5

I have an Epax X1, I have just purchased the 2nd and 3rd bottle of resin, but I don't know what are the best settings.

What is the best way to find the best settings for a new resin?

Is it possible to print a calibration object that starts with some settings and changes as it goes? For example starts with 12 seconds and decreases half second every 5 mm?

EDIT

The 2 resins I am dealing with right now are Nova3D and Elegoo. Any help with those two resins would help right now, but I would love to have a more generic answer that would allow me to explore and troubleshoot any resin without asking every time.

stenci
  • 193
  • 7
  • Do the resins come with papers? Usually, suggested settings are in there. – Trish Oct 21 '19 at 11:40
  • No. I have one ELEGOO Yellow and one NOVA3D Black, and they both came with no settings. – stenci Oct 21 '19 at 14:02
  • mind sharing a picture of the label on the bottle or packaging? – Trish Oct 21 '19 at 14:03
  • I added the links to Amazon to the post, please let me know if that's enough for you. – stenci Oct 21 '19 at 14:11
  • Since every printer is slightly different (light intensity, for example), you probably want to run one of those 12-spot test patterns where each "spot" gets a different exposure time, then see what time works best. – Carl Witthoft Oct 21 '19 at 15:25

2 Answers2

2

Since every printer is slightly different (light intensity, for example), you probably want to run one of those 12-spot test patterns where each "spot" gets a different exposure time, then see what time works best.

I found a more general test pattern at Amerilabs Calibration File which may be useful. Not to mention a zillion other test patterns

Carl Witthoft
  • 3,008
  • 1
  • 9
  • 15
  • Those tests seem to be just solid models that will tell you if your settings are right. This means that I need to print the same test with different settings many times and pick the best. Wouldn't be easier to print one test with different settings? One single program that starts with long exposure times and gradually speeds up? – stenci Oct 21 '19 at 23:46
  • 1
    @stenci that would be the multi-spot profile. The one I had (and lost) exposed one spot at a time but didn't change the Z-axis position, so that each spot is the "first layer" – Carl Witthoft Oct 22 '19 at 15:00
2

This test is not just a verification solid, is a program that tries different exposures and shows them all side by side: https://github.com/altLab/photon-resin-calibration

The test doesn't move slower and slower, but it does something equivalent: keeps the plate in the same position while changing the bitmap.

EDIT

I tried the test, and I'm not happy about it. I tested the same black resin with the 0.02 and 0.05 layer thicknesses, and according to the tests I should use 8 seconds with the 0.02 and 6 seconds with the 0.05. This result goes against anything I heard about relation between layer thickness and exposure time.

I also read in an issue in the repository that the test is not reliable with clear resins. My 2 tests are so thin that my black resin is transparent. I don't know if this is a factor, it just doesn't feel right.

I will keep searching for a better test and update this post if I find one.

stenci
  • 193
  • 7