In this Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K review, we look at the features, specs, and quality of print of this 3D printer.
The Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K 3D printer is one of the best Phrozen 3D printers. And it’s easy to understand why; bigger size, higher resolution, and no compromise between print quality and volume.
One thing worth mentioning is that this is the only printer that has a matrix resolution of 8K. Perhaps, in the future, the company will produce a 3D printer with a smaller matrix of the same resolution, i.e., the quality will be even higher.
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Printing large models on a photopolymer printer is a rather specialized task that is not needed in many industries. And this is the main advantage of the Sonic Mega 8K 3Dps printer; you can use it for full-fledged production.
The printing time on photopolymer printers depends on the exposure time of the layer, layer height and model height. Therefore, if you take two printers and print the same models on them with the same settings, then more models will turn out on the printer that has a larger table size.
In this past, this would have sacrificed the quality of the prints due to the decreasing pixel density on the matrix. But then, more models will be printed on the printer with a larger table size. However, the Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K has a high-resolution sensor that eliminates the degradation in quality due to the increased table size. Moreover, instead of gluing a large model together, it can be printed out in one go, thereby eliminating an extra step in model production.
Read our Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K review to find out how the printer performs.
Phrozen Mega Sonic 8K Review
Technical Specs
General Specifications
| Technology | LCD |
| Type | Resin |
| Year | 2021 |
| Assembly | Fully-assembled |
| Manufacturer | Phrozen |
| Country | Taiwan |
3D Printing Specifications
| Build Volume | 330 x 185 x 400 mm |
| Layer Height | 10 microns |
| XY Resolution | 43 microns |
| Z-axis positioning accuracy | 0.00125 mm |
| Printing Speed | 70 mm/h |
| Bed-Leveling | Pre-Calibrated |
| Display | 5-inch touchscreen |
| Third-Party Materials | Yes |
| Materials | 405 nm UV resin |
Software Requirements
| Recommended Slicer | ChiTuBox |
| Operating system | Windows / macOS X / Linux |
| File types | STL |
| Connectivity | USB, Ethernet |
Dimensions & Weight
| Frame dimensions | 400 x 470 x 680 mm |
| Weight | 35 kg |
From the features, you can see that this is not a standard printer. All features stand out, from the matrix size to print speed. The latter proves once again the directionality of the printer.
Although large numbers have been seen on other models, 70 mm/h is amazing considering the build area. And the vertical size is almost unique in the entire LCD printer market.
Frame
The Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K comes in an all-metal body. This is a big plus since with such a large size, the large models being printed could bend a printed with a plastic body, thereby distorting the print.
The printer has opening doors, and from above, part of the body moves away with them. Considering their mass and size, kit’s a good design to have the doors opening on the sides. Moreover, when printing models that occupy the entire construction area, it will be easy to remove the models from the table for further processing.
Matrix
Inside the printer is a huge matrix that occupies almost the entire area. The resolution of the matrix and its size will surprise you. Also, we noticed the shade of the matrix differs from that of other LCD printers.
Print Bed
The print bed is perforated to increase the adhesion of the first layer. Still, such a large sized print bed requires a lot of tweaking to hold the model. However, the perforations do not affect the quality of the printed model in any way.
The print bed is secured to the rail using two screws with handles at the top.
The table is already adjusted out of the box and does not require calibration. If you still to calibrate it, you can do so with the four screws at the edges.
Bath
As expected, the printer’s bathtub is quite large. And this leads to one problem: a lot of resin is needed to fill it.
The tray is fixed to the printer in the standard way using screws. The tray has handles on the edge which do not interfere with the rotation of the fasteners.
The screws for fixing the tray are not screwed into the frame on which the matrix is fixed, but onto individual elements that are already connected to the frame. Therefore, you shouldn’t worry that with frequent use it may “cut” the threads, because this part is much easier to change than the entire frame.
Control
The Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K has control interfaces for every taste and color.
Need manual control and print tracking? Use the USB port on the front of the printer and start printing using the touchscreen.
Is the computer close, but you often need to print completely different models? Use an Ethernet connection and send files to print directly from your computer.
Want to control and monitor your printer while on the move? Use a Wi-Fi connection.
Even in the layout of the screen, a small detail is visible. This shows Phrozen’s attention to the ease of use of their printer. The detail is positioned at a slight angle, thereby increasing visibility from above.
Differences from Previous Models
The first thing that comes to mind when looking at this printer is the Phrozen Sonic XL 4K. Both printers are in the category of large LCD printers, but the Sonic Mega 8K has a large build area and twice the matrix resolution. Generally, this is what is done in the LCD printer market.
The other differences are not so significant – the place of fixing the bath, the method of adjusting the table, the side of the door opening, the color of the case have been changed.
Quality of Print
Is the Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K workable and reliable? Read on.
To begin, here is a statuette of a samurai printed by the Sonic Mega 8k. As you can see, this model is of excellent quality.
How many models can be printed with the same quality as this one samurai? 84! That is how many ring models fit on the printer table.
Moreover, their quality is similar to that of the samurai from the first example.
Of course, even more objects can be placed. For example, not just 84 rings, but as many as 252:
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775284745970028/user/100010140524082/
You can also print unique models, like in the following example:
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775284745970028/user/667753402/
Conclusion
The Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K is a revolutionary 3D printer. Moreover, given its price that is comparable to much more modest 3D printers, its innovations are surprising.
Although the design remains the same, there are upgrades in little things, such as a table, doors, and frame. Unlike many “revolutionary” ideas, for example, the MFU from Prusia, this printer is a full-fledged product that does not require modification. You can safely buy it when you need to print a large number of models with high surface quality or large models in general.
Moving away from the topic of the sales market, this printer is treading on the heels of traditional methods of manufacturing plastic products. Yes, the printing speed is not that great, but LCD printers in general and the Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K have already surpassed the conventional injection molding method many times over. Therefore, in some industries like figurine production, prefabs, or modeling, this printer can compete directly with more classical production methods.
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