Injection Molding-Level Resin 3D Printer Priced at 5599 CNY: HeyGears Unveils New LCD Printer Reflex RS

PanDen 2024-9-23 23:13 3D Printers

The desktop LCD resin 3D printers, favored for their high cost-efficiency, have become the preferred choice for model studios and personal users seeking to create high-precision models. On September 20, 2024, HeyGears(黑格) launched its latest desktop LCD resin 3D printer, the Reflex RS, during an online event that drew widespread attention from the 3D printing community. The livestream attracted over 24,000 viewers and reached the second spot on Bilibili's Knowledge Zone rankings. According to Panda3dp.com, this newly released machine has the potential to become a blockbuster product in the field of LCD resin printing.

Panda3dp.com further explained that HeyGears has incorporated industrial-grade technology into this more affordable consumer-level 3D printer. The surface quality of printed models rivals that of injection-molded parts, and the device boasts a high degree of automation in both hardware and software. This printer is designed for precision, stability, and speed, enabling users to produce injection-molded-level prototypes within just two hours. HeyGears has positioned it as a highly cost-effective creation tool, currently priced at a pre-sale rate of 5599 CNY (down from the original 6999 CNY).

At the Reflex RS product launch, HeyGears's CEO, Gui Peiyan, reflected on the company's advancements in LCD resin 3D printing technology: "In June 2023, HeyGears introduced its first LCD resin 3D printer, Reflex, alongside its proprietary pre-processing software, Blueprint Studio, offering customers precise, stable printing with user-friendly pre-processing capabilities."

“Reflex was met with widespread acclaim and was named the most innovative solution by 3D Native magazine at the Rapid+TCT exhibition in the U.S. this past June. Today, with the same commitment to enabling every user to realize their creative ideas, HeyGears unveils its second LCD 3D printer, the Reflex RS."

Eliminating Layer Lines: Making 3D Prints Comparable to Injection Molded Parts

Layer lines have long been a hallmark of 3D printing, often used as an identifier of a 3D-printed model. However, eliminating these lines has always been a key objective within the industry. Equipment manufacturers have explored various methods to tackle this issue. HeyGears's research revealed that visible layer lines emerge when layer thickness error exceeds 4μm, with the primary source of this error stemming from Z-axis misalignment. The Z-axis typically uses screw mechanisms, and during the printing process, the platform must continuously raise and lower. Each movement introduces potential deviation, with larger discrepancies resulting in more prominent layer lines.

To address this, HeyGears meticulously controls the quality of critical Z-axis components, such as screws, guide rails, and motors, and fine-tunes the Z-axis module. As a result, they have achieved 96% repeatability within 1μm and 99.9% maximum error under 2μm.

Moreover, HeyGears conducted endurance tests on the Z-axis of the RS model, subjecting it to 50kg of load over 10,000 cycles, simulating the process of printing ten 100mm-high models to mimic extreme user scenarios. Even after this rigorous testing, the Z-axis maintained its high level of precision, ensuring stable usage for at least three years.

In addition to mechanical precision and stability, HeyGears has also enhanced the consistency of light intensity across the RS’s print area. To control printing tolerances within 0.05mm, the RS screen is divided into 60 zones, each calibrated with an industrial photometer before leaving the factory. The light intensity variance between zones is kept under 3%.

The RS continues to use a COB light source system, which focuses ultraviolet light and directs it uniformly to the screen through a Fresnel lens. The RS also retains Reflex's adaptive Z-axis compensation algorithm, effectively solving deformation caused by cross-layer curing during exposure.

With these mechanical refinements and optical system upgrades, the Reflex RS delivers layer-free, high-quality prints that rival injection-molded parts, providing a new solution for model creators and hobbyists.

△Works Source: One More Thing（万魔寺）

Fast and Precise Printing: Prototypes in Two Hours

The era of high-speed desktop 3D printers has fully arrived, with FDM 3D printers now operating 5 to 10 times faster than previous models. This speed boost has driven a surge of new users. Similarly, speeding up LCD resin 3D printers has become an inevitable trend. To improve the RS's print speed, HeyGears Labs has made breakthroughs in four key areas: motion hardware, motion algorithms, separation interface, and fast-curing materials.

In terms of motion hardware, the RS features a high-speed body design, supported by a stable C5-grade Z-axis module and a high-rigidity base plate. It also incorporates a screen convection air duct to reduce the heat impact on the screen during high-speed printing. Under stable printing conditions and with high-speed resin, the RS achieves an average speed of 4.3 seconds per layer, printing at a rate of 83mm/h with a layer thickness of 0.1mm.

To collect real-time data, the RS’s print module integrates eight sensors. These sensors enable the printer to optimize motion control throughout the printing process. Additionally, HeyGears debuted its Dynamic Motion Algorithm 3.0 with the RS, which fine-tunes motion parameters at different times to ensure accurate, fast printing. The algorithm divides single-layer print movements into seven stages, including a high-speed downstage, medium-speed liquid draining, low-speed liquid draining, static waiting, low-speed separation, medium-speed separation, and high-speed upward movement. By reading force sensor data 80 times per second, the RS adjusts the next set of motion parameters based on real-time force values and force change rates, significantly reducing redundant time in each stage and ensuring precise, rapid printing.

During the launch event, HeyGears demonstrated the RS printing a battle flag model. The pre-processing time was approximately 10 minutes, the printing time around 95 minutes, and post-processing with water-washable resin took about 10 minutes, resulting in a nearly injection-molded-level model in roughly two hours.

Ease of Use: Quick Setup in 15 Minutes

The usability of a 3D printer determines its potential to attract a broader user base. In the past, using a resin 3D printer required familiarity with manual processes such as leveling, resin pouring, support generation and slicing, resin recovery, alcohol cleaning, support removal, and secondary curing. However, HeyGears has made significant strides in improving user experience and ease of use with the RS. The company’s proprietary pre-processing software, Blueprint Studio, supports one-click slicing and features an automatic repair function to prevent model issues from causing slicing or printing problems. The support generation algorithm, now in its 19th version, performs automatic support generation as skillfully as an experienced hand.

Additionally, the RS's force sensors can detect residue as small as 0.2mm, alerting users to clean up debris in advance and prevent print failures. Even if debris or model detachment occurs during printing, the machine automatically halts and notifies the user. Furthermore, users can review the printing process like a surveillance feed, identifying problems and preparing for the next print.

Innovation in Materials and Accessories

In terms of material innovation, HeyGears has introduced the PAWW10 water-washable prototype resin, the PARP10 fast prototype resin, and the PARP10 fast prototype resin (red wax). The red wax resin addresses the brittleness issues of traditional red wax materials, making it suitable for printing assembled mechs and scale models.

HeyGears also unveiled a pulsing release module, which effectively reduces the number of supports required for printed models. In HeyGears’s tests, support usage decreased by approximately 20-60%, saving resin material and making it easier for users to remove supports. It is also capable of printing oversized models, inverted cup models, thin-walled models, and other challenging designs that were prone to failure in the past.

At the end of the launch, HeyGears invited several international users to share their experiences with the Reflex RS. Greedy 3D's Tony commented: "HeyGears's new Reflex RS features some unique functions, with a larger print size, faster speed, and a stylish appearance compared to the previous generation. The machine also offers automatic leveling, peel monitoring, and AI processing in the background, ensuring flawless prints every time."

Conclusion

Compared to HeyGears’s first LCD resin 3D printer, the Reflex, the new Reflex RS offers improvements in screen resolution, print size, and print speed, all at a more affordable price. This translates to better value for users, and Panda3dp.com eagerly awaits feedback from those who pre-order the device.

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