Phrozen is about to release a new resin 3D printer, the Phrozen Sonic Mighty 14K Revo.
Phrozen has produced multiple resin 3D printers based on the MSLA process, and now there’s a new product to succeed the rest.
This continues the company’s focus on resin devices, in spite of the surprise announcement of a FFF device the other week.
What are the key features of the Sonic Mighty Revo? There are several features that make the Revo incrementally better than the Mighty 8K and 12K machines, and it’s more than just the 14K LCD panel.
The main feature seems to be the inclusion of a pressure sensor on the platform. This is used to instantly detect the presence of solid debris under the plate, and even under the surface of the resin.
My suspicion is that as the plate lowers it should encounter no resistance. If any unexpected pressure is encountered, then the print is paused and the operator alerted.
This can work in two ways: first, when a job commences you might not be aware of debris that fell in from a previous job. This debris would be detected on the first dip by the Revo, and the job would pause.
The second and perhaps more important scenario would be when support structures are insufficient. This typically means the print falls off the plate and lands in the resin vat. The very next layer operation will slam into the debris, and very likely puncture the resin vat.
This is a very common failure scenario, one that I’ve experienced far more than I’d like to.
However, the Revo is able to use the same pressure sensor to detect the presence of fallen structures, and the machine is paused. This will absolutely increase machine reliability and avoid many repair scenarios.
Another interesting feature is the inclusion of an in-chamber heater. This component is able to raise the ambient temperature of the chamber — and therefore the resin, too. Hotter resin flows more easily, and this enables faster printing and more successful layer changes. Heaters are typically a feature of higher-priced professional equipment, so it’s quite a surprise to see one in a low-cost device like the Revo.
There’s also a new plug-in air filter that is placed in the build chamber, but we’ve seen this before on other devices. Generally they are not particularly effective.
However, Phrozen has included a purpose-built venting port on the back of the Revo. To this port can be attached an exhaust hose that could vent outside or to a fume extractor. This is perhaps the safest way to eliminate dangerous toxic fumes. I hope that every resin 3D printer includes a port of this type.
Finally, the Revo includes a mobile app from which you can monitor and even start print jobs. This is quite convenient, but you will still have to manually set up the printer’s resin and remove prints from the plate.
Aside from those features, the Revo has a very slightly larger build volume and can print about 10% faster than prior machines.
One more thing: I am a bit confused by the product’s name, the “Revo”. Perhaps they thought it would be synonomous with “revolutionary”? Instead it’s likely going to conflict significantly with E3D’s already existing Revo brand of swappable FFF hot ends.
The Sonic Mighty Revo is currently available for pre-order. If you put a deposit down now, you are eligible for a whopping US$250 discount on the final price of US$999.
Via Phrozen
