Late last year Photocentric, the inventors of LCD resin printing, upped the ante once again on what is considered to be Large Format resin printing. Their Magna printer already dwarfed the competition with a build volume that only million dollar SLA machines could try to keep up with.  The Titan makes the Magna look small, so many would say “why get a Magna anymore when I can capture the same level of detail on the Titan?”  The short answer is you should always use the right tool for the right job.  Let's dive deeper.

The Breakdown

First let's do a size comparison of the Titan, Magna, Opus and the competition so we can have an understanding of what we are talking about.  The Form Labs’ 3L is probably the most popular “large format” resin printer, so I will use them for comparison.  As you can see below it is a stretch to consider this printer in the same class.

To give you a sense of scale, the Titan is 7ft tall!

High Detail - Complex Geometries Made Easy

Resin Printing technology is capable of producing intricate and complex geometries that would be challenging or impossible with traditional manufacturing methods or even FFF printing. This opens up new design possibilities and allows businesses to create cutting-edge products.  Capturing the finest of detail has always been resin printing's strength, and the Titans 8k screen provides a pixel pitch of 91um, so there is no drop off in resolution even though we are scaling up so much in size.

Other Benefits of LCD Resin Printing

Speed:

With the ability to print large-scale objects in a single piece, Large Format 3D Printing significantly reduces production times. No more splitting parts, no more gluing, no more sanding; go straight from the printer to your end-use.

LCD cures the entire build area in one shot of light, so printing 100 parts is the same speed as printing 1 part.  This also means printing a large part is just as fast as printing a small part of similar height.

Large format parts that usually take days to print on other machines will print in just a few hours.  That's right, you can have your prototypes, tooling, or molds the same day you finish the designs.

In-House Production Capabilities:

Large Format 3D Printers empower businesses to bring production in-house. This means companies can maintain control over their manufacturing processes, reduce lead times, and respond quickly to changes in product design or demand.

Prototyping at Scale:

Large Format 3D Printing enables businesses to create full-scale prototypes of products. This means designers and engineers can visualize and test their ideas in a more accurate and tangible way, reducing the time and cost associated with traditional prototyping methods.

Customization and Personalization:

Businesses can now offer highly customized and personalized products to their customers. Whether it's creating bespoke consumer goods or tailored industrial components, Large Format 3D Printing allows for flexibility in design, ensuring that products meet specific client needs.

Reduced Costs in Production:

Traditional manufacturing processes often involve expensive tooling and molds. Large Format 3D Printing eliminates the need for these costly upfront investments, allowing businesses to produce complex, low-volume parts and products more economically.

Waste Reduction and Sustainability:

Traditional manufacturing processes often generate substantial waste. Large Format 3D Printing allows for precise material usage, reducing waste and contributing to a more sustainable approach to production. Businesses can take a step towards environmentally-friendly practices with this technology.

Innovative Marketing and Branding:

Large Format 3D Printing enables the creation of eye-catching, unique displays and marketing materials. From larger-than-life product replicas to attention-grabbing signage, businesses can leverage this technology to enhance their branding and stand out in a crowded market.

Streamlined Supply Chains:

By producing components on-demand and closer to the point of use, businesses can streamline their supply chains. This reduces the need for extensive warehousing and lowers transportation costs, contributing to overall operational efficiency.

Why not use the Titan for everything?

Every engineer, maker and manufacturer knows you should use the right tool for the right job.  Using the Titan to print a small baseball sized part is like using a sledge hammer to put up a wall hanger.  The Titan is the higher value machine that uses more resources, so it should be reserved for the big value & big volume jobs.

The Magna uses the same technology, same materials, same production method and same post processing equipment, so pairing the two machines together gives you the best of both worlds. You don't have to invest a lot more capital to add the Magna to your Titan setup, and you don't need any new training to know how to operate both. Simply put the right print job on the right machine, and you can maximize your throughput and minimize your costs.

Conclusion

Large Format 3D Printing is a game-changer for businesses, offering a plethora of benefits that can propel them into a new era of innovation and efficiency. As this technology continues to evolve, businesses that embrace Large Format 3D Printing will find themselves well-positioned to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future, and out-pace their competition.  
Create your molds, tools, prototypes, and end-use parts in hours instead of days using the perfect Titan-Magna combination.