Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra 12K review — 3D printing made easy?! — GAMINGTREND

Resin printers have leveled up at an insane tempo over the previous few years.  We’ve obtained massive format printers just like the Jupiter SE 6K (Our overview) with its large print quantity, the Neptune 4 Max with a fair LARGER print format, and the crazy-high decision on the Mars 4 9K.  What if we are able to discover a blissful medium between massive and ridiculous, but in addition push the decision even increased?  That’s exactly what the Saturn 3 Extremely is trying to do.  With a 12K decision, a big construct quantity at 218.88mm(L) x 122.88mm(W) x 260mm(H), and an enormous refresh of the long-running Elegoo working system, may this be the brand new flagship for resin printing?  Just one method to discover out!

Earlier than we dig into printing, let’s get a glance below the hood.  The Elegoo Saturn 3 Extremely has a ton of recent options, not all of that are apparent, that it has cribbed from different Elegoo printers.  Establishing the gadget, I discovered one thing new round each nook.  Let’s unbox it.

Contained in the field, there’s a USB-powered charcoal air air purifier, a stack of paper funnels, additional wrenches and screws, two paper masks, a metallic and plastic scraper, a pack of non-nitrile gloves, a license card for Voxeldance Tango, a USB stick, and the ability provide for the unit.

The obvious improve for the Saturn 3 Extremely is the 12K mono LCD. Measuring 10 inches and with a decision of 11520×5120, and an XY decision of 19×24μm, the hardened glass powers the masked stereolithography (MSLA), similar to any of Elegoo’s most up-to-date printers.  It does so with a COB (Chip on board) plus refractive mild supply, which is to say it has the identical angular reflection system that we noticed in use within the Jupiter SE.  On the again are two vents, although they don’t stick out and are usually not angled just like the Jupiter SE, however they make the most of the identical cooling construction behind the scenes.  Two copper tube techniques and outsized cooling followers assist maintain the LCD and all the remainder of the internals cool, extending its life.

I used to be stunned to see the brand new vat that ships with the Saturn 3 Extremely.  As a substitute of the clear FEP that I’m used to seeing on all of my resin printers, this FEP is pretty opaque – while you see what seems like a cloudy FEP, don’t stress. This new FEP is named nFEP, and studies are that it lasts longer, releases simpler than customary FEP, and someway is cheaper than customary FEP movie.  This nFEP is produced from PFA, or perfluoroalkoxy.  The tensile power of a regular FEP is round 24.3 mPa on common, whereas the nFEP pushes that to 29 mPa.  Which means that the cured layer that was simply printed peels away from the print mattress simpler, with out flexing the floor as a lot.  Because the nFEP isn’t transferring as a lot, the layers shouldn’t stick as usually, and the layers shouldn’t shift as usually.  Proof is within the pudding although, so we’ll be testing this over time throughout a number of prints.

The opposite apparent change that I noticed was an enchancment to the Z-axis screw.  Using a dual-rail system with an outsized ball screw improves the soundness and motion of the print meeting.  Along with being quieter, it’s additionally extra correct than earlier than – 0.01mm extra to be exact, leading to 0.01 to 0.2mm layer heights.  It’s laborious to think about 12K decision and layer heights that small, however even at increased print speeds (as much as 150mm per hour), the ensuing prints are extremely detailed, as you’ll see in our macro footage.

Coming from my Saturn 2, I used to be blissful to see the brand new laser-etched construct plate on the Jupiter SE.  This has additionally made its method to the Saturn 3 Extremely.  I discovered that this eliminated the necessity for scuffing the plate for printing, with the added bonus of being simpler to take away prints from the plate after the actual fact.  That’s not the one trick the brand new plate has to supply.

The Jupiter Se makes use of a brand new 4 level leveling system as an alternative of the ball joint system current on the Saturn 2.  I make the most of a magnetized plate on my Saturn 2 and the drive of eradicating that magnetic plate has sometimes ruined my leveling because it’s successfully held in place by a single level.  The 4 level leveling system on the Saturn 3 Extremely as an alternative actually solely articulates up and down, and rocks ahead or backward.  Consequently, as soon as I leveled the plate, it stayed leveled.  I’ve pushed and pulled on this plate fairly a bit and it hasn’t budged one bit.  It additionally attaches in a different way, sliding on to a jam nut held in place by a spin crank above.  It’s a mix of the Jupiter SE and the Saturn printers, and made higher by the amalgamation of each.  I leveled the plate on digital camera within the video above – see for your self.

The duvet on the Saturn 3 Extremely will get an aesthetic change, transferring to a smoked grey look moderately than the trademark vibrant purple acrylic.  Aside from seems, I requested Elegoo what enhancements this new hood brings.  They knowledgeable me that the brand new cowl blocks between 95 to 99% of all ambient UV mild, precisely the identical because the purple hood.  They had been fast to level out that no hood on the market will cease the solar, so blackout curtains are nonetheless extremely beneficial.  I do know some customers have reported resin curing of their vat whereas sitting idle, however I’ve but to have that have myself.

Opening up the OS for the primary time, I used to be happy to see an enormous improve.  The display screen is a shade touchscreen that retains the simplicity of the earlier iterations, however provides numerous essential details about your prints to the combination.  The primary panel is Print, Device, and System, because it at all times has been.  Underneath Device, you will have guide controls for the plate (together with a 50mm transfer choice, thanks!), the zero on your Z-axis, tank cleansing, a display screen publicity adjustment, a tool self-test, and the grasp cease button.  The publicity check might be performed as a grid, or with the Elegoo Know-how emblem to make sure your gadget is working as supposed.

The Saturn 3 Extremely has a wi-fi whip to connect to the aspect of the gadget, permitting you to ship information to your gadget remotely (at someplace between 6 and 8Mbps).  That’s extremely depending on the software program you utilize — it at the moment works in Chitubox and Voxeldance Tango, however I used to be unable to seek out the appropriate choice to make it work in Lychee Slicer.  What I wasn’t capable of get working nevertheless was distant firmware updates.  As a substitute, it throws up a generic error that doesn’t actually assist you diagnose the scenario, however suffice to say, it simply doesn’t work.  As a substitute you’ll be updating with a thumbdrive, as you at all times have.  Maybe the following replace will deliver that performance?

With the gadget arrange, and resin loaded within the vat, it was time to print.  Popping open your slicing software program of selection, every has the power to obtain a profile for the Saturn 3 Extremely.  I may actually print the Cones of Calibration V3, the included rook, or some other variety of check prints, however these aren’t very enjoyable, are they?  No, as an alternative I printed a bust of Medusa from Loot Studios.  This mannequin is extremely detailed, stunning, and has numerous small bits just like the enamel on her snakes.  You’ll be able to see how Loot Studios showcases it and the opposite goodies on this bundle proper right here:

With a file sliced and loaded, we now get to see a brand new display screen for this OS replace.  With the sliced file loaded you’ll be greeted with a display screen exhibiting the file title, regular and backside publicity time, print top, mannequin top, a high-detail picture of the item being printed, the standing of the gadget, time elapsed, and time remaining are all displayed on this foremost display screen, in addition to whether or not you might be related to a file on a thumbdrive or in case you are streaming it out of your wi-fi connection.  Whilst you aren’t prone to be making adjustments on the display screen earlier than permitting your print to proceed, you really can.

The resin I selected is a semi-transparent milky affair.  It’s additionally skinny and low-cost.  I figured it’d be the second checkpoint for the Saturn 3 Extremely.  Can this flagship print straight out of the field with solely default settings and probably the most financial non-matched resin I may discover on Amazon?  Properly, it seems the reply is an emphatic sure.

Whereas I recognize the milky look that got here out of the print, it simply wasn’t very simple to learn element on it.  As a substitute I hit it with a darker grey primer, bringing out a metric ton of element.  Choose for your self!

I needed to verify it wasn’t a fluke that I used to be capable of simply throw a file in and print it, so I printed a cube tower utilizing a regular 4K Elegoo resin, after which a Porg from Star Wars in a lightweight grey from Sunlu.  All of them had been washed, cured, after which primered to deliver out their element, and it actually did.  The standard was excessive, the sides had been sharp, and all of the items printed and not using a hitch.

I printed the cube tower in two halves after which printed the Porg sitting flat on the plate with none helps.  Each printed completely, and on the primary try.  The brand new nFEP and laser-etched plate mixture appears to be delivering in a approach that we’ve not seen, even in Elegoo’s different printers.  The truth that it dealt with resins of all qualities and viscosities with out doing something past the defaults is frankly astonishing.  I’ve leveled it as soon as once I did it on digital camera, and that’s the final I’ve needed to contact it past loading information and having fun with the outcomes.  It seems like Elegoo has taken an enormous step ahead with this new OS, display screen kind, and different enhancements.  May this be the final step earlier than we get automated leveling?  Put plainly, 3D resin printing might be difficult, messy, and difficult to get working appropriately.  It’s good when any individual makes all of it simpler.

Except in any other case said, the product on this article was offered for overview functions.