Toronto-based industrial 3D printer manufacturer Wave3D’s Pro SLA Printer is the result of two years research and development by its Canadian team. Characterized by the company as “the world’s most financially accessible industrial 3D printer of its kind,” the Wave3D Pro allows users to prototype much larger products compared to the majority of traditional 3D printers. For example, the typical SLA 3D printer is currently being used to make small-scale, high-detail objects. By contrast, the Wave3D Pro SLA has a volume of 15.5” x 8.5” x 22”, so it can print objects such as a scale model of a Fender Guitar (right) in a single run! The average layer resolution of the Wave3D printer is 50 microns (0.05mm). The company intends to start a pilot production run of the new printer and is seeking investment to take its manufacturing initiatives to the next level. To enable its industrial-scale capabilities, many aspects of the SLA process had to be re-engineered for the printer. One example, said the company, is in the lining of the printer’s build tray. In place of silicone, Wave3D used an optically clear film that can be easily replaced if it should get damaged or overused. “This technique provides no hazing and virtually no sticking – so large, flat surfaces can be printed with ease,” the company added. Wave 3D has also made its materials and software ‘open’ for its users, encouraging experimentation and making the machine much easier to use.
“In our early market research, large size, high quality, reliability and affordability remained a combination that was just not available,” said Ajay Deshmukh, Co-Founder and CEO of Wave3D. “Today, large, industrial 3D printing is still a six-figure proposition for almost any company that wants to produce large, high quality parts. Compromises needed to be made on either size or materials available – and even with the orientations of prints in order to get the types of industrial output needed for enterprise applications. We simply asked ourselves: How could we deliver a final outcome that rivaled all aspects of an industrial printer, with the simplicity of a desktop?” Current estimates place the cost of the new printer at about $60,000 (USD).
