Interested in an LCD 3D printer that is versatile and affordable? If so, Phrozen might be the company to look at. The Taiwanese manufacturer has a wide range of LCD 3D printers for both home users and small manufacturers. In this Phrozen 3D printer review guide, we present an overview of the 3D printers by the manufacturer.
3D printers using LCD technology have a wide range of applications. As the LCD technology market changes, new players are popping up with innovative ideas aimed at improving the speed and quality of LCD 3D printers. One company that is making a name for itself in LCD 3D printers is Phrozen.
Phrozen is well-known for its budget models, such as the Shuffle, Shuffle Lite, Sonic 4K, Sonic 4K XL, and others. The Shuffle and Shuffle Lite 3D printers are quite similar to each other on the outside. The printers feature the same construction materials and their print quality is nearly identical.
In this Phrozen 3D printer review, we provide an overview of all the 3D printers from the company. We’ll also look at their features, specs, and differences.
About Phrozen
Phrozen is a 3D printer manufacturer based in Taiwan. The company began operations in 2014 and came to the limelight through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in 2016.
Today, the company has made a name for itself as one of the leading additive manufacturing companies in the US, Europe and Asia. The company manufactures affordable resin printers that print using LCD technology, as well as consumables for them.
One of the features of Phrozen 3D printers is that they feature the patented ParaLED optical LED technology. This technology comprises dozens of LED lights that are arranged to emit light evenly on the print bed to improve the speed and accuracy of printing the resin.
Phrozen 3D Printer Categories
Phrozen manufactures 3D printers for three market segments
Budget Printers
The company’s budget printers are two: Sonic Mini and Shuffle Lite printers. These two printers have roughly the same build area and print quality as their higher-end cousins. However, they print at slower speeds, which explains their lower cost.
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Phrozen budget printers are recommended for beginners.
Semi-Professional Printers
Phrozen semi-professional printers are designed for experienced users. These printers can be used in small jewelry workshops and design labs. Some of the printers in this category are the Shuffle 4K and the Shuffle XL.
The semi-professional printers have much higher printing speeds. Moreover, the XL versions have a larger build volume.
Professional 3D Printers
Phrozen professional 3D printers are designed for maximum printing accuracy. These printers can be used in industries where precision is paramount, such as dentistry.
The printers that fall under this category are the Phrozen Transform and the Shuffle 4K.
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All Phrozen 3D printers have the following features:
- Use the proprietary slicer PZSlice, as well as third-party slicers
- Built-in air filtration system
- Print resin with a light wavelength of 405nm
- Have the proprietary Optical system ParaLED
- Print models are sent via USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi
- Autonomous operation: they do not require a computer connection. The printers can be operated through the touchscreen display
Let’s take a look at the Phrozen 3D printers.
Phrozen 3D Printers Review
1. Sonic Mini
The Sonic Mini is a small budget 3D printer that measures 25 x 25 x 30 cm, and weighs just 5 kg. The printer has a single Z-rail with a regular screw thread and its printing speed reaches 50 mm/h.
The build area of the Sonic Mini is 120 x 68 x 130 mm while the XY resolution is only 62 microns. This printer is a basic entry-level option that does not have the connectivity options of an Ethernet port and Wi-Fi connection.
The budget resin 3D printer has a blower fan and comes with the ChiTu Slicer instead of the proprietary PZ Slicer software.
2. Shuffle Lite
The Shuffle Lite is a stripped-down version of the Shuffle 2019 3D printer. The printer has a red protective plastic case, features a single Z-rail and is lightweight, weighing just 9.5 kg,
The printer’s XY resolution is 47 microns while the Z resolution is 10 microns.
The Shuffle Lite 3D printer has a single rail with a regular screw pin and its build area is 120 x 68 x 170 mm. The printer manages a print speed of 40 mm/h. The printer has a 5.5-inch 2K LCD screen and two blower fans.
3. Shuffle 2019
The Shuffle is a semi-professional printer that has a double rail with a ball screw and robust body. On the outside, the printer is made of metal with a red transparent window through which you can watch your print job.
This printer features Phrozen’s ParaLED 2.0 technology that ensures fast and higher quality prints.
The machine has build volume or 120 x 68 x 173 mm and a print speed of 35 mm/h. The printer also has a 5.5-inch 2K LCD screen and two blower fans.
4. Shuffle XL
The Shuffle XL has a build volume of 190 x 120 x 200 mm. This is the main advantage that the printer has over the Shuffle Lite and the Shuffle.
The printer also has a 8.9 inches 2K LCD-screen.
Coming to print accuracy, the XY printing resolution is 75 microns XY. The printer is also a little bit slow, managing speeds of only 20 mm/h.
Other features include 4 blower fans, 160W power supply and reinforced Z-axis with double rail with ball screws, which reduce vibration.
5. Shuffle 4K
The Shuffle 4K is one of the professional resin 3D printers by Phrozen. The printer has a 4K display that gets the XY resolution to 31 microns. This machine prints models that are highly accurate and with a high resolution. Therefore, it is ideal for applications where details matter, such as jewelry production and dentistry.
This printer has a print speed of 20 mm/h.
6. Sonic
The Phrozen Sonic has a build volume of 120 x 68 x 170 mm and prints at an accuracy of 62 microns. This printer is quite fast, achieving a print speed of 60 mm/h while the curing of the 1st layer takes from 0.5 seconds.
The Sonic 3D printer comes equipped with the latest ParaLED 3.0 optical system for faster and efficient light dissipation. The printer has a display resolution is 1080 pixels.
If you are after performance and speed, the Sonic 3D printer is for you.
7. Transform
The Transform is the largest professional 3D printer by Phrozen. The printer has a build volume of 292 x 165 x 400 mm and is easily one of the best large format resin 3D printers.
With this printer, you can order an extra replacement panel with two 5.5-inches 2K screens. This allows you to select the size of the printable area, thereby increasing or decreasing speed and resolution.
The printer has a 13.3 inches 4K touchscreen.
The double deck provides 2 build areas of 126 × 68 × 400 mm each.
Changing the 3D printer’s panels is easy and takes less than a minute.
The Z-axis of the Phrozen Transform 3D printer is made of aluminum alloy and is a double guide with ball screws. The 40 cm Z-axis allows you to print large models.
The maximum print speed is 10 mm / h or 200 layers / h.
This printer has an XY resolution of 76 microns with the large panels.
When using the two small panels, the printer’s resolution is 46 microns. This resolution is suitable for printing models in which details are important, such as jewelry.
Phrozen 3D Printers Comparison Table
| Sonic mini | Shuffle lite | Shuffle 2019 | Shuffle XL 2019 | Shuffle 4K | Sonic | Transform | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plot area | 12×6.8×13 cm | 12×6.8×17 cm | 12×6.8×20 cm | 19x12x20 cm | 12×6.8×17 cm | 12×6.8×17 cm | 29.2×16.5×40 cm |
| Matrix | 5.5 ”, 1080P, ParaLED 2.0 Lite | 5.5 ”, 2K LCD, ParaLED Matrix 2.0 | 5.5 ”, 2K LCD, ParaLED Matrix 2.0 | 8.9 ”, 2K LCD, ParaLED Matrix 2.0 | 5.5 ”, 4K LCD, ParaLED Matrix 2.0 | 5.5 ”, 1080P, ParaLED Matrix 3.0 | 13.3 “, 4K L / Dual 5.5”, 2K LCD, ParaLED Matrix 2.0 |
| Z-axis resolution | 10 μm | 10 μm | 10 μm | 10 μm | 10 μm | 10 μm | 10 μm |
| XY axis resolution | 62 μm | 47 μm | 47 μm | 75 μm | 31 μm | 62 μm | 76 μm |
| Maximum print speed | 50 mm / h | 40 mm / h | 35 mm / h | 20 mm / h | 20 mm / h | 60 mm / h | 10 mm / h |
| Z axis | Single rail with screw stud | Single rail with screw stud | Double guide with ball screws | Double guide with ball screws | Single rail with screw stud | Single rail with screw stud | Double guide with ball screws |
So, which is the best Phrozen 3D printer?
Well, it all depends on what you want and your budget.
Phrozen has addressed the main market segments of makers that need 3D printers with LCD technology.
The cheap printers, i.e., the Shuffle Lite and the Sonic Mini only have basic features. This explains why they are affordable. The printers offer good print speeds and resolution and are reliable.
The cheap Phrozen 3D printers are great for beginners or experienced makers whose projects do not need to be super detailed
The Shuffle 2019 offers the best balance in terms of features, price, and reliability. The printer’s Z-axis is 3cm longer than that of the Shuffle Lite and Sonic Mini and is reinforced with a double rail.
The Shuffle XL is quite slow but has a large build area. This is the printer you need if you will be prototyping large parts.
The Shuffle 4K stands out for its capability of printing highly-accurate models with great details. This printer is perfect for miniatures, jewellery and dentistry work.
The Sonic features the new generation optical system and achieves print speeds of 60 mm/h. This printer is great for rapid prototyping projects.
Finally, the Transform is a large format resin 3D printer with a build volume 9.2 x 16.5 x 40 cm. With this printer, you can order optional double panels to improve your workflow efficiency, depending on the size of the model you want to print.
The above is an overview of what each Phrozen 3D printer stands out for.
