{"id":164156,"date":"2021-12-05T10:55:41","date_gmt":"2021-12-05T02:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?post_type=kb&p=164156"},"modified":"2022-08-12T17:21:32","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T09:21:32","slug":"lcd-vs-dlp-3d-printing-the-differences","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/lcd-vs-dlp-3d-printing-the-differences","title":{"rendered":"LCD vs DLP 3D Printing: The Differences"},"content":{"rendered":"

Resin 3D Printing in a Nutshell<\/h3>\n
\"\"
The Anycubic Photon, an LCD 3D printer. Source: All3DP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before we dive into the differences between DLP and LCD, let\u2019s take a brief look at what resin 3D printing actually is, and how both DLP and LCD work.<\/p>\n

Resin 3D printing, also known as vat polymerization, comes in three main flavors: SLA, DLP, and LCD. This article will mainly focus on DLP and LCD, but it\u2019s good to understand how SLA works before trying to understand DLP and LCD.<\/p>\n

All vat polymerization technologies involve a photosensitive resin\u00a0cured by a light source to\u00a0produce solid layers and, eventually, whole parts. The resin is contained within a vat, or tank, and is cured against a build platform, which slowly rises out of the tank as the part is formed. The main difference between the three technologies discussed here is the light source.<\/p>\n

The most well known and oldest of the three is\u00a0stereolithography, or SLA<\/a>. It uses a laser, directed by galvanometers, to cure the resin. Galvanometers can be thought of as mirrors used to guide the laser beam through the transparent tank bottom to a particular point\u00a0on the build platform.<\/p>\n

Instead of a laser,\u00a0digital light processing (DLP)<\/a>\u00a0uses\u00a0a\u00a0digital light projector to cure the resin. It flashes images of whole layers onto the bottom of the vat.\u00a0Light is selectively directed using a digital micromirror device (DMD), which is a component consisting of\u00a0hundreds of thousands of tiny mirrors.<\/p>\n

Layers generated using DLP printers consist of so-called voxels, the 3D equivalent of pixels. That\u2019s because the projector screen itself consists of pixels.<\/p>\n

Less common than the other two technologies, LCD 3D printing is nearly the same as\u00a0DLP. It also flashes complete layers at the resin tank, but with the UV light coming from an array of LEDs shining through an LCD, not a projector.\u00a0A screen acts as a mask, revealing only the pixels necessary for the current layer. As such, no special device is required to direct the light, as is the case in both SLA and DLP.<\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019ve covered the three main types of resin 3D printing, let\u2019s focus on the former two, identifying the differences between them.<\/p>\n

Print Quality<\/h3>\n
\"\"
A close-up shot of a model 3D printed on an LCD 3D printer. Source: Photocentric<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

DLP projectors and LCD screens exist all around us, in our schools, our offices, and our homes. If you can imagine the differences between the two, you\u2019re already part of the way to understanding the differences between DLP and LCD 3D printing.<\/p>\n

DLP<\/strong><\/p>\n

DLP projectors create an image of a layer\u00a0by shining light through a lens\u00a0to a DMD, which must then direct the light to the bottom of the resin tank. As such, the light coming from a DLP projector must expand from a small\u00a0source to cover a wide area. This essentially means\u00a0wide models have an increased chance of having distorted pixels at their edges.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the number of pixels on a DLP projector is the same regardless of the size of the print.\u00a0That means smaller and narrower prints can have higher precision than wider prints done on the same DLP printer.<\/p>\n

To visualize this effect, think of a photo you\u2019ve taken on your smartphone. As you zoom in on the photo, the sharpness declines. That\u2019s exactly what happens when printing big objects on a DLP printer \u2014 they\u2019re \u201czoomed out\u201d.<\/p>\n

That said, it\u2019s important to keep in mind that distortion is corrected for on more professional devices, which have better quality components. Additionally, the \u201czooming out\u201d issue doesn\u2019t necessarily\u00a0imply that a DLP\u00a0printer has poor print quality, only that its resolution is more concentrated for smaller prints.<\/p>\n

LCD<\/strong><\/p>\n

LCD 3D printers use an array of UV LCDs as a light source. The light from the flat LCD panels shines directly, in a parallel fashion, onto the build area. Because this light isn\u2019t\u00a0expanded, pixel distortion is less of an issue with LCD printing.<\/p>\n

What this means is that the print quality of an LCD printer depends on its LCD density. The more pixels it has, the better the print quality.<\/p>\n

The benefit\u00a0that both DLP and LCD share,\u00a0when compared to SLA, is build speed. Because there\u2019s\u00a0an entire layer is flashed at once, instead of a single point, the two technologies are typically able to produce parts faster.<\/p>\n

Applications and Pricing<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Sample parts from the fields of dentistry, engineering, and jewelry. Source: Photocentric, Uniz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Both DLP and LCD are used in the dental, jewelry and engineering industries, just to mention a few. Naturally, there are also a fair number of\u00a0hobbyists using both types of printers.<\/p>\n

Looking at the market, the general trend is that DLP printers are the more expensive, professional machines. LCD, a more recent technology, has so far been seen mostly in affordable,\u00a0desktop printers.<\/p>\n

As mentioned earlier, cheaper DLP printers sometimes suffer from minor\u00a0voxel distortion. However, that potential issue becomes less of a problem if one invests a little more money. That\u2019s because, with higher quality printers comes\u00a0higher quality hardware, which is designed to correct for distortion.<\/p>\n

In general, LCD 3D printers use cheaper components than DLP 3D printers,\u00a0making them a cheaper resin 3D printing solution. This is a great thing\u00a0because it extends the reach of resin 3D printing to a wider audience of makers.<\/p>\n

Both DLP and LCD are able of achieving fast print speeds and great details, but as the price tag grows, the DLP 3D printers start to\u00a0trump their LCD counterparts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/all3dp.com\/2\/lcd-vs-dlp-3d-printing-technologies-compared\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Resin 3D Printing in a Nutshell Before we dive into the differences between DLP and LCD, let\u2019s take a brief look at what resin 3D printing actually is, and how both DLP and LCD work. Resin 3D printing, also known as vat polymerization, comes in three main flavors: SLA, DLP, and LCD. This article will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"kbtopic":[45],"kbtag":[126,88,533,403],"class_list":["post-164156","kb","type-kb","status-publish","hentry","kbtopic-tech","kbtag-3d-printing","kbtag-dlp","kbtag-lcd","kbtag-technology"],"yoast_head":"\nLCD vs DLP 3D Printing: The Differences - FacFox Docs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Resin 3D Printing in a Nutshell Before we dive into the differences between DLP and LCD, let\u2019s take a brief look at what resin 3D printing actually is, LCD and DLP are both resin-based technologies, So what sets them apart? 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