Lite3DP Gen 2 is the new version of our miniature mSLA resin printer. It incorporates lessons learned from the previous model to bring you an upgraded, open-source 3D printer that’s built to deliver. Small enough to fit on your desk, Lite3DP printers showcase a minimalist design that has proven both distinctive and effective. Lite3DP Gen 2 is constructed from high-precision components, powered by an ESP32 microcontroller, and programmable using the Arduino IDE.

Boasting an upgraded display and accommodating larger print volumes, Lite3DP Gen 2 introduces various quality-of-life improvements, including a cover plate that protects the main screen from leaks and scratches, capacitive touch controls that simplify menu navigation, and customizable test functions that make it easier to define printing parameters. We are offering two different display configurations: the pre-assembled version of Lite3DP Gen 2 incorporates a large touchscreen display that provides an intuitive interface, while the dev kit includes an auxiliary OLED display for monitoring the progress of your print jobs. Both versions include a "main display," which also serves as the print mask. When using the dev-kit version, capacitive touch buttons allow you to navigate the application menu on that same screen.)

Everything about this project remains proudly open source.

Upgraded Lite3DP PCBs

We’ve completely redesigned the Lite3DP Gen 2 PCBs while preserving backward compatibility with Lite3DP S1. The Gen 2 dev kit not only allows existing Lite3DP users to upgrade their printers, it gives DIY 3D-printing enthusiasts everything they need to build their own Lite3DP Gen 2 printer or to design a new mSLA resin printer with Lite3DP’s open-source hardware at its core.

Print Tiny Parts With an Extraordinary Level of Detail

mSLA printing—the layer-by-layer solidification of photosensitive resin subjected to 405-nm UV light—makes it easy to manufacture plastic parts with an impressive level of detail and a clean surface finish. Lite3DP Gen 2 takes it one step further by allowing you to experiment with different resins and resolutions for a given source file (a collection of PNG images for each section) while you’re dialing in your creation.

Lite3DP Gen 2 is well suited to educational, medical, industrial, and recreational applications, including the production of precision parts, detailed models, prototypes, and miniatures, to name just a few examples.

Less Hassle, Less Waste, and More Portability

Lite3DP Gen 2 is small enough and quiet enough for use in your home, your workshop, your office, or just about anywhere else. The aluminum base and light cone provide sufficient cooling, whereas most other resin printers rely on noisy fans to dissipate the heat generated by their UV-light source. Even magnetic-levitation fans get annoying after a while…

We’re pushing the envelope on energy efficiency as well. Lite3DP Gen 2 requires less than 10 W of power while some larger mSLA printers pull close to 100 W. And of course, resin is precious as well. Smaller prints from smaller printers naturally tend to produce less waste.

Lite3DP Gen 2’s minimalist design also makes it extremely portable. Weighing in at less than 0.5 kg (17 oz) and with a total size of 10 x 10 x 16.7 cm (4 x 4 x 6.5 in), Lite3DP Gen 2 fits in your bag, whereas traditional resin printers often weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 to 10 kg (17 to 22 lbs).

Campaign Pledge Levels

In order to deliver the greatest value to the greatest number of users, we have carefully curated the selection of products we’re offering through this campaign.

Pre-Assembled Lite3DP Gen 2

Complete pre-assembled Lite3DP Gen 2 with touchscreen display, so you can operate your 3D printer using a familiar and fluid interface. (You’ll need to provide your own power supply, a MicroSD card, and resin.)

Lite3DP Gen 2 also includes our new cover, which is designed to protect your resin from being solidified by ambient UV light. With a structure made of folded aluminum and translucent, black, 3 mm PMMA plastic, it also contributes to improving thermal dissipation and Z-axis rigidity.

Resin Vat & Build Platform

Use these accessories to complete your Dev Kit or for applications that require more than one vat or build platform. (Note that the Pre-Assembled Lite3DP Gen 2 model already includes these components.)

The resin vat and build platform are extruded and CNC machined from 6061 aluminum and anodized in a natural, matte color. The resin vat frame and platform bolt are manufactured from AISI 430 stainless steel. They are durable parts with extraordinary mechanical and corrosion resistance. Two NFEP (PFA) films are included for each resin vat. They have very good UV-light transmittance and durability as well as improved non-stick capacity.

We are also including two silicone covers to prevent unwanted solidification, vapor exposure, and damage to the NFEP film.

Mini Resin Vat, Mini Build Platform, and Magnetic Holder Set

In order to minimize resin consumption—a key feature for scientists, researchers, and others who rely on expensive resins—we developed a set of miniature resin vat and build platform, which are easily interchangeable with the standard ones.

This set allows you to print using a very small volume (2 mL) of resin, reducing the build volume to 20 x 20 x 80 mm. It consists of two vats and two platforms, both made from polished (Ra ≤ 0,8), 316L stainless steel, which means they can be sterilized. We also include a nylon magnetic holder that is interchangeable with the standard vat.

Main Display

We have customized this display module (which is also the Lite3DP Gen 2 print mask) with an appropriately sized FPC cable and a glass cover. Each display has a lifespan of about 500 print hours. They are easy to replace just by peeling from the corners and removing the cable from the connector.

We offer these display modules primarily as replacement parts, but you will also want one if you are planning to assemble your own Lite3DP Gen 2 mainboard using our open-source documentation.

Features & Specifications

• Machine size: 100 x 100 x 167 mm
• Technology: mSLA resin 3D printing
• Build volume (W x L x H): 36.7 x 48.8 x 80 mm
• XY resolution: 0.11475 mm
• Mask display: Custom RGB LCD display with protective glass cover, automotive grade, high contrast IPS technology.
• Z resolution: 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mm
• Print speed: up to 40 mm/h
• Compatible resins: all UV 405-nm resins (standard, industrial, flexible, castable, dental, etc.)
• Data input: Micro SD card autonomous operation
• Slicers: Chitubox, PrusaSlicer, Lychee, Voxeldance Tango and more
• Microcontroller: Espressif ESP32
• Firmware: Arduino
• Stepper motor: Nema 8 built-in leadscrew, ultra-silent TMC2209 driver, POM nut and top bearing
• Tray/Vat: aluminum, magnetic attachment. 50 cm³ capacity (1.7 fl oz)
• Weight: 0.470 kg (16.6 oz.)
• Power consumption: less than 10 W (Power supply: 12 V, 5.5x2.1 mm, ≥1 A)

Improvements

Other Comparisons

Proudly Open Source

Unlike filament printers, many of which came out of the the open-source RepRap project, mSLA printers have nearly always been proprietary, commercial products. Our goal is to provide the missing link for open-source resin printing. Just like its predecessor, Lite3DP Gen 2 is a fully open source project. Its design files, source code, and documentation are now available and will be expanded and improved over time. Our goal is to empower users by making it as easy as possible to program, understand, customize, and repair Lite3DP Gen 2.

You will find technical documentation in our Github repository and user manuals on our website.

Manufacturing Plan

Although unforeseen events are inevitable in any complex undertaking, we worked hard to ensure a fluid manufacturing process for Lite3DP Gen 2. We have manufactured two small runs of printers to find reliable suppliers and identify possible challenges. These pre-production runs required a significant investment in tooling, including modifications to our plastic-injection molds and the creation of three aluminum-extrusion molds and a silicone-cover mold. Having all the molds manufactured and tested represents a significant reduction in post-campaign delivery times. We have also identified 95% of our 20 or so suppliers. We’ve worked with all of them and are satisfied with the quality of their products and services.

Due to the location of the companies that manufacture the core components of Lite3DP Gen 2, our entire manufacturing process will take place in China, mostly around Shenzhen.

Fulfillment & Logistics

After our production run is complete, we will box everything up and send it along to Crowd Supply’s fulfillment partner, Mouser Electronics, who will handle distribution to backers worldwide. You can learn more about Crowd Supply’s fulfillment service under Ordering, Paying, and Shipping in their guide.

Risks & Challenges

We had a rough experience launching our first crowdfunding campaign during the pandemic. We were significantly impacted by component shortages, increased costs, and excessive shipping prices, all of which added to the challenges inherent in starting and running a new company: transferring funds, managing suppliers on the other side of the world, etc. Thanks to the lessons we learned from that experience, however, combined with the technical achievements we’ve made since then, we are confident in our ability to see this project through to fulfillment.

Quality control and customer support are among our main priorities for Lite3DP Gen 2. We will provide our primary manufacturing partner with an explicit checklist to use when inspecting the components provided by upstream suppliers as well as a testing protocol for each completed printer or kit. And, because it is not easy to support hundreds of users who receive their devices simultaneously, we are focusing our initial support efforts on the creation of a detailed knowledge base and a forum to answer common questions. We are also working on a form-based support interface that will make it easy for users to submit all of the information we need to find solutions for specific, anticipated issues.