Dlp 3d printer for jewelry

How Does 3D Printing Jewelry Work?

Just to clear things up, you’re not going to be printing custom gold jewelry right from the nozzle of your 3D printer. You’re going to be printing a high-detail mold that you’ll use to make your custom jewelry. If you’ve made jewelry the traditional way before, you know the low-tech method of making these molds. Either they are hand-crafted, or you can use a CNC mill to cut one. You make a version of what you want the ring to be, you make a mold around it, pour in your molten silver or gold, then you get your ring!

This uses the exact same process, but it launches it into the 21st century. Instead of a mill or hand-carving, we’re going to be using a 3D printer. If you’re familiar with hobby 3D printers, you’re on the right track. Those desktop units are one example of 3D printing technology we can use, but there are some others that might work better for you.

Process of Jewelry 3D Printing

In case you don’t know the process for 3D printing jewelry, let’s take a quick look at it.

1. The first step is to either design or find a design for the jewelry. This will be done on a CAD program, or you can find a ton of different models online.
2. Next, you 3D print your piece of jewelry using resin or a special wax. No, we’re not 3D printing gold.
3. After that, you take your wax or resin piece of jewelry and get it ready for casting.
4. From there, you’ll make a mold. The result is a mold that has the cutout of your piece of jewelry.
5. Now, pour your molten precious metal into that mold. After some time, the magic is done! You have a shiny ring!

That’s the easy part – the hard part is figuring out which 3d printer is perfect for you. Like a “choose your own adventure” book, you have some options to start you down your path.

Yes, there are options when it comes to 3D printing technology. Those traditional 3D printers you may have seen on the internet or in your friend’s garage are what we call FDM or FFF printers. Fused Deposition Modeling, or Fused Filament Fabrication. We’re using fusion, or sticking a hot thing to itself, to make the part. The plastic is hot, the layers build up and stick to each other, and then they cool and you have your final model.

The other method that we’re going to look at is called SLA. It’s a little funkier and tougher to understand. SLA stands for Stereolithography Apparatus. Big words. Basically, it uses science and lasers to form a 3d printed part from a trough of liquid resin. The great thing about SLA is it can make really strong pieces and can print with more robust material options. SLA is a more favorable tech for jewelry, but FDM is a more universal tech.

Okay, now that the nerdy science talk is over let’s take a look at why you should care about either of these 3D printing methods.

The big benefit of using an FDM printer for making jewelry is that the cost is really low. The upfront cost of the printer is lower, and the operating cost is much lower. Of course, there’s a downside to this. The quality you get with an FDM printer isn’t close to the quality you get with an SLA printer – it’s a lot worse.

If your jewelry doesn’t require a lot of fine detail, then an FDM printer will be perfect for you. If you plan on printing a ton of non-jewelry projects, an FDM is the only option for you. SLA 3D printers are a lot more specific and niche-y. If you’re a jeweler, cosplayer, DIYer, and craftsperson, then an FDM printer is the best pick for you.

SLA printers were made to print resin, which is what you’ll use to make your jewelry. In that sense, SLA printers are made for exactly what you’re looking to do with them. Keep in mind that the upfront cost and the cost to run the machine are higher than FDM printers. Additionally, the resin is toxic, and with some SLA printers, you need to be careful when operating them.

With those two points out of the way, an SLA printer is exactly what most people need when they want to make their own jewelry. Why? Accuracy. The accuracy that an SLA printer can achieve is unbelievable. SLA is the only option if you’re looking for 3D printed jewelry with very fine detail. The other key feature is the strength of the materials used in an SLA printer. Resin is so much stronger than the default filament of an FDM printer.

If you want to make miniatures then check out our article for the best 3d printer for miniatures and figurines. If you want to see our picks for the best resin 3d printers for all price ranges then check out our guide here.

So we highlighted how to 3D print jewelry, and what goes into it. But are you totally convinced that you should even try it? Why 3D print jewelry? Why 3D print anything? The answer is exactly the same.

You can make highly customized pieces and serve a niche market. If you can operate 3D CAD, you can completely design your own pieces to print.

You can 3D print such intricate pieces with odd geometries. This is great for modern pieces of jewelry.

Traditional methods cannot scratch the surface of what you can make with a 3D printer. Some of your physics-defying pieces simply cannot be made on a CNC mill, so there’s no other option.

I’m from a manufacturing background so trust me when I say that nothing compares to the lifecycle speed of a project when you’re using a 3D printer. The time between the initial concept, designing, and getting your first working prototype could be 8 hours with a 3D printer. Traditional manufacturing methods might take a week for the same amount of progress.

Crazy low. You don’t need a staff of trained machinists, design engineers, and project managers. You are the entire team. You don’t need a $250,000 CNC milling machine, a couple of hundred dollars for a printer will suffice. You don’t need a $100 piece of raw material to prototype with, $5 is plenty. Finally, you don’t need to pay someone hourly to make it, you hit “go” and leave the room.

So why 3D print jewelry? It’s faster, cheaper, more customizable, and you can make any shape you want. 

Conclusion

I hope you get as excited as I do when I hear about all the different ways to 3D print jewelry and start growing your business, or just make fun pieces as gifts to family and friends. The process isn’t so hard to learn when you get your hands on a printer. Whether you go with an FDM printer, an SLA printer, a budget option, or a professional high-quality printer, you’re going to love the new world you unlock with your 3d printer. It’s faster and cheaper than traditional methods, and there’s huge profit potential. 

Choose the Formlabs Form 2 if you want a serious SLA machine. The Anycubic Photon (or Photon S) and Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K are great options if you’re new to the resin 3D printer world and want to learn more about it. The Peopoly Moai is a great option for the in-betweeners who want good value without sacrificing quality. On the FDM side, you have the  Creality Ender 3 Pro which is the best budget option in this space.

If you’re picking an FDM printer, don’t be afraid to see what other markets you can print for. They aren’t strictly for 3D printing jewelry, so there’s a lot of opportunity for you. If you’re ready to invest in your business and grow it, consider the top-of-the-line Solidscape S370 printer. Enjoy your time with your new 3D printer! There’s a lot of learning and growing to be had!

Pat Nathaniel

Pat is the editor-in-chief at Printing Atoms. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and wants to spread the word on 3D printing. When he's not writing, he likes to tinker with his Ender 3 Pro, test filament brands, and scuba dive.

Choice of technology and 3D printer for jewelry making, pros and cons

Currently, there are many new technologies that are designed to simplify production in various industries. Progress does not stand still and, despite some opponents, 3D printing has its own niche in the production of jewelry.

3D printing can speed up and reduce the cost of jewelry production due to the low cost of consumables. With 3D printers, jewelers have the ability to quickly change the design of a product and make prototypes at least several times a day. For many jewelry industries, 3D printing is becoming a good alternative or addition to milling machines and other equipment.

Until now, some believe that handmade is a sign of craftsmanship, especially when it comes to creative work, and models made using 3D modeling and printing are amateurish. But many people forget that behind the computer is the same person who not only mechanically presses the buttons, but also puts his soul into his creation.

Benefits of 3D printing

In order to understand how justified the use of a 3D printer is, you need to know how jewelry is made. This is very painstaking work. No wonder the expression "jewelry work" appeared, denoting a very delicate and complex work.

Any decoration begins with a sketch. Usually several sketches are made in order to accurately determine the design and location of the inserts. Not only stones are used as decor, it can be elements made of wood, bone, precious metals, it all depends on the designer's imagination.

At the next stage, the product is drawn in a 3D editor. This allows not only to visualize the future product, but also to correct some errors and inaccuracies made at the design stage.

Ring model

Some craftsmen still carve "stencils" by hand. Such work requires certain skills and perseverance. Usually this is how products are made that will be cast in a single copy.

A finished 3D model can have several ways to be implemented in a physical version - this is milling or 3D printing.

Stencil milling

Currently, 3D printing is not much inferior in accuracy to a milling machine and often has a significant advantage in speed, despite the fact that after printing it is still necessary to separate the supports and clean up the points of contact with the model. Once a physical model has been obtained, it can be cast immediately if the material used is wax or a burnable polymer.

If it is necessary to cast a large batch of products, then a mold is made from the master model made with the help of special rubber for subsequent wax casting. There are many types of rubber that vary in hardness and curing temperature. Rubber is selected depending on the material from which the master model is made.

For pouring molds, a special machine is usually used - an injector. In some models, you can not only heat the wax, but also vacuum it or leave it under pressure. This helps to reduce the number and size of air bubbles for better pouring of the rubber mold.

In home workshops, silicone is used instead of special rubber. After all, a special machine is needed to vulcanize rubber. But rubber molds are too soft and short-lived for making a large batch of stencils.

After making the required number of stencils, they are collected in "Christmas trees". "Elks" are waxes soldered to a wax rod. To save space, the distance between them is very small and they resemble fluffy Christmas trees, hence the name. The finished Christmas tree is weighed to calculate the required amount of metal. In some places, stones are immediately inserted into the stencils, unless another mounting option is provided.

Stencil Christmas trees

Ready "Christmas trees" are placed in a special cylindrical "cassette" without a bottom, which is called a flask, and filled with a gypsum-based molding mass. The flask with uncured gypsum must be evacuated to get rid of unnecessary air bubbles that can lead to defects on the surface of the finished casting.

After hardening, the gypsum flask is sent to a muffle furnace to melt the wax.

The calcination mode is selected depending on the material of the wax. For wax or burnout polymer, different modes are needed in order for the material to be completely removed from the gypsum!!!!!!

When all the wax is melted, cavities are formed inside the gypsum, repeating the contours of the wax. Metal is poured into these voids. After casting, the flask is cooled and the gypsum mold mass is washed out under the pressure of water. The result is a metal Christmas tree.

Herringbone after casting

Finished castings are cut from the Christmas tree and washed, polished, if necessary, blackened by the master until the desired appearance is achieved.

3D printers for jewelers

There are several 3D printing technologies that may be suitable for the needs of jewelers. Each has its pros and cons. Some 3D printers are ideal for a large workshop, and some are ideal for a small workshop.

SLA

SLA or stereolithography is based on the principle of layer-by-layer solidification of a photopolymer resin under the action of a UV beam. The UV beam is focused by means of mirrors on the surface of the resin and illuminates the model in layers.

How the SLA Printer Works

SLA 3D printers were the first to be noticed by jewelers. SLA devices are compact, while they have high printing accuracy.

Pros and cons

pros

Minuses

Print examples

From prototype to finished product

Cast and printed ring

Rating of printers.

Leadership among the production of SLA 3D printers is held by Formlabs.

Formlabs Form 3

Formlabs Form 3

Specifications:

XY resolution: 25 µm

Laser spot size: 85 µm

Laser power: One 250mW laser

Working area size: 14.5×14.5×18.5cm

Layer thickness: 25 – 300 µm

A professional 3D printer that is popular with professional jewelers and dentists.

Formlabs Form 3L

Formlabs Form 3L

Specifications:

XY resolution: 25 µm

Laser spot size: 85 µm

Laser power: One 250mW laser

Working area size: 33.5×20×30cm

Layer thickness: 25 – 300 µm

Form 3L differs from younger models in its large print area, which allows you to produce truly large products without losing quality and accuracy.

DLP/LCD

DLP is very similar to SLA, only as a source of UV radiation, to illuminate the photopolymer resin, not a directed beam of light is used, but a DLP projector. DLP printers illuminate the entire work area at once, so they greatly outperform SLA in print speed.

How a DLP Printer Works

Today it is one of the most affordable photopolymer 3D printing technologies. In terms of cost, LCD printers have caught up with the price level of amateur FDM. DLP printers are much more expensive due to the use of an expensive projector as a UV source.

The projector is of course more expensive, but more durable, on the other hand, the LCD display is not so expensive and can be easily seen, unlike the projector. What to choose each user decides for himself.

Pros and cons.

pros

Minuses

Print examples

Comparison between 3D printed master model and molded part

Burnout resin model and finished product

Demonstration of products cast with burnout resin

Rating of printers.

The print accuracy of LCD printers depends on the pixel size, so you should pay attention to this parameter when choosing a printer.

Anycubic Photon Mono

Anycubic Photon Mono

Specifications:

LCD display resolution: 2560x1620 (2K)

XY Positioning Accuracy: 0.051mm

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 130x80x165 mm

Layer thickness: 0.01-0.15mm

The Anycubic Photon Mono is an inexpensive LCD machine ideal for hobby printing. The monochrome display allows you to reduce the exposure time and speed up printing.

Phrozen Sonic 4K

Phrozen Sonic 4K

Specifications:

LCD resolution: 6.1" 4K Mono LCD

XY positioning accuracy: 35 microns

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 134x75x200 mm

Layer thickness: 0.01-0.30mm

Phrozen Sonic 4K is specifically designed for use in the dental and jewelry industry. Despite its compact size, the printer is not inferior to professional machines in accuracy, and the exposure time of one layer is only a few seconds.

Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K

Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K

Specifications:

LCD resolution: 9.3" 4K Mono LCD

XY positioning accuracy: 52 microns

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 200x125x220 mm

Layer thickness: 0.01-0.3mm

Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K is a professional device with a large print area. This allows you to quickly produce small batches of models.

Phrozen Sonic XL 4K

Phrozen Sonic XL 4K

Specifications:

LCD resolution: 8.9" 4K Mono-LCD

XY positioning accuracy: 50 microns

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 190x120x200 mm

Layer thickness: 0.01-0.3mm

The Phrozen Sonic XL 4K is a professional machine with a large print area and a high resolution monochrome LCD display. This allows you to quickly produce batches of products with high accuracy.

Peopoly Phenom XXL

Peopoly Phenom XXL

Specifications:

LCD display resolution: 3840x2160 (23.8", 16:9, UHD 4K)

XY positioning accuracy: 137 µm

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 527x296x550 mm

Layer thickness: 0.01-0.3mm

The Peopoly Phenom XXL is a device with a huge build area, which is ideal for serial production of not only jewelry.

Phrozen Sonic MEGA 8K

Phrozen Sonic MEGA 8K

Specifications:

LCD resolution: 15" 8K Mono LCD

XY Positioning Accuracy: 43 µm

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 330 x 185 x 400 mm

Layer thickness: 0.01-0.3mm

This is the first LCD printer with 8k monochrome matrix resolution, and a huge working area allows you to produce large batches of products in one print.

MJM/MJP

MJM (or similar PolyJet technology) is a technology for layering photopolymer or wax through many fine nozzles. Typically, the print head is located from 96 to 448, depending on the printer model.

If a photopolymer is used as a material, it is immediately cured by a UV lamp, which is located on the printer's head.

How the MJM printer works

In addition to photopolymer, MJM 3D printers can use wax as a material for printing.

MJM printers can print multiple materials at the same time. This allows you to print complex models with soluble or investment supports. This makes it possible to produce complex models with a smooth surface quickly and easily.

Pros and cons

pros

• Ability to print multiple materials at the same time. This means that another, soluble material can be used as a support. This allows you to save a lot of time on removing the support from the finished model and cleaning up the places where the supports come into contact with the print.

Minuses

• To install the printer, most likely, you will need a separate room. 3D printers based on MJM technology are quite bulky in their dimensions, this is not a device that can simply be placed on a desktop or nightstand.

Print examples

Seal of a lot of stencils

Ring printed with wax

Master models made on MJM printer

Lot of jewelry stencils for further casting

Printer rating

FlashForge WaxJet 410

FlashForge WaxJet 410

Specifications:

Materials: Wax, support material.

Resolution: 1200*1200*1600

Building area size: 289*218*150mm

Layer thickness: 16 microns

Accuracy: ±0. 04mm / 20mm

The FlashForge WaxJet 410 is an industrial machine designed for serial printing of wax models, which will then be cast from metal. Machines of this class can be useful not only in jewelry production, but also in the dental industry, aerospace, mechanical engineering, prototyping, etc.

Totals

Photopolymer 3D printers are no longer inferior in detail to professional milling machines. The main advantage of a 3D printer is the ability to produce models of complex geometry with many internal cavities that are physically impossible to produce on a router.

Large firms will appreciate the flexibility that allows them to quickly adapt to customer requirements, as well as quickly produce large and small batches of products due to the shortening of the production chain.

And for a small workshop, a small photopolymer printer with a can of burn-out resin can be a good help, eliminating the need to purchase some expensive machines.

DLP 3D printing | Description and features of the technique

What is DLP 3D printing?

DLP 3D printing is an additive manufacturing technique that uses liquid photopolymer resins to build objects that are cured by light waves. “Yes, this is an SLA print!” - exclaim those who are already familiar with the methods of additive manufacturing. Indeed, the principle of operation of these two technologies is almost identical. However, the curing of the object in DLP printing occurs under the influence of a different light source.

In general, DLP 3D printing can be described as a direct analogue of SLA 3D printing, in some aspects even superior to it. For example, the print speed in DLP 3D printers is an order of magnitude higher than in SLA devices. And the difference in fidelity varies depending on the specific equipment and consumable, and is generally small. Now let's move on to the technical aspects and talk about the principle of operation of DLP technology.

Technology Description

As with all 3D printing technologies, the first step in manufacturing a physical object is to create a 3D digital model of it. We will not delve into the details of this stage, you can read more about 3D modeling for 3D printing here. The finished 3D model is loaded into a slicer program designed to set print settings and “cut” the model into layers. This step also generates supporting structures under the overhanging elements of the object. The received settings are saved, the model is converted into a control code for a 3D printer. Now you can start printing.

Above we mentioned the similarities between DLP and SLA 3D printing. It's time to talk about their difference and how DLP printers work. Instead of a laser machine (as in SLA), DLP 3D printing works with a special projector as a light source. This technique is not new: you can also find such DLP projectors in other, more common devices, for example, in TVs. Here they are also used for curing liquid consumables - photopolymer resins.

As in SLA printing, there are two options for DLP 3D printing devices: in one, the object is built from the bottom up (the working platform goes down), and vice versa (the working platform goes up). In our article, we will consider DLP 3D printing using both types of devices as an example.

Reverse DLP 3D printing

So, a special container of a 3D printer is filled with photopolymer resin to a certain level. The building platform is lowered into the container so that the gap between it and the bottom is equal to the height of one layer. Under the tank is a DLP projector. Light corresponding to the section of the first layer of the model is projected onto the platform. After its curing, the platform rises and the illumination of the second layer begins.

So, step by step, a physical object is created. Upon completion of printing, the platform rises above the level of the photopolymer, the product is removed and cleaned of the remnants of the consumable. After that, it is necessary to perform the final illumination in a UV lamp for complete curing of the material.

Direct DLP 3D printing

Unlike reverse printing, the DLP projector is located on top, above the resin tank. In this case, the working platform is located directly in it. To build the first layer, the platform rises so that the gap between it and the surface of the consumable corresponds to the height of the first layer.

The cross section of the first layer is projected onto the platform, curing the photopolymer, after which the platform is lowered down to the height of one layer. These steps are repeated until the complete construction of the product. Further actions are identical to those described in the previous paragraph: the object is removed, cleaned of consumables and subjected to additional illumination.

Benefits

Why is DLP 3D printing so interesting? What features of it help this technique to gain more and more popularity every day? Let's watch:

• Faster print speed than SLA 3 D printers. Unlike laser stereolithography, DLP 3D printing projects an entire layer onto the photopolymer at once, and does not gradually pass through its sections with a laser. Due to this, the speed of creating products increases several times;
• High print precision. In terms of the accuracy of the created objects, DLP 3D printing is in no way inferior to SLA 3D printing: the layer height in this technique can reach 15 microns! However, it all depends on the type of 3D printer and the specific material;
• Large selection of consumables. As for photopolymers, their range in the 3D printing market is so wide today that it is sometimes difficult to decide. Moreover, often DLP 3D printers can work with the same consumables as SLA printers;
• Affordable equipment price. DLP projectors are much cheaper than laser systems, which affects the cost of 3D printers for DLP printing for the better. Technology is developing rapidly and many today are opting for digital LED projection.

Among the shortcomings, it is worth highlighting only the rather high cost of consumables.

Materials used

DLP 3D printing works with liquid photopolymer resins (much the same as SLA 3D printing). Some consumables are even suitable for both methods. It depends on the wavelength of illumination and consumables. However, even specifically for digital LED projection, excellent professional lines of photopolymer resins have been developed.

So, today in the 3D printing market you can find flexible and rigid materials, transparent photopolymers and resins of a wide variety of colors. Consumables for specific applications are also available. For example, dental photopolymers with various properties, as well as burnable materials for the manufacture of jewelry master models.

Equipment

Even today, some DLP 3D printers can compete directly with SLA printing equipment. Our store presents a variety of devices, both professional and budget class, for DLP 3D printing.

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