There are two different versions of the Wanhao Duplicator 7 on the market: the regular Wanhao D7 and the Wanhao D7 Plus.

The Plus version offers these four advantages:

1. Wanhao upped the Duplicator 7 Plus’ X/Y accuracy to self-proclaimed 0.0001 mm, that’s 100 nanometers. In comparison, the original Wanhao D7’s resolution is 0.05 mm. This reflects in the price, which is currently at $700 instead of $500.
2. A revised touchscreen was added to the Wanhao Duplicator 7 Plus.
3. The Duplicator 7 Plus is able to 3D print up to 30 mm per hour and features a triple cooling fan to avoid overheating.
4. Despite keeping the same dimensions, the machine weighs less.

Overall, the Duplicator 7 Plus aims at more professional markets like jewelers and dentists, whereas the regular Duplicator 7 is considered to be more of a hobbyist machine.

First of all, the Wanhao Duplicator 7 Plus 3D printer is a DLP machine. This technology differs from the more common FDM 3D printing.

Instead of melting plastic filament in a heated nozzle, DLP and SLA printers use liquid resins that are cured by light. The resins are stored in a tank. The build plate dips into this tank to build the desired object. But whereas SLA 3D printers (i.e. Formlabs Form 2) use a laser beam to harden the liquid resin, DLP printers use a technology called Digital Light Processing. The project a whole image of a layer (like a beamer would) that cures the resin. Once the resin is hardened, the build plate moves up and the projector then displays the next slice of the object.

The benefit of a DLP printer is that it can print highly detailed objects. As you can imagine, the screen resolution is the important part of any DLP 3D printer. The Wanhao Duplicator 7 Plus offers 1440 x 2560 resolution, which is considered good.

Please be advised resin-based 3D printers are not suitable for beginners. And even in the field of SLA / DLP printers, the D7 Plus 3D printer isn’t considered a plug-and-play machine, even by its dearest fans. Post-processing involves washing the prints with ethanol, curing them, cleaning the build plate – it’s a messy process. Also, the smell of the resin is not exactly pleasant.

Wanhao provides a range of resins for the Duplicator 7 Plus. A bottle will set you back $40 roughly.

Of course, you’re not stuck with the resins provided by the manufacturer. If you want to buy additional resins, make sure they are working with an active wavelength of 405 nanometers.

There’s an exhaustive list at 3D printer wiki, collected by D7 Plus users. They found out that you also can use some UV-curable resins that go down to a wavelength of 380 nanometers. This gives you access to castable wax resins, extra strong materials, and even industrial-grade materials.

No printer is perfect, and the D7 Plus is no exception. Here are some drawbacks the Wanhao D7 3D printing community ran into:

• If you find your prints leaning towards a side, you should check the Z-axis – if it’s not properly calibrated, you’ll get z-axis wobble.
• The cooling fans are known to be relatively weak.  They can (and should) be replaced with stronger ones if you are planning to print a lot.
• The build volume of the Wanhao Duplicator 7 is relatively small (120 mm x 68 mm x 180 mm).

The price for DLP machines has significantly lowered over time. The prices for desktop DLP printers range from $400 for an Anycubic Photon to a SprintRay Moonray D/S for $4000 or even a machine like the Nyomo Makyn 6 for $9000. With a price of roughly $700, the D7 Plus is currently one of more affordable DLP printers available.

Wanhao Duplicator 7 Plus

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You will find additional information on the Wanhao Duplicator 7 Plus 3D Printer on the company’s website. Also, the Wanhao Duplicator D7 Facebook group provides valuable support and ideas regarding troubleshooting, modifications, resins, and printer profiles.