Overview of PrismLAB 3D Printers

What should you expect of PrismLAB 3D printers? Find out the features and capabilities of the printer in this review.

The industrial and professional 3D printer sector is gaining momentum, with more companies turning to additive manufacturing to optimize and expand their production. Of course, the growth rates in most countries are far from ideal, with the main constraints being high cost and prevailing focus on prototyping and small-scale production.

The good news is that large market players are trying to rectify the situation by improving their equipment and reducing cost. There is great hope on resin 3D printers as they allow you to create customized products at high-precision and minimal post-processing. However, industrial resin printers are still very expensive and only available for large enterprises.

Today we will tell you about 3D printers from Prismlab, which print using the unique resin technology MFP. The printers are quite affordable (of course, for enterprises, not individuals) and can address the needs of medium-batch and large-scale production.

About PrismLab

Prismlab is a large high-tech company founded in 1986. The company specialized in optomechatronics, production of professional 3D printers and resin, and the development of software and hardware for computing systems. The company entered the 3D equipment market with its industrial 3D printers in 2013. However, development and testing began long before that.

Prismlab has won numerous awards and is also a member of Shanghai Additive Manufacturing Association, Asia-Pacific 3D Printing and Prototyping Union, China Industrial 3D Printing Council, and more.

Overview of MFP Technology

Prismlab RP series 3D printers are a breakthrough among resin industrial printers, thanks to the unique MFP Technology developed and patented by Prismlab.

MFP stands for Pixel Resolution Enhancement Technology, which is translated as “Resolution Enhancement Technology.” This is a cross between DLP and LCD printing methods. The technology is also similar to SLA but instead of using a laser like SLA printers, in MFP printers, the entire surface is matrix illuminated simultaneously. As a result, MFP printers are faster than SLA printers.

MFP technology has helped to dramatically increase print speed without compromising print quality. The MFP printer resolution ranges from 50 to 100 microns.

The MFP method involves layer-by-layer formation of models by means of resinization of resins using a powerful LCD projector. The projector has an increased lifespan, which is definitely a plus for industrial scale manufacturing.

How do you achieve fast print speeds and maintain high resolution?

This is made possible by a principle similar to e-shifting (optical shift technology developed by JVC), which increases the print resolution by doubling each pixel. For example, for 4 flares, the resolution can be increased by 4, 9 and 16 times.

Interestingly, the projector is located on top of the printing chamber and the models are built from bottom to top.

video

Another huge plus is that thanks to the printing technology, the models are smooth and practically do not require post-processing. This greatly facilitates and speeds up the production process.

RP-Series Prismlab 3D Printers

There are only 5 printers in the RP line with different build areas. Let’s take a look at three major ones: RP300 , RP400, and RP600.

The three 3D printers work according to the same principle. The only difference is in their appearance, print size, and, productivity.

Appearance

On the outside, the printers are laconic and compact compared to many industrial 3D printers. At the bottom, they have a removable resin reservoir.

Above is the platform for building models, then the printing chamber. The projector (or rather the LCD panel) is installed on top.

The printers also have a built-in computer with a touch-screen that is placed at eye level. The printer stands on supports. However, there are also casters for easy movement.

The RP400’s design is different from its siblings. Made in the form of a space capsule, the printer is three-sided, has beveled corners and and interesting backlighting. It looks very impressive and modern.

This printer makes it on our list of the best 3D printer for architects. Specifications

Let’s look at the specs of the three Prismlab industrial 3D printers

Characteristic	Prismlab RP300	Prismlab RP400	Prismlab RP600
Printing technology	DLP / LCD / SLA
Material type	Photopolymers
Plot area size	288x162x280 mm	384x216x384 mm	576х324х580 mm
Print resolution	254/381 DPI	254/381 DPI	254/339 DPI
XY-axis positioning accuracy	75/50/38 microns	100/67/50 microns	150/100/75 microns
Site heating temperature	18-28 C
Layer thickness	100/50 microns
Relative humidity	<52%
Print speed	600 g / h	1000 g / h	1500 g / h
Software	Prismlab Rapid 3D
OS	Windows 7
Supported file formats	.STL
power usage	180-240 Volts, 50 Hz, 1 kW
Memory	4 GB
SSD disk	120 GB
Video card	GTX750
Weight (without packaging)	248 kg	248 kg	300 Kg
Dimensions (without packaging)	685 x 685 x 1700 mm	840 x 840 x 1750 mm	930 x 805 x 2300 mm
The cost	RUB 3,550,000	RUB 4,210,000	RUB 6,500,000
Country of Origin	China

The RP-series has large build area for resin printers. Exposure occurs over the entire plane. Thanks to the large print area, you can print more than one model in a single print session. This significantly reduces the printing cost.

Equipment

We’ll skip the little things that come standard with 3D printers. You can be sure they are available. Apart from the usual equipment, the RP-Series 3D printers have the following:

• Resin Canister

The printers are shipped with a resin canister, whose volume depends on the size of the printer. The RP300 comes with a 40 kg canister, the RP400 comes with a 70 kg canister, and the RP600 comes with a 200 kg canister.

• Oven for drying models

The printer comes everything you need to start making products, including an oven.

Operating the Printer

Manufacturers have tried to make their printers user-friendly to appeal to the masses.  The Prismlab printers have a built-in computer with a powerful processor, large monitor and keyboard. The computer is located right above the print camera.

Using a computer, you can not only control and monitor the printing process, but also prepare a model through proprietary software. All files for printing can also be safely stored there.

The computer comes with a GTX750 video card, its memory is 4GB, and the SSD disk is 120 GB

The printer uses Prismlab Rapid 3D multifunctional software, a proprietary slicer of the company.

Prismlab printers are equipped with an intelligent temperature and humidity control system. Therefore, you do not need to monitor these parameters yourself.

Materials

Prismlab manufactures proprietary resins that it offers at very competitive prices. The resins are supplied in 5-liter cans.

At the moment, the company produces 4 types of resins (about 8 colors) for different purposes:

• Architecture
• Prototyping and production of presentation models
• 2 types of flex polymers for creating flexible products
• Dental resin with perfect accuracy

However,  thanks to the open source code, you can use not only the recommended resins, but also create profiles of materials from other manufacturers. Even better, the terms of warranty service will not change.

Printing rates. Comparison with other printers

Thanks to MFP technology, manufacturers have been able to achieve an increase in print speed of about 10 times compared to other resin printers in this class. This has been achieved without compromising the quality of reproduced models.

To understand the printing speed, here are some examples showing the time spent on printing (in the photo of the model without processing):

Print time: 4 hours

Weight: 205 g

Size: 222 639 mm(L, X)*78.046 mm(W, Y)* 85.076 mm (H, Z)

Layer thickness: 0.1 mm

 

Print time: 15 hours

Weight: 945 g

Size: 244 mm(L, X)*193 mm (W, Y)* 300 mm (H, Z)

Layer thickness: 0.1 mm

 

SKULL

Print time: 9 hours

Weight: 748 g

Size: 149.195 mm(L, X)*216.771 mm (W, Y)* 155.497 mm (H, Z)

Layer thickness: 0.1 mm

 

HEART

Print time: 4 hours

Weight: 105 g

Size: 93.425 mm(L, X)* 72.823 mm (W, Y)* 65.630 mm (H, Z)

Layer thickness: 0.1 mm

Comparing the Prismlab RP series 3D printers with competitors in this segment, for example in the case of dental models, here is how they perform:

And here is a comparison of the general characteristics of these printers:

Applications

As is the case  with other high-precision 3D printers, Prismlabs are applicable in almost any field; from shoe manufacturing to medicine. Read on for  are some examples of how Prismlab can be used in a variety of applications:

Medicine

Prismlab printers are commonly used in medicine. For example, the printers can be used to reconstruct copies of the human skeleton and internal organs to enable more accurate techniques that increase the guarantees of successful operations.

On the same note, the production of dental prostheses on a 3D printer allows you to get a finished result much faster compared to other traditional technologies. The printers produce high-quality models.


Architecture and Sculpture

Prismlab 3D printers can be used to print 3D models of buildings, or even entire microdistricts with infrastructure – squares, parks, roads and street lighting. The printers greatly simplify the process of coordinating a project with customers, helping to identify shortcomings at earlier stages.


Advertising and Design

On the right is only a printed model on Prismlab, on the left – an already painted figurine.


You can also print corporate awards

Training

The Prismlab RP400 printer is used for training in 4 Chinese universities. With the help of additive technologies, it is much easier for students to explain some abstract concepts, in addition, they develop creativity in thinking, skills in working with innovative equipment and much more.


Production

In production, the possibilities and applications are very extensive.

Conclusion

Prismlab printers are designed for mass production. If you will be printing small, you should go for a simpler 3D printer.

These printers are easy to use as possible and meet the requirements of high production studios. At the moment, the company already has 10 patents in the field of additive technologies. A huge plus is the production of their own materials for the printers.

At its core, the Prismlab printer is a mini-mill that delivers reliability and better ROI through high productivity, high accuracy and material savings.  The RP400 is also rated as one of the best 3D printers for architectural models.

The RP300, RP400 and RP600 printers will be useful in absolutely any area.