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REVIEW: The Elegoo Mars, a hobbyist-suitable UV LCD 3D printer in a nifty package

We review the Elegoo Mars 3D printer.

The Mars is a consumer-grade, desktop-sized UV LCD resin printer produced by Chinese technology start-upElegoo.Priced at just $259, this printer delivers premium prints without a premium price tag. Marketed at hobbyists, the Mars is easily accessible for both long-time 3D printing enthusiasts and first-time users looking to dip their toes into the world of resin printing.

火星的输出量为120x68x155毫米,其产量为120x68x155毫米,其珠宝,桌面缩影,流行文化用具和小型机械原型受到限制。所有数字功能均由前面板上的全彩3.5英寸触摸屏显示控制,而连接仅限于后面板上的USB 3.0端口。

A 2560×1440 2K LCD screen backed by an array of 405 nm UV lights and mirrors delivers an industry-standard XY resolution of 0.047 mm. Coupled with a minimum layer height of 0.01 mm, the Mars has the capability to produce prints of much higher quality than even the more sophisticated FFF machines. The printer is supported by the well-established and reliable ChiTuBox 3D slicer.

Elegoo Mars 3D printer. Photo via Elegoo.
Elegoo Mars 3D printer. Photo via Elegoo.

Unboxing, Setup and First Impressions

首先处理Elegoo火星后,很明显,中国制造商已经为其设计和组装付出了巨大的努力。打印机具有良好的铝制身体,具有哑光效果,使其具有优质的感觉。用195x195x405毫米的立体体重为5千克,感觉在家用台式机上感觉很宾至如归。在墙壁靠在墙上的情况下,后面板上的单个USB端口可能很难到达,但是除了这种小的不便之外,打印机还有一些经过深思熟虑的建筑。印刷床的Z轴高度由旋转螺纹轨道的步进电动机控制。运动的外观和感觉稳定,没有打ic。

As with all resin printers, there is a UV filtering cover over the print area. The UV cover is in place to prevent resin in the tank from curing prematurely due to external UV sources like the sun. However, it is still recommended that the printer is stored away from direct sunlight as the cover does not block 100% of the rays hitting it. In the case of the Mars, it is in the form of a cuboid lid encapsulating the space above the LCD screen. The blood-red colour of the base model ensures an impactful visual presence regardless of its surroundings. Housed in the print area under the cover is a printing bed and a resin vat. The resin vat is bounded by transparent FEP film and can be slid out from under its brackets with the loosening of two screws. The printing bed is sturdy, locked into place on the threaded rail with a single large screw and displays a centred Elegoo logo.

包装盒中包含的几乎是使用户在其第一个打印栏上启动几个消耗品所需的一切。一旦购买了一瓶紫外线治愈的光聚合物树脂和一瓶95%+异丙醇,打印机就可以使用了。Elegoo自己的树脂与火星最有效,但在405nm波长下可固化的任何树脂都是合适的。异丙醇是后期处理的关键,用于清洁印刷品的多余树脂。

所有的工具需要放松和收紧various screws around the body of the printer are included along with plenty of spare screws. The instruction manual included in the box details how to go about the assisted levelling process which takes about five minutes. It’s simple enough to be followed easily by any first-time user and once levelled, the build platform stays levelled for at least a couple of weeks of heavy use. This is enabled by the 3.5” touchscreen which is a gateway to language settings, an LCD test and Z-axis manipulation.

Elegoo Mars touchscreen interface.
Elegoo Mars touchscreen interface.

Slicing and Post Processing

Upon loading up ChiTuBox, the user is greeted with a refined blue and grey user interface. Once the desired 3D model is uploaded, the placement on the printing bed, the rotation of the object and the size scale can all be altered. ChiTuBox also provides mirroring and hollowing functions that are designed to save time and resin respectively.

Once the model is oriented as the user desires, it must be supported to ensure all islands are connected to the printing bed. The support functions on ChiTuBox are intuitive and easy to pick up; the add support function generates individual supports and the delete support function deletes them. For the lazier or time-conscious users, an auto-support function is available which allows the programme to automatically generate supports on every part of the model it sees fit.

我们发现此功能会超越船,从而确保成功打印,但在不需要的区域中产生支持。在这种情况下,不必要的支持疤痕使手动支持模型所需的额外时间和精力远远超出了值得。更认真的用户可以从更深层次的支持设置中受益,例如支持厚度,最小支持长度和支持角度。一旦对模型得到了充分的支持,就可以将其切成薄片并保存到USB棒上,并准备好打印。

Chitubox用户界面。
Chitubox用户界面。

Once the print is complete, signalled by a helpful beep, it must be scraped off the printing bed with the tools provided in the box. At this stage, the excess resin must be cleaned off in a bath of 95%+ isopropyl alcohol for five minutes. An ultrasonic cleaner will be helpful but is not essential. The dried print must then be cured under UV light for another 5 – 10 minutes. Again, a UV station will be helpful but is not essential; direct sunlight is more than adequate.

Benchmarking the Elegoo Mars

在我们的内部工程师进行了细致的测试之后,几个基准测试了Elegoo火星的功能。其中包括Elegoo测试仓库,经典的长凳,重复性测试,悬垂测试,桥梁测试和小型,精确的零件测试。还进行了真实的应用程序测试,其中印刷了一些流行的模型,以了解火星在典型消费者手中的表现。

首先,Elegoo Test Rook。Elegoo在每次购买火星时都将此文件作为标准配置。仓库由锋利的边缘,光滑的曲线组成,甚至粘贴了一些脚本。这是一个非常像Classic Benchy一样的全部贸易基准文件。火星在印刷菜鸟和板条上的精美细节方面做得非常出色。有机形状是光滑的,锋利的角度酥脆,措辞很容易清晰。

Next, the repeatability test was performed whereby the printer’s ability to recreate shapes precisely was tested. The test is composed of three different structures which are all printed five times – a tube, a square with a hole and a hexagon with a pill-shaped crevasse. In each of these prints, a mean of difference of under 0.3 mm between the printed objects and the reference files was desirable. The Elegoo Mars handled this test beautifully with every parameter at or under the 0.3 mm threshold. The tubes scraped in at 0.3 mm whereas the squares and hexagons were comfortably within the range at 0.034 mm and 0.026 mm respectively. This is proof of the Mars’ ability to print mechanical prototypes with tight tolerances numerous times without significant deviation from the source.

The next test performed was the overhang test which determines the sharpest angle the printer can print at without supports. The model is comprised of six overhanging lips that depart at increasingly steep angles, from 40 degrees to 65 degrees with 5-degree intervals. It was concluded that overhangs up to 55 degrees were printed without significant deformation meaning the maximum overhang angle the Mars can handle is 55 degrees. Angles sharper than this limit did not maintain their straight profiles and had visibly curved due to being unable to hold their own weight.

倒数第二基准测试之前真正的达成ications was the bridge test. The bridge test is designed to determine how well a printer handles horizontal structures with no supports. The bridges increased in length from 25 mm to 60 mm. It was refreshing to see the Mars print all the bridges successfully even though all bridges after 25 mm visibly deformed as resin printers tend to perform poorly in this category. The structurally sound 25 mm print was the result of the Mars curing the first layer enough for it to hold its own weight as well as the weight of the layer after it. A 25 mm limit in the bridge test constitutes good performance when referring to resin printers.

The final benchmarking test performed on the Elegoo Mars was the small and precise parts test where corresponding threaded nuts and bolts are printed. This test determines the printer’s ability to maintain tight tolerances and generate precise shapes. The threads of the two components were printed true to scale and without defects so they could be assembled easily and formed a functioning coupling. We noticed some minor wiggle room in the assembly but in no way did it affect the functionality of the coupling.

Real Application Tests

The real application tests were a series of prints the average user would be found to print. They included a set of rings, a Tower of Mordor and a generic tabletop miniature. While there are certainly resin printers out there that could blow the Mars out the water in terms of print quality due to higher resolution LCD screens or higher precision lasers, the Elegoo Mars displayed a beyond impressive performance for its price point. The prints were of a high enough quality that the layer lines were not visible unless actively sought out. The grooves of the miniature’s armour were deep and the finer details such as the lion’s teeth or the cracks in the Tower of Mordor were readily visible.

The Verdict

Ultimately, the Elegoo Mars is a near-perfect initiation for anyone looking to try their hand at resin printing. Armed with its 2K LCD display, this sub-$300 mighty mouse produces models comparable to most $500+ resin printers. The user interface is refined, and the support provided by Elegoo is reminiscent of a family business. With a few quality of life changes, such as a better thought out USB placement, the Mars has the potential to dominate the consumer-grade resin printing market.

Buy the Elegoo Mars here.

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Featured image shows an Elegoo Mars 3D printer. Photo via Elegoo.