Anycubic, the maker of some of the best 3D printers under $1,000, launched a Kickstarter today for the Anycubic Photon Ultra. It is a DLP 3D printer that aims to bring precision printing to an affordable price point. Anycubic calls it the “world’s first affordable, high-precision DLP 3D printer for consumers.” The 3D printer is available for Kickstarter backers for $499, though the first 100 backers can get it for $399. Once the Photon Ultra becomes available through Amazon, it will cost over $599.
Our 3D printing expert James Bricknell has reviewed several devices from Anycubic, including the Anycubic Photon and Anycubic Photon Mono. Bricknell explains the benefits of a DLP printer in his review of the Anycubic Photon:
If you have never seen the quality of a DLP printer you are in for a treat. Most 3D printers that use filament have a layer height of around 0.1mm for fine work. The Photon can push the layer height all the way to 0.024mm, a layer height so small the layer lines are just not visible. It’s like the models are injection molded, it is that good.
High-precision printing is one of the main draws of DLP 3D printing. Anycubic claims that despite the Photo Ultra being rated at a resolution of 720p that it delivers better printing quality than 2K and 4K monochrome LCD screen printers. This is due to the nature of using projection technology compared to LCD screens.
The projection setup also improves durability. Anycubic states that the Photon Ultra can be used to print for 20,000 hours.
The Photon Ultra promises impressive figures, including print speeds of around 1.5s per layer and 16x anti-aliasing for smoother edges and corners.
Its specs should allow it to compete with the best budget 3D printers, but we’ll have to try it out to properly judge it.
As with any Kickstarter project, it’s important to do your research before backing.
