What type of 3d printer was used to create this part?

[silviasol]

Hello! New here. Have been interested in 3d printing for awhile just never had any projects I wanted to do.
I have this part that is a production sample of the headphones linked below. I got a big lot of headphones and parts for their headphones and this was in it. The quality is amazing and this makes me want to get whatever kind they used. I assume they have top end printers, just wondering what would be needed to make this quality of part?

Pictures- Click on the image to see all three images. Last picture has the tip of a sharpie for scale.
https://imgur.com/a/aNi4yY4

https://www.westone.com/store/music/index.php/w60-earphones

[rflulling]

Looks like was done on a SLA or SLS type printer. Where laser or light are used to cure resin layer by layer like thousands of stacked photos. These are very high resolution. But also more costly. Plus parts require an alcohol bath, and extra UV light cure time to fully harden.

[MaddieG]

It looks like this was created via the SLA/DLP process, as @rflulling said.

SLS uses a laser to sinter nylon powder, which creates opaque prints with a smooth grainy finish.

[rflulling]

Thanks for filling in the blanks, MaddieG. I am by means an expert on laser made products.
-With your familiarity I am guessing that you do use these machines? Slight envy. Mine are all fused deposit for now.

Silviasol, perhaps you can generate a file for the parts you want and MaddieG can help you get them made? Note these are small enough that most filament based printers won’t do a good job making this part. But 3D Hubs has the hardware to make these.

[silviasol]

I am searching around for them. I see them under $500?! Can I really expect this quality? Looking at the anycubic photon, is that a good machine? I see youtube reviews are great for it. I have my finger on the buy it now button just want to make sure this is best for the price.

[cobnut]

Are we sure this was SLA/SLS? There are some pretty big layer lines visible. I’d have said FDM, personally, albeit a high-quality one.

Can we identify the material?

[silviasol]

I think it is a dlp from the research I did it. With my caliper I measure some of the thickness is under .5mm if that is any giveaway. It actually broke apart when I removed the speaker drivers yesterday, very brittle at the .5mm thickness. However the stem where you put the ear bud tip is extremely strong, could not get that to break even with alot of force.
Anyway I bought the anycubic photon. I figure good enough reviews so it will hold it’s value when I upgrade later and sell it.

[cobnut]

If there are parts that thin it probably is SLA/DLP - it’s hard to get an idea of scale (even with the sharpie!). I guess it could have been printed at a fairly high layer height for SLA, and that combined with the size is making the layer lines more obvious.

[silviasol]

It is pretty amazing. Can’t wait to get mine. SLA uses lasers and does not have layer marks right? The lasers make rounded edges on each layer rather then dlp’s curing from a flat led screen.
While waiting for it to be delivered I have been making a few other things I need with tinker cad, some very simple things. The detail of this print is so great they must have some kind of scanning program, or hired an expert at making models. Could not even begin to make something this advanced.

[cobnut]

There are actually three types of “SLA” machine using resins and light. There are some that use a laser, like the Formlabs Form 2, others use projected UV light, and others use a LCD screen directly beneath the print bed, the last two are usually referred to as “DLP” rather than SLA, but they all use the principle of curing liquid resin using UV light.

SLA prints can still have layer lines - the model is still built layer by layer, just as FDM does. The key difference is that with SLA, the “next” layer bonds more thoroughly with the layer “beneath” it (in SLA, it’s actually the layer above it as the print moves in the opposite direction to FDM) so layers tend to “blend” slightly and this blending can, with very low layer heights and the right model end up with layer lines being virtually invisible but with bigger layer heights and curved shapes SLA is quite capable of producing visible layers, just like FDM, so don’t get the impression all your prints will be perfectly smooth.

If you’re not that familiar with SLA/DLP I’d recommend learning a little more before ordering a machine. SLA printing involves a lot more post-processing than FDM and can be quite messy. Most resins require a special baking/UV curing process to get the best results and the devices to do this are not usually cheap. Print trays and resin also need to be stored and handled carefully - you’ll need to get used to wearing nitrile gloves - and I certainly wouldn’t recommend an SLA machine for the typical “home” office unless you’re quite experienced.

[silviasol]

So the photon I got uses a lcd screen with uv led light under it. Correct me if I am wrong, the lcd starts all black color so no uv light gets thru, then when printing layers it opens individual pixels needed and enough light to cure a layer of resin shines thru, then repeats the process many times. So other lcd unit printers have lcd screens each individual pixel is a tiny uv light?

Lines should be no issue for what I will be printing. My current projects are parts to fix things inside of devices. One is for other headphones like this one, the part that is connected to the drivers in the second picture, it glues to the headphones housing and directs sound thru pipes inside it. As for strength this headphones shell project will take me some time, I think it should hold up with thicker say 1mm thickness as it is a oval object that will create much more strength when connected. I will just have to live with the lines, or maybe paint over it.

I have used the uv resin and just a uv light for headphones repair projects. Started with bondic then made my own stronger uv led lights setup. I figure make the models so they work then bulk print them as I will use them often. It is some messy stuff I know. Curing I have a uv light box with heater(a modded face towel heater) but strength really won’t be necessary until I tackle the headphones shell.

[cobnut]

Hi @silviasol, DLP printers that project light onto the bed use chips covered with tiny, tiny mirrors that move, known as a DMD (digitial micromirror device). See here:

Digital micromirror device

Sounds like you’re all set up with your own hot-box!

[silviasol]

Interesting. I will be keeping my eye open for ebay auctions to get a deal on a high end sla used unit. Using lasers just sounds too interesting.
I just made my first design, check my new post please! Thanks for all the help!

My first design for anycubic printer, waiting for delivery. Will it print?