With the release of the Photon Ultra, Anycubic has introduced an enticing alternative to monochrome LCD screens.
TheAnycubic Photon Ultraaims to prove that you don’t have to forgo quality for savings.
With a long-lasting projector and DLP high resolution, those disenchanted with LCD screens finally have an alternative.
So those looking to purchase the Photon Ultra won’t be able to immediately.
For the purposes of this review, Anycubic has provided an early release model.
At the base of the Photon Ultra, youll notice there’s a lot of plastic.
Similarly, Anycubic has opted to go with a plastic resin vat for the Photon Ultra.
While seemingly a cost-cutting measure in both cases, both were amply durable for everyday printing.
In practice, these simple handholds help with the initial lift.
However, the plastic nature of the body also makes the experience a bit rougher to the touch.
At the right side of the unit are the Photon Ultra’s power switch and a USB-A port.
As standard with many 3D printers, the Photon Ultra prints exclusively from this USB port.
So those looking for web connection compatibility will have to look elsewhere.
Beyond the make-up of the Photon Ultra, there’s a focus on quiet operation.
To keep the Photon Ultra cooled, it dissipates heat via a radiator.
There’s no cooling fan on the unit, so this reduces extra noise during the entire printing process.
As standard, theres a simplistic menu that breaks it up into three broad categories with options under each.
However, there are some unique offerings as well.
With the Anycubic Photon Ultra you’re able to adjust the UV power on the machine directly.
you might adjust the percentage either via a sliding bar or key in your select input manually.
For those looking to explore different resin options, this provides some impressive versatility.
Theres also the option to adjust printer tweaks from the machine itself.
With that said, the 2.8-inch touchscreen also does have some minor issues.
This largely presents in the small size of the touch screen and touch detection.
With icons so close to each other, the Photon Ultra would sometimes go for the wrong option.
So I’d have to cancel the delete prompt and repeat the process again.
This is meant to improve adhesion and also make it easier to improve prints.
Why DLP Technology?
Instead, you should probably look at how the technology works.
So you dont have to worry about light leaks.
Comparatively, the precision of DLP’s concentrated beam of light allows for cleaner edges and overall crisper prints.
In most cases, I would advise this if you aren’t preparing for your build plate.
However, this will ultimately boil down to personal preference.
However, it was an overall stable and easy-to-use slicer.
However, I started having multiple failed prints when I moved onto presupported models using its own DLP resin.
The more major issue is the U-disk error.
This is where the Photon Ultra believes the USB was removed during the printing process and will stop printing.
I also couldnt really predict when this would happen.
If the USB was having issues being detected, it would sometimes follow that.
But oftentimes itd be a completely normal print procedure only for it to happen midway.
Towards this end, I printed a variety of miniatures fromCobramodeof different sizes.
And I was able to get some really impressively detailed prints.
Given the precision of the DLP light source, I wanted to challenge the printer’s capabilities.
So I looked for models that were detailed with plenty of curvature and indentation as well.
With the Photon Ultra, I consistently got very clean, detailed prints.
In terms of model durability, I also was impressed with the resin once it was cleaned and cured.
However, the main body pieces sustained fine against tests such as a minor topple.
Instead, the projector is guaranteed for 20,000 working hours.
Youll still need to replace the FEP around every fifty prints or as signs of degradation appear.
But if you keep the resin vat clean and the FEP in good standing, maintenance should be minimal.
Additionally, the Photon Ultra offers additional power savings by operating with an energy consumption of just 12W.
But for use with miniatures, jewelry, and other small custom work its a great resin printer.
