With 3D printing industry growing ever larger, the technology that supports it continues to grow just as rapidly.
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To help keep your curing uniform, it spins a full 360 at a speedy pace.
The curing platform is made of stainless steel that helps reflect the UV light for more even curing.
Meanwhile, you’re free to also wash your models using the included washing basket.
The plastic bucket comes out at 9.4 x 6.2 x 7.8 inches with a max fill of 9600 mL.
With that said, I encountered an issue with the UW-02s controls.
Itd either not respond to my touch, or itd change two configs at a time.
To handle the control button issues, Creality sent me a replacement operating panel sticker.
The original panel sticker had been applied slightly off, so the inputs weren’t registering as intended.
With that fix, the promised ease of use was finally there.
The front panel buttons when properly functioning respond incredibly fluidly.
For a smooth model, Creality suggests around a two-minute wash and longer washes for more complex models.
In terms of a guideline, this metric held fairly true throughout.
Also, keep in mind to begin operation, youll need to have the UV cover securely on.
First, there’s the washing basket mode where you put a model or models directly into the basket.
Theres also the option to attach your printer’s build plate directly to brackets that Creality included.
Theres either an adjustable bracket piece that allows you to raise and lower your build plate into the bucket.
There’s also a flat platform bracket for less complex rigging.
The flat platform support was closer in size; it was still just shy of a proper fit.
Washing Results
To test how well the UW-02 cleans, I followed three cleaning routines with IPA.
For the first method, I removed prints from the build plate but left their supports attached.
After the UW-02 finished washing, I’d remove the supports to investigate how clean the model was.
For this approach, models required some hand-cleaning touch-up; it was still considerably less than hand-cleaning in full.
The second method was where Id remove the models from the build plate and then remove their supports.
From there, Id wash via the washing basket.
This method still required some hand-cleaning; it was lessened even further without supports hiding residual resin spots.
The last method was where I entirely washed the models via the brackets inside the machine.
I didnt do any secondary cleaning afterward just to test the results.
Overall though, it was a good option for removing a lot of the more sticky resin residue.
Another factor to look out for is that some larger pieces might float.
However, if youre working with larger models this can be much sooner.
Rather than deal with a floating cloud of dirty resin, this helps it settle to the bottom unproblematically.
That assists in reflecting the UV light on the platform to help cure the model.
Across multiple prints, I still noticed consistently clean cure results despite the simpler design.
For those concerned with UV safety, the UW-02 will not operate without the UV hood being securely attached.
If you have a go at remove the hood during curing, the machine will also power off.
Why Choose the UW-02 Over Other Washing and Curing Machines?
With the Creality UW-02, there’s a lot of value to the machine.
While this will depend on personal preference, the Creality UW-02 focuses foremost on delivering functionality.
Its downsides largely consist of a more budgeted build design while still delivering on all the essentials.
Should You Buy the Creality UW-02?
I wouldnt recommend it as your sole cleaning method unless youre working with more simplistic models.
