I do a lot of prints, a lot. I’ve felt I needed to find a way to save on the IPA as I have had to change it out at least one a week because it has become weak from resin contamination.
One thing I did was make up a holder so I could position the finished prints, still on the build plate, at a 45/45 angle with one corner down which drains a lot of resin back into the resin tray. But not all of it.
After the build plate has set in the 45/45 holder for at least a half hour I now take the time to use the plastic scraper to get as much left resin off the build plate as I can. I scrape all clear area around the parts and especially the sides of the build plate. You’ll be surprised how much excess good resin you can get off of these areas. I scrape this off on the wiper so it goes back in the tray.
This has greatly extended the alcohol life in the Form Wash for at least another 2 to 3 days.
small amount of resin, I would really want to see numbers of resin staying on model after print, tops 10 ml. Only one time it had more resin when I printed 2mm gap between multiple plates, resin stayed inside that 2 ml gap multiply by plate surface multiply by number of gaps you get big amount of resin but that is just once. One more thing when you scrap resin from built plate it have tiny tiny aluminium (built plate metal I think its aluminium) particles inside that I think are not good for next 3d print and resin tank. Anyway post some pictures.
This is probably a stupid idea, but can the IPA wash solution be exposed to UV light to polymerize the resin into discrete particles that could then be filtered out?
Little bit off topic but on topic, last night i had nightmares with my form 2 printer having autocleaning program where it brings small tubes with some kind of evaporating IPA that cleans inside of 3d printer, also there is a robotic arm with gum that cleans laser glass, but there is a trick you have to remove resin tank to do all above and I didnt, so I made mayhem of Form 2… When I woke up from this nightmare I went on dashboard to check did 3d printed finish 32 hours job, and then I got shocked (my dream was in some kind true), It stopped in half empty resin cartridge… So I had 4 prints first was 107ml second was 200ml , third was 293, and fourth was 251 ml total sum of 851 ml so where is 150 ml? In resin tank? But if there is lets say 100ml and half printed last model of 251 ml its still missing 170 ml of resin, so my question now is WHERE IS 170 ml lost ? On model removing with IPA ? Did I lost 25 dollars in IPA plus VAT
Another option that I’m using is applying a lil bit of IPA from a small nozzle on the part still located on the build plastform. I’m holding it above the bin and was it a bit. This is extending the baths life alot.
Another option I used in the past is having 3 baths. The first is used IPA from the two regular baths that I previously replaced. This is also helping to rid off the first amount of liquid resin.
