressure on the build plate and if it's too tough apply less.
Usage
Software:
When you first import a model you may get an error starting that the model is too large like the Mei model did. You can use the scale tool in the slicer software in order to rescale it to fit on the virtual build plate. Once the model fits on the virtual build plate, the model will be blue instead of red, and you can move onto the next step in the slicer which is the auto fix. If your model has any weird issues like holes the fix step smooths them out for you. After your model is fixed (assuming any fix is necessary), we'll move onto the supports step. While the printer is excellent at curing layers of resin, if there isn't anything for that layer of cured resin to attach to it'll just float freely in your vat. Supports give models something to attach it to the build plate so that doesn't happen. I've personally found that the default density is a bit much for most of the models I've printed and usually lower it down to .45. Once you've selected your support density click the generate button to have the slicer software automatically create supports at where it thinks the model will need them. Once you've generated your supports the next step is to select the "layer thickness" for your object. If you'd like your object to be super smooth then choose a lower thickness, though this will require more layers and therefore a longer print time. If you don't mind seeing the layer lines, choose thicker layers. The final step is to save the project and copy it over to the mSD card. The Orange 10's slicer software creates a folder in the same directory as the model you imported that contains the project. You'll need to drag and drop the preview and .lgs file into the root of the mSD.
Hardware:
Processing:
(Pretend that this is my Mei figure. Forgot to take a picture of it in the bag.)
After that your print is done!
Final Results
Where To Buy
Verdict
What I Liked ...
- Print Quality
- Easy Setup
- Price
- Features (Overheat protection, Print Pause/Resume.)
What I Didn't Like ...
- Loud Fan
- Acrylic Hood (Isn't a single piece.)
8.5
out of 10
