Hello dear FormLabs team,
just a question (maybe stupid one) : could curing light process emit gasses?
I ask that because after 10, 12 prints (approx.) I start to see artifacts on the surfaces aligned to the laser dot’s “sparkle tail” (the effects that the laser dot have in one direction, where the focus of the laser became worse and create a small tail of light). This light issue don’t generate problems if:
- the resin tank PDMS is clean an in good condition (not clouded);
- the mirrors are clean;
- the resin is in good condition, without cured particles inside.
In order to work in optimal condition I follow these steps every 2, 3 prints (if they came out without problems):
- check the PDMS;
- clean the resin tank as suggest in the guide;
- filter the resin;
- remove dust from mirrors with handy air pump;
- gently move the resin in the tank with the FormLabs scraper, before start to print.
But here the strange news: after time I start to have artifacts on prints also if the cleaning and maintence process is applied. When I check the mirrors I can see (especially on the small 45° oriented one, under the galvos) a kind of “halos”.
These halos are barely visible but, with an accurate ispection with a small torch, they can be revealed.
The IPA cleaning of the mirrors solve the issue and the prints start again to be perfect.
So a suspect came in mind… could the curing process of the resin produce a sort of vapour / gasses? If yes, they can appear as halos on the mirrors after some prints (especially if the printing take long times).
I also notice that after hours (more then 5) the temperature inside machine cabinet became a little higher then outside (never measured, just a skin sensation). Photopolymerization process can produce an emission of termic energy? Or maybe temperature increasing is related to the motors inside the machine…
Does the resin emit gasses by itself, also without curing?
Thanks for any clarification about,
Best regards,
Mattia