What is the Difference: Perforated vs Solid Platforms?
Hello everyone, we discussed How to choose a dental printer in the last issue, concluding that it is recommended to use the lift-style printer in most printing scenarios. However, in addition to the difference in optical structure, the lift-style printer also has differences in the type of platform, solid type and perforated type. In this issue, we will discuss these two platform's advantages and disadvantages.
The difference of solid and perforated platforms
Using lift-style printers, we need to add enough resin to the material vat at first. The platform will sink into the resin for UV-lighting, and then lift with the curing resin adhering on the platform. When the platform is lifted, the area around the platform has a pressure difference, so the resin will flow to these areas which will continue to prevent the platform from lifting until the platform separates from the resin vat. This pressure will affect the printing effect.
If using a solid platform, the resin can only flow from the surrounding area of the platform. With the fast lifting and the high viscosity of the resin, the force required for lift will be very large which will possibly affect the printing accuracy. If using a perforated platform, the resin can also flow through the holes on the platform. The force required to pull up is much smaller and the affection to printing accuracy will be smaller too.
Advantages and disadvantages of solid and perforated platforms
In the actual operation process, the solid platform requires operation skills for draining holes. Taking a dental model as an example, the hollowing area inside of the model will form an airtight space with the resin vat during the process of platform lifting. The pressure generated can affect both the inside and outside of the model. If the wall thickness of the model is quite thin, the pressure will deform the model possibly, which will affect the accuracy or cause the model to fall from the platform.
Therefore, when we print a hollow model on a solid platform, we need to drain holes at the edge of the model contacted with platform to ensure that the resin can flow smoothly. In order to cope with this situation, we have developed an automatic drain holes function in CHITUBOX Dental, which can quickly drain holes around the model close to the platform. If the printing is done on a perforated platform, there is generally no need for drain holes because the platform itself has holes to ensure the flow of resin.
On the other hand, there are certain limitations to the perforated platform. First of all, the model bottom is probably uneven. When printing the first few layers, due to the long exposure time, the material will be embedded in the holes of the platform, resulting in poor flatness of the model bottom. Secondly, the layout of the small model should be careful, such as die models, if it is arranged at the hole of the platform, the first layer probably cannot be attached to the platform, resulting in printing failure. Moreover, it is difficult to avoid the debris of the model stuck in the holes when taking the model off the platform, which will increase the difficulty of cleaning the platform. To deal with this situation, we have cooperated with printer manufacturers to render the platform model in CHITUBOX Dental, so that users can intuitively see the holes on the platform when layout, to adjust the position of the model.
These are the advantages and disadvantages of the perforated platform and the solid platform, in summary, the perforated platform has an advantage over the solid one, and generally, the cost of the perforated platform is higher than that of the solid platform too. In my opinion, printers with a large format must use a perforated platform, otherwise, the lift force is too large the resin will fluctuate violently, and the accuracy of printing will be greatly reduced. For small format printers, a perforated platform is not necessary unless the resin material is very viscous. If the printer format is less than 8 inches and the resin used is not very viscous, it is recommended to choose a solid platform. If the resin is very viscous, then a printer with a perforated platform will be better.