2205 West Parkside Lane, Phoenix,
85027, AZ USA
info@photocentric3d.com
www.photocentric3d.com
Cambridge House, Oxney Road
Peterborough PE1 5YW UK.
info@photocentric3d.com
www.photocentric3d.com
UK USA
DISPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS
Do not throw this electronic device into the waste when discarding. To minimize pollution and ensure utmost protection of the global environment, please recycle or return
to Photocentric for recycling.
THE NEXT GENERATION
OF 3D PRINTING
IS HERE
LC
PRECISION
USER
MANUAL
Liquid Crystal
PRECISION
PRECISION
Contents
General information
Safety Information
Contents of Box
1. Installation & assembly instructions
1.1 Software Installation
2. Homing Procedure
3. Starting a Test Print
4. Washing
5. Hardening
6. Preparing for the next print
7. Re Skinning the Vat
8 Printing your own parts
9. Detailed Creation Workshop software instructions
1-2
3-4
5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12
13-14
14
15
16-17
18-19
22-27
LC PRECISION
USER
MANUAL
PRECISION
LIQUID CRYSTAL 3D-PRINTER
Model: LC Precision
We hereby declare that the product above is in compliance with the essential
requirements of the following:
Low Voltage (LV) Directive 2009/95/EC, 2014/35EU. Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive(EMC), 2004/108/EC,2014/30/EU.
Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances (RoHS) Directive,
2011/65/EU Commission Regulation (EU) No. 453/2010 and IEC 60950-1 Safety of ITE
Technical Documentation is stored at the manufacturer’s address above.
Date of Issue: 15. January 2018
Place of Issue: Peterborough
Amanda Keating
Director
Congratulations!
You have just purchased a new type of 3D printer
using Daylight Polymer Printing (DPP) technology.
This is a patent applied-for method of image creation that hardens liquid with the normal visible light
emitted from an LCD screen. This revolutionary
system is a new method of Additive Manufacturing
that uses the same intensity and part of the spectrum that we use to see. This is the energy providing source that initiates the free radical or cationic polymerisation necessary to change the liquid
photopolymer resin into your hardened object. The
light emitted from the screen is not modied and
the images are safe for viewing.
These are some of the advantages of DPP technology:
i) Low cost- We use high resolution low cost LCD
screens that are widely available in monitors,
tablets, mobile phones and televisions. These
provide phenomenal value for money, which
we pass onto you.
ii) Reliable- Because we use visible light which
is designed to function with LCDs and not UV
light which shortens LCD screens life.
iiI) Very large scale- The screen lights every pixel,
which in turn exposes every voxel, so you can
create large areas of custom product simultaneously. As the format grows this makes it
much more efcient than all alternative means.
iv) Very low energy usage- It uses the amount of
electricity to run a tablet, this is an order of
magnitude lower than that required to operate
a laser or a digital light projector.
v) Low adhesion at the build interface- the heat
created by the screen is very low and the small
amount of initiation energy in the polymrisation
creates very little attraction to the vat lm.
vi) Limited over-exposure- Using this low intensity
visible light, the energy is dissipated very quickly, it either strikes a photoinitiator and creates
a free radical or it loses all the energy hitting
solid material, so there is very limited ability to
over-expose and create solid parts where you
don’t want them.
USER
MANUAL
EU DECLARATION
OF CONFORMITY
NEW DAYLIGHT TECHNOLOGY
HIGH RESOLUTION
3D PRINTER
Manufacturer
Photocentric Ltd
Cambridge House, Oxney Road
Peterborough, PE1 5YW, UK
Year of CE Marking: 2018
1 2
PRECISIONPRECISION
DISPOSAL
INSTRUCTIONS
Do not throw this electronic device into the waste when discarding. To minimise pollution and
ensure protection of the environment, please
recycle or return to Photocentric for recycling.
SAFETY
GUIDELINES
- Keep the printer and resins out of the reach of
children.
- The resin is an irritant to skin and eyes. Always
wear gloves when coming into contact with
the liquid resin. Always use in a well ventilated
room.
- Resins are classied as irritants, not harmful,
but in exceptional circumstances people can
be sensitive to the resin and develop a skin
irritation or rash. Avoid this possibility by
always wearing gloves and avoid breathing
fumes.
- The printer should be operated on a stable
and level surface, preferably away from direct
ambient light.
Please note that the latest instructions will always
be available from:
www.photocentricgroup.com/support
Read the instructions carefully. Keep this document for future reference. Follow all warnings and
instructions marked on the product. Observe the
following guidelines when connecting and disconnecting power to the external power supply unit:
- Install the power supply unit before connecting
the power cord to the AC power outlet.
- Unplug the power cord before removing the
power supply unit from the printer.
- Operate on a table or at, stable surface, ensuring that the machine cannot fall and is level.
- Do not operate outdoors.
- Do not allow resin or any liquids to get inside
the chassis, wipe up any liquid spills immediately.
- Do not spray solvents or soapy water directly
onto the printer as they may damage the screen.
Use a damp tissue to clean off any resin spills.
- Disconnect the printer from AC before storage
or when not used for a long period of time. This
3D printer is connected to the electrical network with an input of 110 or 240 V AC, 50/60
Hz, and has an operational voltage of 48 V.
- Do not allow anything to rest on the power
cord. Do not locate this product where people
will walk on the cord.
- If an extension cord is used with this product,
make sure that the total ampere rating of the
equipment plugged into the extension cord
does not exceed the extension cord ampere
rating. Also, make sure that the total rating of
all products plugged into the wall outlet does
not exceed the fuse rating.
- Do not overload a power outlet, strip or receptacle by plugging in too many devices.
- Use the product only with the supplied power
supply cord set. If you need to replace the
power cord set, make sure that the new power
cord meets the following requirements: detachable type, UL listed/CSA certied, VDE approved or its equivalent, 4.5 meters (15 feet)
maximum
- In case of malfunction, disconnect the printer
immediately from the power supply.
- Do not attempt to x this product by yourself,
as opening or removing covers may expose
you to dangerous voltage points or other risks.
Refer all repairs to qualied service personnel.
Please send an email to your national supplier
or contact technical service at:
info@photocentric.co.uk
Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer
servicing to a qualied service personnel if:
- The power cord or plug is damaged, cut or frayed.
- Liquid has been spilled in the machine.
- The machine was exposed to rain or water.
- The machine has been dropped or the case has
been damaged.
- The machine does not operate normally after
following the operating instructions.
SAFETY
INFORMATION
3 4
IRRITANT
PRECISIONPRECISION
CON
TENTS
The box
contains
RECOMMENDED ITEMS
• Extra gloves.
• Paper towels.
• Access to a sink with hot water to clean the
object.
• Liquid Soap (detergent) to clean the object.
• Soft brush or sponge to clean the object.
• Glass or clear plastic container to post expose the object in.
• Ultrasonic Cleaner (Optional)
• Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to clean the product
(Optional)
MINIMUM COMPUTER
REQUIREMENTS
• 1.2 GHz processor or above.
• Windows
• 2 GB RAM memory or above.
1. INSTALLATION
& ASSEMBLY
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Open the box and carefully remove the printer
package, by holding the side handles.
2. Remove the anciallary box from the bottom of the
box.
3. Open up the printer package, remove the hood
and then remove the printer.
4. Place the printer in the work area. Make sure the
printer stands level and stable on four feet. If it is
not level you can easily adjust the height of the
feet by turning them clockwise or anti clockwise
accordingly.
5. Connect the USB cable, HDMI cable and Power
cable supplied to the back of the printer.
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
65
USB cable
HDMI cable AC cable Converter
Spray Bottle Scraper
Funnel Paper resin lters
2 x disposable
vat
Platform
(assembled)
Vat cleaning tool Print sample
Liquid Crystal
Precision with red
hood.
PRECISIONPRECISION
A one year Creation Workshop License is included
with this printer. Please activate your license
number on initial printer set up. The license number
can be found on the back of the printer.
6. Do NOT remove the screen lm which is protecting
the upper surface of the screen and printer.
7. Remove one of the vats from the ancillary box
and place it centrally over the screen.
8. Check the lm for any imperfections or holes;
any problems with the lm may cause a leak.
The provided vats are disposable. You can use
them as long as the lm is not pierced or the vat
is not damaged. However if you wish to you can
change the lm. To change the lm, see section
Re-Skinning Vat on pages 16-17. To check the
integrity of the vat, ll it with water and stand
for 5 minutes on absorbent paper, look for leaks
and dry thoroughly before use. Once inspected,
install the vat back into the machine. Before each
print, wearing gloves, sweep the lm completely
down onto the screen to ensure that there are no
objects on or under the lm.
9. Remove the platform from the ancillary box. Slide
it onto the printer arm and tighten the top knob
only, leave the two side knobs loose.
10. If you are experiencing difculties setting up
your printer please visit our website:
www.photocentricgroup.com/support
The vat should be tensioned, this can be checked by
gently tapping on the lm with your nger. not your
ngernail!
1. Go to www.photocentricgroup.com and
download the “Liquid Crystal Precision Driver”
and “Creation Workshop for Liquid Crystal
Precision” which can be found on the support
page. The latest version is always online.
2. Install the driver “CypressDriverinstaller_1”
on your computer so that the USB port will
recognize the Liquid Crystal Printer. Restart your
computer.
3. Make sure the HDMI, USB and Power cables
are plugged into the printer and then turn on the
power using the rocker switch at the back.
4. Go to your computer desktop, right click and
open “Screen resolution”. Set your screens to
“Multiple Displays” and “Extend this display
mode”, keeping your computer monitor as the
main screen. Make sure that the printer’s screen
is set to a resolution of 2560 x 1440. There are
videos online if you need further help.
5. Congure your computer so that the screensaver does not come on and ensure that it does
not have the power-saving mode enabled. If you
forget to do this your computer may shut down
mid process and the printer will switch off.
1.1. SOFTWARE
INSTALATION
MINIMUM COMPUTER
REQUIREMENTS
• Dual Core processor or above
• Windows
• Software NOT compatible with MAC and
Linux
• 2 GB RAM memory or above
CREATION WORKSHOP
7 8
PRECISIONPRECISION
6. Execute the Creation Workshop software by
double clicking on “CreationWorkshop.exe”. If
the software requires a license number insert the
license number supplied.
7. In Creation Workshop, click on “Congure”, and
then open the subfolder “Congure Machine”. In
the conguration folder connect the printer to the
computer by clicking on the button “Congure”
in the Machine Connection section. Select the
port you have connected the USB to and set the
speed to 115200 and data bits to 8. Press “OK”
on available displays and then select refresh.
Once refreshed, choose Display 2560x1440 and
press + to add it to Congured Screen and then
press, Apply Changes. Now click [CONNECT
ICON] to connect your computer and the Liquid
Crystal.
8. If you are experiencing difculties to start or
connect your printer, go to our website www.
photocentricgroup.com, and visit “Support”.
You will nd videos that will run you through the
issues you may nd due to specic computer
settings. Should you still nd difculties, please
contact your national supplier or contact us at
info@photocentric.co.uk.
9
10
Ensure that the screen is clean (wipe with a little
liquid soap and warm water if it’s dirty) and dry.
Place the vat centrally over the screen.
Ensure the base of the vat lm is clean. Wearing
gloves wipe the bottom of the vat lm with a
piece of abosorbent paper. You can use soapy
water or IPA to help cleaning. Make sure the
print platform is clean by scrubbing with liquid
soap and water and wipe dry. Place the platform
on the print arm.
Tighten the upper bolt and loosen the two side
bolts on the print platform.
In Creation Workshop, go to the control tab and
press the home button (located at the top of the
z-Axis controls).This will lower the platform until
the home switch is activated. Align the platform
so that it is directly over the screen and tighten
the central bolt.
Wearing gloves, press down hard in the middle
of the metal platform and then tighten the two
side bolts. Press ‘+10’, and the platform will lift
10mm, pour the amount of resin you need, then
press ‘-10’ to return it to screen height and you
are homed!
2. THE HOMING
PROCEDURE
PRECISIONPRECISION
NOTE: If you have an object that is 100 cm3 then it will use
115g of resin. Always overll by at least 20% to ensure
consistent resin ow. For most prints, lling the vat to
1/3 full is more than enough. Place the hood back on
the printer.
11 12
NOTE: You can check the screen is working in the “Control”
tab ; by activation manual Gcode, writing M106 in command bar, pressing send (backlight should come on at
this stage), pressing the “Show calibration” button located and a blue grid will appear.
To turn off the backlight, send M107 command.
Now you have set up your printer, lets make your
rst print!
3. STARTING A
TEST PRINT
STARTING FROM CREATION
WORKSHOP
Please download the CrossRings test le from the
Liquid Crystal Precision support page. In Creation
Workshop, click on the “Open” button in the
top left and open the le “CrossRings x5”. Please
note this le is very large and depending on your
computers processing power this make take few
seconds to open up. Press the “Print” button.
PRECISIONPRECISION
1. When your print has nished, press the ‘+50’
button and the platform will rise to above the
level of the vat. Remove the hood and loosen
the two side bolts, tilt the platform slightly to
allow the resin to drip off. Adjust vat postion on
the tilted platform if needed. Put the hood back
on and leave to drain for a few minutes.
2. Remove the hood again and with absorbent
paper under it, remove the platform completely
and set it down on the paper. Place the hood
back on to protect the resin in the vat from
light.
4. WASHING
13 14
3. After all the liquid resin has drained off, gently
remove any excess polymer with absorbent
paper. The fastest way to clean it and achieve
a dry surface is by spraying or immersing it in
IPA. Spray thoroughly to make sure all of the
details, such as miniature holes, are free from
excess resin. Alternatively, you can wash it in
hot water and detergent. Likewise, you can use
a hot soapy water spray to make sure excess
resin has been cleaned from detailed areas.
To avoid a fragile part being damaged, you
can hold the part under running hot water and
gently clean it with a soft brush or sponge and
liquid detergent. To remove the object from the
platform, slide a scraper in at the base and cut
off the supports. Take care not to damage the
print as it will not achieve its full hardness until
after post exposing in light. A small ultrasonic
cleaner lled with fresh soapy water or IPA is
recommended to clean delicate objects.
1. When completely clean, place it underwater in
light (UV, sunlight or a table light) for a least 30
minutes to remove the surface tack. The part
will only have around 1/4 of its nal strength
before post-exposure and strength increases
slowly with more light. Full strength is achieved
with 30 mins in a UV unit, or 60 mins under a
normal 60W table lamp. Then remove from
water and dry.
5. HARDENING
30 mins
post exposure
60 mins
post exposure
60 mins
post exposure
PRECISIONPRECISION
3. If you have a leak on the screen mop up the
liquid resin immediately using absorbent
paper, then clean the screen with a damp
cloth with detergent. Hardened resin can be
removed by chipping it off with a credit card or
plastic scraper. Metal scrapers should only be
used with extreme care to avoid scratching the
screen.
1. Scrape off any cured resin and clean the build
platform with hot water and liquid detergent.
Dry it thoroughly before inserting it back into
the printer.
2. Empty and clean the vat after every print. Be
sure to clean it thoroughly as any solid pieces
on the bottom of the vat would prevent the
platform from homing correctly. Loosen the
thumb screws and remove the vat from the
printer; pour the resin back into the bottle
through the funnel, using the strainer provided.
Refer to the video tutorial which can be found
on the Liquid Crystal Precision support page.
6. PREPARING FOR
THE NEXT PRINT
15 16
7. RE-SKINNING
THE VAT
1. Remove the lm currently taped to the vat
and dispose of it. It may be possible to use
the double-sided tape again if it has no resin
on it. If the tape cannot be reused, remove it
completely and replace on the lower edge of
the vat.
2. Wipe the vat clean and wash all parts with
soap and water. Pay attention to the underside
of the vat, resin may have cured here. Remove
any hard bits of resin as they may make a hole
when tightening the new lm over it.
3. Check the new vat lm isn’t pierced or dented
and place it over the protective brown paper,
on a at work surface. Place one edge of the
vat along the edge of vat lm.
Re-skinning the vat is a simple process but care
and attention must be paid to cleanliness and
removing cured bits of resin. Make sure at each
stage of the process that the work surface, vat, and
your hands are very clean and free from debris that
may cause holes in the lm.
Please read carefully.
A loose vat can have creases which create ridges in
the base of the object.
Scissors
Craft knife
Pallet knife
MATERIALS REQUIRED
Photocentric vat lm replacement pack, single sided
sticky tape, double sided tape and paper towel.
TOOLS REQUIRED
PRECISIONPRECISION
4. Fold over the other side of the lm and pulling
it rmly tight in the middle stretch the edges
out so there are no creases.
5. Pull each side of the lm up and onto the sides
of the vat.
6. Apply single sided tape at the corners over the
folds to keep the lm tight. The vat should now
be tensioned. Trim excess edges off.
7. Finally, ll with water and leave on absorbent
paper to check for leaks. Drain and dry with
paper towel before use.
If you are unsure of the process and need a video
guide, then please visit the Support section of our
website.
17 18
8. PRINTING YOUR
OWN PARTS
STARTING A PRINT WITH
CREATION WORKSHOP
In this section, we will learn how to use Creation
Workshop to prepare your 3D parts for printing.
1. Home the printer by consulting section 2 the
homing procedur.
2. Open Creation Workshop.exe and load your
objects (STL, OBJ or AMF).
3. With the object loaded and located in the
build area check the settings of the printing
prole. Go to the “Congure” screen and open
the “Congure Slicing Prole” tab. Select the
printing prole from the “Machine Proles” list
that matches your resin and desired resolution
for example “LCPrecision High Tensile Cream 50
Microns”.
Note: Always click “Apply Changes” to save if
you had to change any values. If you don’t click
this your data will not be re-set.
4. Now click “3D View” and check that the object
is correctly placed inside the printing area.
5. Press the slice button to start the slicing
operation. A conrmation window will show.
Always re-click the “Slice” button if you adjust
the le in any way.
6. Now check the “Slice View” screen to check that
the rst layer of every object is in contact with
the build base. If it is above the build platform
it will not adhere. If you click on the view box
located in the bottom left corner you can scroll
forward through the slicing views using the
slider bar and check that the object is always
You should now have successfully printed the ring
and it’s time to print your own parts.
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inside the build area.
7. If you are happy with the slices, then press print
19 20
9. DETAILED
CREATION WORKSHOP
SOFTWARE
INSTRUCTIONS
Main screen
Click to open les in one of the following formats:
.STL, .OBJ, .3DS or .AMF. You can also open
scene les with the .CWS extension.
Click this button to disconnect your printer from
the computer. If the button is grayed out, it means
that the machine is currently disconnected.
Click to save the current object as a .STL or
.CWS le. The .CWS format allows you to prepare
a scene to be printed repeatedly in the future,
together with supports and positioning.
These three buttons start, pause and stop a print.
These buttons only become active once you have
sliced your object.
Clicking this button allows you to view the 3D
objects within their boundary box. You can add
supports in this function.
Clicking this button accesses the “Slicing” screen.
You can see the individual slices that have been
generated as well as the G-code.
This allows you to control the z axis motor, home
it and lift it after a print has nished.
This is the setup screen that allows you to
congure the slicing and printing proles.
Click to start the connection between your
computer and your Liquid Crystal 3d printer.
Once the button is grayed out, this means that the
printer is connected.
PRECISIONPRECISION
21 22
1. Loading a Model
The Scene View allows you to manipulate various
aspects of the scene.
Selecting
You can select a model by double clicking on the
model, or selecting it with the scene view
Removing a Model
You can remove a model by right-clicking on the
name in the scene graph and selecting “Remove”.
The Minus sign “-” will also remove the current
model. You can also delete a model by selecting
it and then pressing the “delete” key on your
keyboard.
Cloning a model
You can select a model in the scene and click the
“+” sign to clone it. The cloned object will appear
2. Scene View
Click here to ‘Load’ your le. Multiple objects
can be loaded and manipulated independently.
You can also open scene les with the .CWS
extension.
3. Object Info
4. Move View
The Move function allows you to move objects
on the build platform along the x:y:z axis by the
distance entered.
From left to right, the other tools are:
The ‘Place on Platform’ button will position the
bottom of the model to rest on the bottom of the
build platform.
The ‘Center’ button will center the model at (0,0,0).
• Auto-Arrange will automatically lay out all
models to t on the build platform. Any model
that does not t within the build platform will be
moved outside the build area.
This tabs provides you with information about your
model
A model can be scaled (reduced or increased) by
selecting it, and using the ‘Scale’ view to enter in a
new scaler value. Press the tick button to re-scale
your object.
6. Scaling objects
7. Rotating Objects
8. View Options
Rotating a model works in a similar way to moving
a model. Simply select the model you want to
work with, and use the X/Y/Z +/- buttons to rotate
the model by your specied degrees.
The view option allows you to manipulate various
views and models.
On the top row from left to right:
• 50% Alpha-Blending toggle. This will allow
you to see through the objects in the scene to
see the geometry
• Show Slice Preview on Scene. After slicing
this toggles on/off the view of the 3D view
of the current slice layer as selected by the
horizontal scrollbar.
• Show Console. This toggle button shows or
hides the debug window. This window is used
for debugging purposes.
On the bottom row from left to right are tools
to change the way the objects appear on the
screen:
• Show objects with a bounding box.
The Mirror view allows you to mirror the selected
object on the specied axis.
5. Mirroring Objects
PRECISIONPRECISION
23 24
9. Working with Model Support tools
Using Supports
Supports are sometime required to properly attach
a model to the build space. Because of the nature
of DPP the lower layers must be supported by the
supports unless it has a wide surface in the rst
layers. We recommend checking no supports pass
through your object. If they do, you can delete them
and manually add others if needed.
Adding a single Support
A single support can be generated by clicking the
manual support button.
Moving Supports
After a manual or automatic support has been
generated, individual supports can be moved
around the x:y plane the same way models can
be moved. Select the support by double clicking
on it to select it, and hold down the ‘Shift’ key on
your keyboard and move the mouse. Supports will
automatically scale vertically under the model they
support.
Angled Supports
Supports can be angled inwards towards the objects
they support. This can often resolve clearance
issues with vertical supports. You can turn a vertical
support into an angled support by selecting it, and
holding the ‘Ctrl’ key and clicking on the model you
want to support.
Manual Configuration
Under the Support Generation view, you can click
‘show downward facing polys’. This will highlight all
polygons in the model that are pointed downward
by the specied degree. This helps you manually
place supports under un-supported downward
facing areas of a model.
Auto Support on Grid
After a model is loaded into the scene and selected,
you can automatically generate a ‘bed of nails’
support for the model by selecting . You can specify
the grid spacing and the size of the generated
supports. If you wish to only generate supports on
downward facing polygons, check the boxes under
‘support general’ and ‘generate only on downward’
Adaptive supports
You can add supports to areas in the model that are
unsupported. There are 2 algorithms to help you
accomplish this.
There are two buttons for each of the available
options.
• The rst option has the same name as the
screen itself (Slice View). In this setting we can
see (as shown in the image) each successive
layer of the generated “Slicing”. With the lower
bar we can scroll through the entire slicing
result to check each of the layers. In the upper
left corner we can see the total number of
layers that have been generated. In the lower
left corner we have a ( ) button to turn the
projector on and expose the selected layer.
This can be useful to check the positioning of
the vat.
• G-Code View: On this screen you can see
the G-code generated during the “Slicing”
operation. This option is intended for advanced
users. We recommend to leave this screen
untouched.
12. Slicing a Model
11. Slice View
In the Slice View screen we get the following
information:
After one or more models have been loaded and
manipulated on the build platform, the entire
scene can be saved as an STL model for later use.
Simply click on the ‘File->Save Scene STL’ menu
item to save the scene model. This will atten all
models in a scene into a single STL le. Scenes
can also be saved to CWS les.. These scene
les can be used to create a scene with supports,
slice the scene, and later load to print your scene
without the need for re-slicing.
Click to save the current object as a .STL or
.CWS le. The .CWS format allows you to
prepare a scene to be printed repeatedly in the
future, together with supports and positioning.
10. Saving a Scene
Once you have loaded one of the models,
congured your machine prole, and
congured your build & slicing prole, you
can slice a model. Choose the slice icon
from the toolbar ro bring up the slicing
screen.
PRECISIONPRECISION
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