The Anycubic Photon D2 is making big waves in the resin 3D printing community. And it’s not for nothing, as the DLP technology it’s based on offers a different approach to the highly detailed prints we are so used to getting off the many LCD-based resin 3D printers that have flooded the market in recent years.
From our first look at the D2 a couple of weeks back, we can already say: keeping up to the highest standards of consumer resin 3D printing seems no challenge for the D2.
But, the D2 could be not just hitting the veins of detail-loving print enthusiasts, but also of those looking for sustainability and decreasing one’s ecological footprint. A bold claim, you say?
Less Power
Well, for one, energy consumption is a thing. Even more so as energy prices worldwide are racking up to dizzying heights. Especially if you are printing regularly and over longer periods, this can amount to quite a bit of cash for your electricity company to take off your hands. Yes, it’s not quite up there with having the radiators on max while keeping the windows open or taking absurdly long and hot showers, but it can add up.
Heads up, if you already play on Team Resin, you are on the low-consumption side of things anyways. While an FDM 3D printer might easily use up to 300 W to keep the bed toasty and the nozzle sizzling hot (for reference: to keep things cool, your fridge runs at about 500W), the LCD fraction keeps things in the 30 – 60 W range.
The Photon D2 takes it to another level, though, only using up to 15 W during printing. This is due to the DLP light engine needing less juice in the first place, as it has about four times the light output of MSLA light engines. And, thanks to this reduction, the need for cooling is also omitted. No fans spinning for hours on end on the D2.
Longer Life
Added to this is the 20,000 hours of service life the D2 is meant to crank out compared to the maximum 2000-hour lifespan of mono displays. Put these together and you have yourself a low-energy-consuming, highly-capable 3D printer that’s going to last you ten times longer before needing replacement.
As convenient as MSLA 3D printing has proven itself to consumers over the past years, it bears one easily overlooked downside: regular LCD replacement and the ensuing e-waste stream. For anyone with a lot of print output, an LCD might only get you as far down the road as a year before it needs to be swapped out. Additional costs aside, this leads to a constant stream of LCD e-waste. With the Anycubic Photon D2 and its underlying technology by Texas Instruments, this could be dramatically reduced.
Will other manufacturers draw level? We hope. Can’t go wrong with eco-friendliness, we’d say.
What do you make of DLP technology making a showing in the consumer sector, and what are your thoughts on 3D printing and sustainability? Let us know in the comments below.
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