Athena 3D Resin (EPIC POTENTIAL) Printer - an overview
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- I have a prototype right here. The quality is excellent. The development that has gone into it is second to none. And the potential... oh the massive potential.
Here I have a resin printer unlike any I've seen. A printer that I have no doubt has launched the industry a minimum of 5 years forward in one single bound.
And yet, it's not finished. More development is needed. This is a Kickstarter and I can't review what isn't complete.
So I have to draw upon my own observations, take leaps of logic and decide if I truly believe that Athena is AMAZING...
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This product was given to me, free of charge and without obligation. No money has changed hands and the only agreement made was that I video an INDEPENDENT review, expressing my own personal and above all honest thoughts on the product. The opinions stated are my own, based upon my observations of items I have actually reviewed. I cannot form judgements about items I have not seen.
#3dprinting #3dprinter #resinprinting #vegoilguy #vog - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
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This is exactly the kind of tech i love- open source, repairable, and customizable! Cant afford to back it at the moment but will definitely be interested in the future when the budget catches up.
I think many will do the same 😁
I usually don't log in to youtube but I felt compelled to log in this time because you so strongly recommended this and with the wholesale promotional videos earlier.
As someone who has been working with 3d printers and tinkering with them for over 10 years I do not think this is a revolutionary improvement. The 2 marginal improvements are the ability to modify settings mid print(subject to implementation) and strain gauge(already being used by anycubic). The claims regarding the multiple uses of the strain gauge(calibration, dynamic speed/timings, monitoring etc) are fully dependent on software integration.
It is easy for them to make bold claims with slick promotional videos. As someone who has seen hundreds of "kickstarter crap" 3d printer launches, the vast majority of them (>95%) fail to live up to the hype. This one reminds me of pirate 3d buccaneer, making lots of bold claims about being able to reach stretch goals but entirely without proof that they have any way of implementing the stretch goals with their skeleton team. It is one thing to stick hardware theoretically capable of achieving something on a machine. It is entirely another thing to integrate software features in a sensible and functioning way.
If they were serious about wanting to improve the software and integration of their machine they would open source their hardware and software for the strain gauge, if not the whole printer. But seeing the dismal state of open source development for resin printers I am not holding my breath. This video just makes me realise how much of a rut the innovation of resin printers has gotten stuck in. The low end MSLA/LCD market has fallen into a megapixel trap since the 4k generation just chasing finer and finer pixels with no discernable effect on prints.
In case I come off as overly pessimistic, I still think this project has a lot of potential. I just think innovation would be far better served with this being an open source project like Klipper or Ultimaker than whatever it is these guys are doing.
Awesome that this company is based in Canada and working with German partners. I live in Canada but was born in Germany. So great to see “my”
two countries working together on this! A bit beyond my price range and I just bought a Mars 3 a month ago so more in the market for an FDM printer right now.
awesome, I'm still on the FDM side but when this printer hits production I will consider it. I still can wait 1-2years.
Wow, the difference you'll see when you switch 😁😁😁
Tbh, I’m looking forward to this printer. It looks SO COOL!
Hope you enjoy it 😁
@@vogman thanks! I saw you on the discord. There is no need to be so nervous, my friend! Although, I definitely know that it’s hard to stay calm in trying situations. Stay strong!
It's been a lot of work for me in honesty. Right now I'm shattered and considering going to bed for an hour 😁
Even if it is not a DLP printer but FINALY someone that is not using Chitu board and feature list is big.
And who would have thought of using Raspberry Pi? Well, these guys, obviously. So many advantages and the NanoDLP operating system gives so many exciting features. I can't personally see a way forward from this printer... but I bet they can 😁
Edit: wow the kickstarter is starting to go nuts!
Oh my god Athena please make the plate auto levelling, I'd pay an extra $100 just for that but I'm not a typical customer. Also Subscribed, awesome channel man!
They've promised they will if the interest is there. It's nothing these guys can't handle.
Welcome aboard 😁
Plate leveling on resin printers is so easy, I don't see a big demand for it.
@@clutch2827 I agree.
The four screw system is so easy that it’s a set and forget solution.
Far better than the two screw ball joint idea on the say the old elegoo Mars that used two grub screws which also loosened over time.
I did the same as others and ended up putting some proper bolts into the plater holder. That then became a set and forget feature but it needed that extra torque to make it work as it should.
As far as the Athena is concerned. Having spare FEP would be a much better idea. Also we need a paper for the levelling that’s exactly the same thickness the FEP is.
@@Teachaman2fish88 I agree also. I never ever had a single issue levelling my Resin printers. Price competition has stifled major advances especially with the massive escalation in costs for basic functioning slicers and the inevitable erosion of features from free to paid
Main thing going for it is it's open source with Pi and that's the main selling point IMO but it's coming in at more than double the price of comparable proven printers with Tax and Shipping.
I'd like to see this printer cause the others to drop Chitu boards so hopefully they do succeed on this basis alone.
@@Teachaman2fish88I just put the fep in and level using that, I haven't had any problems yet but what problems could arise from my doing that?
I hope the kickstarter succeeds, even if I can't afford one atm.
The scene really needed a competitive printer that can push the boundaries.
Preaching to the choir! :-) Already backing it, I really can't afford it. But I would hate myself if I didn't get this printer. It has every feature that I have been missing for years from resin printers.Really looking forward to getting my printer and start printing some high quality stuff!
Im definitely looking forward to this printer. Been going back and forth between different printers for my next one. But i think ill wait til this is out and see how people like it before I buy anything
This is the printer we need now! Thanks VOG, you did a great, honest overview packed with important info!
Glad it was helpful! 😁
Another great review. I like the fact, that you go into small details, like the strange printing pattern of the new 12k screens.
This is the first time i´m supporting a kickstarter. I´m glad i didnt buy another brand before watching Vog mentioning the Athena!
So thx to Vog, but especially to Nico who responded super fast to any questions i had. This really feels like the people actually love what they are doing and stand behind their product!
Keep it up guys!
Cheers
Alex
Thanks for the support Alex!
I love the upgradability - i notice while installing a ResinLapse sensor in my printer that everything in mine has epoxy resin over it.
And, wow, an inbuilt slicer! That's cool.
I know its not mentioned much, but Athena has a resinlapse port built-in! so you can power your camera and control the shutter directly from the printer, and have full control of when and how often it take a photo. Supports cameras with a Shutter Port, Multi-Port and Bluetooth, including cell phone cameras.
resin pumps? LES GOOOOOOO!!!!!!
They had me at "Fresnel lens"!
Yes! The video I've been waiting for!!
Glad to help 😁
This was a great 411 overview and the auto leveling would be a nice feature, This printer would be a serious contender among all these resin printers coming out as it appears every month. With hardly any critical improvements from prior developed printers, thanks VogMan for your sharing.
Thanks VOG! Snatched the last Super Early Bird thanks to you!
No worries. Thanks for watching 😁
Been watching you for a while, and this is what got me to finally order a printer. On kickstarter, no less!
Thanks for this knowledge packed video! This printer looks amazing and the team behind it is really awesome!
Glad you like it!
Wow! Very interesting! Very nice look at what Athena are doing with this project Geoff. I really like the end-user being able to upgrade the printer. It should IMO, give much more life out of the purchase before it becomes obsolete. I really hope this project does very well.
Thanks Dan. Take care buddy.
As a Canadian knowing the pieces will be coming in domestically and saving me a lot of hassle has me excited! 😍
First the UniFormation GKtwo and now this. Resin 3D Printing is getting so much more exciting this Year!!
This is REALLY interesting! I'll be sharing this with the boss!
I’m in. I stopped buying printers because every two months there’s been a new “better” one and it’s driving me insane!
This is really cool. I love projects like this.
Me too. It's exciting and interesting.
Great video, thanks for sharing!
off-topic question: Do you know how to recycle/upcycle resin print support materials?
The real big leap in the design concept of this printer is the ability to upgrade components. This brings future proofing to a whole new level within the resin printing community.
The other features will be adopted by other manufacturers and applied to their products. We have already seen this with the anycubic m5s which has a strain gauge fitted but not fully exploited, but due to the hardware component already exists in the machine, the firmware can add the advance monitoring that Athena is pushing to the max.
Athena will be a far better investment than any other printer on the market due to the upgradable nature of the hardware that the large manufacturers do not want as they want sales of each generation to increase profits.
Bravo to the developers for this, you may just break the system!❤
Well said 😁👍👍👍
Darn it VogMan, I had been deliberating whether to pull the trigger here and I think you pushed me over the edge
Sorry. I can only tell the truth... I'm not sponsorship compelled... 😁😁😁😁😁
Definitely sounds good. I have always wanted to get into resin 3D printing, so if they can get all these features to actually work, I could see myself getting it.
For a first timer, this would be much easier as it will prevent you experiencing many of the problems the rest of us have experienced. Mind you, I typically encourage newbies to buy cheap and see if they can live with the smells and the mess. Some can't. Those that do typically look for bigger and better in their enthusiasm 😁😁😁
The force sensor is a useful feature. They really do a good job.
Well said Vog ,,, it was the nerds and makers who started the 3D printer revolution and finally a few great ones are taking it back! …. Oh… let me put in my 2 pence for auto leveling! Who doesn’t want some proper auto leveling?! Have a little faith in these guys eh.
Looks solid, the only thing I can think of is protection in case of hardware failure, like if the board get shorted and decide to ram the plate into the vat. With klipper you can plug into a relay to have it shut down everything on error but I doubt anyone ever had enough issues with melting hotend burning houses in resin printers to warrant this level of safety.
Wow! Really nice printer. I hope it gets going. I think this is what the resin printing scene needs. It might give the rest of the companies a bit of a kick up the bum,like what bambu did to the fdm printer scene. 🤞
I just pledged thanks vog they sound great
Wow, you got me at modular. That’s impressive
Been really looking forward to this!
Hope you enjoy it 😁
@@vogman Great work on trying to capture as much detail as possible on the Athena. I'd already backed them based on what I had seen, but I am happy that they are living up to what they say on paper.
A very promising printer with some nice new features.
I don't gamble on Kickstarter products as I'm very limited financially, but if it comes to market at a good price I'd be interested.
And I'm guessing it will not be long before others start adding those features too if it does. Time will tell.
Thank you. That made my mind up!
Glad I could help!
@@vogman The upgrade paths instead of throwing out the old and startring again are one of the biggest pluses and the force sensors. Wow! Thanks for all you are doing here, a most interesting channel indeed! Cheers, Ian
Thanks again brother
I've not long ago decided to invest in a resin printer but have been biding my time as I slowly pick up what it's all about etc. I think I'll be waiting a bit longer to see how the development of this product comes along. Cheers!
I already love it, looks like a nice toy with a lot of upgrades in the future
I would've already backed it but unfortunately can't afford to spend around 950/1000€ on a printer before september 😕
Incredible! if I win the lottery I will back them but as of now at this time in life its really not possible unless you are earning some wage packet! My mono 2 is good for the power outage I've unfortunately had it tested twice now with the thunderstorms and kicked back in at the correct level without a mark on the prints! I could even tell you whare it restared. The crash reporting great idea and the sensors for temps and pull force thats genius! Loved at the end part of the video showing the speed on the build plate that plate just rising constantly at a perfect pace formthe print to cure is just mind blowing! Is that time lapsed or slowed down? That I just think is something that will need to be matched now with new printers and not a hovering up and down plate that's next level that! Waw
This and the gktwo is looking like a must have
I've been calling this out for years, resin printers should be easily upgradable with higher resolution screens (even if u need to replace a board), now we've reached the limit so there isn't much point but older models become obsolete like my Phrozen Transform. I found a step by step guide how to upgrade from 4k to 7k but it's pretty expensive (around 500$) and i may just get another mid size printer for that cost and use the Transform just for large bases and objects. Phrozen should have made it modular but it wasn't worth it for them and now that the resolution is getting to a point where layer lines are barely visible they will be force to compete with other features like force detection for faster speed and auto level. It would be cool to see in the future better support removal as some industrial printers have, there was one from carbon with multiple material for support removal.
I know Nico has developed a lot of stuff for industrial 3D printers. I'm sure his head is full of ideas.
Some killer features here. Hopefully it drives some competition & more advances
Hey! Very nice video. You speak very highly of this, and the uniformation two. Which one would you say is the better printer?
Thank you very much for the video, I already support the project and hope that sone of your community will do the same. I think it’s a great printer and I am very happy to see more from Athena on your channel. Shout out from Munich!
I was wondering qhat printer to buy to upgrade from my Photon S. Well, I'll start piling up because this printer is just so damn well thought out! And it's always good to buy from non multi-millions dollars compagnies. Thank you for showing un this printer!
I'm an early adaptor of the Anycubic Mono, which now starts to fail on me. The Phrozen Mighty 8K was in my Crosshair, but now seeing this overview I'm in doubt. Any tought, should I wait or should I go?
Looks promising.
This is the future. Being a bit frustrated with a saturn8k I just sent back (light uniformity because of the led grid) I am now looking at a saturn2 with that cob+ Fresnel technoloy.
Glad to see Athena get that light source solution.
All the features Athena has might become standards in the future.
Do we know were the printers will be produced? Germany and Canada? Two factories? Some components and subcontracting companies will ne from europe? Nort america? Asia?
This is great, there are some technologies which are present on form labs printers which I wish could be present in a lot more different printers.
These are things such as:
-Bending the FEP film when releasing the print to make it more easy to release.
-Auto stirring the resin
-Auto heating chamber (Though does seem they're working on it)
-SMS/Email alerts
-The easy removal plate
-The resin auto fill
-The automation tools
For myself, the Formlab printers are too expensive for me and for the price you pay, the quality of the prints are less than ideal. I would love a cheaper MSLA alternative with the FormLab printers. I do have an AnyCubic printer... but my skin is quite sensitive to the resin, being in the room where the printer is will make my skin feel like it's hot and can give me a rash, even when wearing protective equipment. The less contact points I have with the resin, the better it is for me, which is why when I heard about the Formlabs automation flow I was super excited. But I believe that FormLabs probably patented their technology which is why no other printer has it.
The FormLabs printers seem to have checks in place to make it a super reliable printer with the least amount of person interaction... but way out of the price range for any individual or hobbyist.
5 years to sort of almost catch up to the Formlabs Form3 features. It's a great move forward for the affordable printer to make it more accessible tech for all. The open source thinking will be a level up for the industry and I think has a lot of potential to exponentially pass most other companies if done right.
Will buy one when it comes out, this company is one of the only ones that actually cares
They care... that's for certain.
Most of the features the Athena is advertising are actually pretty standard these days, though I had thought it would be great to have a printer with a built in slicer (though in my case, the idea was a browser application hosted by the printer itself). The force sensor is where everything new comes into play, and I expect to see similar features coming to a lot of platforms soon.
I might have to grab one.
👍
Hi vogman i haw a question to you whicth 3d Printer do you rekomend the UniFormation GKtwo 10.3'' 8K Resin Printer ore Athena 3d Printer?
Good luck to them. I hope they're able to deliver. Either way, the hobby will surely benefit as Elegoo/Creality/Anycubic/etc 'borrow' these feature sets.
No doubt copiers will follow. The cat is out of the bag now. I think a few companies have glimpsed the potential of force sensor technology, but these guys have married it and produced babies too. 😁
We just have to be willing to pay 2 or 3x times what the others can sell at because these aren't Chinese.
Waited for this. Price is steep.
It is. But the potential...
I see it as a passionate dream that may become true for the fortunate who can get it. Dynamic pull speed and wait times are great features and definitely will be "borrowed" by other manufacturers. (I see as Anycubic already going in this direction with their own design of the M5s.) I have only a few issues with this design: the slicer compatibility is a bit concerning, the lid should have some kind of lining as it seems like in the footage as there is a wide gap around the edges. The third one is that flimsy looking sheet metal assembly that fixes the build plate to the Z arm. Rivet nuts aren't really great in such application. An assembly like on the Photon M3 (with a solid block in the middle with threaded holes) would be much better. But instead of 4 individual bolts a pair of through bolt design with lever arm tightening system (like the quick release axles on bicycles) with a vertical spring in the middle pushing the build plate flat on the screen while the bolts are loose would be even better. One lever at each opposing side. Toolless leveling could be achieved. Just pull the levers loose, put up the paper sheet on the screen, zero the Z arm, push the levers tight and done.
Hey there, good feedback! For sure others will copy the force sensor technology, but we will keep on innovating to stay ahead. We have a lot of things planned for the future. Slicer compatibility is not an issue, we support them all, Which one do you use now?
The lid will have a foam gasket seal to keep the smell and heat from the heater contained. The wide gap you see in the video is due to the door being warped on that prototype unit. We have resolved this for production. I like your ideas for the build plate, but we had to make some concessions to maintain a reasonable cost, the design we have now works well, but there may be some upgrades for this in the future.
I am sold on "Heater".
We keep asking, they keep ignoring. It takes REAL USERS to listen and act it seems 😁
Do you take custom orders?
I am thinking of an embossed sterling silver signet ring.
Hey VogMan! Thanks for the review. The printer is outside my budget unfortunately...
Any chance for a Mars 4 DLP review? I am in the marked for a 3D printer and decided to go for a DLP one. Was looking at D2 and I just found out that there is a cheaper offer from Elegoo that nobody talks about. What's the deal with that?
Any idea on how it performs against a Prusa SL1S in terms of speed and quality?
I was looking forward to your video! This printer really does have a great potential! If they add the heater and resin refill as a standard that will be perfect. Also i hope it will have strong enough light intensity for engineering resins (like Loctite 3843) then this printer could be a replacement for my Mono-X
The heater WILL be available though whether it's part of the KS package depends on the target. Nico has already developed a few resin pumps for industrial printers and has some things in mind for Athena.
@@vogman would also be awesome to see you reviewing the VLM technology from BCN3D which also could be a game changer!
It does look fascinating technology, but I think it's focused at industry rather than domestic use. But who knows what the future will bring.
@@vogman most idustry technology will make its way to the mainstream user soon or later.
My bank account will not be happy but goodness I've been wanting to upgrade and can't see any reason this isn't the printer to do so with. Just the fact alone that it can be self upgrades makes me weep with joy... and having dropped that damn screw into t he resin 3 times this week alone.... I'd have bought it just for that xD
Thanks for the review and getting this printer out there VogMan. A question from me. I am quite interested in this kick starter but it seems South Africa is not on the shipping list for any of the pledges. Any idea if my country can make that list?
Hey Erich, Nico here from the Athena team. Unfortunately at this time we do not have any shipping partners to South Africa. We are on the look out for shipping partners and distributors, but at this time its not possible. Maybe in the future.
I really wish Resin printing was more open source and less everything Chitu based. And with these systems being more mechanically simple there really is no reason it shouldn't be. And the fact that they are using a rasbery pi compute module means that in theory this could become open source with community mods could lead this to be a really good printer. I am ok with the price. I love that it is user upgradeable. What I am not ok with is the fact that it's not open source.
Reminds me of a little company everyone underestimated....Bambu. Hope these guys do well and shake up the market like Bambu has
I hope so 😁
given that upgrading is their thing, im hoping that one of the first kits they do is a higher res screen like the 12k m5s (i got to the point that mentions this lol). speaking of the m5s, an auto level upgrade would be nice too. something else i'd love to see is a glass barrier between the screen and the vat. screen protectors are cool and all but it just isnt a replacement for a glass plate that separates everything. it was on the original photon and it saved me so much heart ache when thing have gone wrong. instead of faffing around with figuring out if i've ruined the screen or not i'd just need to take a razor blade and scrape the cured resin off the glass plate. i havent seen it since the OG photon days and i don't know why.
12k is being tested on Athena, and we have a tempered glass screen protector on the printer now, as standard.
While I see a lot to love already, I've had experiences with 'Smart' software that was doing too much with its sensors that, in the end product, was always a detraction from a more simple approach. That's not to say this combination can't work if done properly and in concert with a fine range of engineering, but to date, no one has done that yet and to a degree where 'it just works' every time.
As it goes with software and sensor systems, if calibrated so finely to a degree where a vibration is sent through the floor and is detected by the machine (say a compressor kicks on or you've got a mighty sound system just for two examples that I've dealt with out of many), your print will end up going kaflooey and hang for all eternity until user involvement fixes the phantom detection, or when the system correctly restarts operations, there will be a discernable break in the printing in the end product (especially in resin printers, where the product cures through natural process) and that ugly layer line develops between the stop-start area(s). Imagine on a multi-thousand layer print, which is not uncommon in large prints, this sucker picks up five or more causes for start-stop detections. It's going to develop into one fugly print when you finally go to rescue your end product to see what has transpired on the plate.
Having your printer reach you via automated messages sounds like a solid idea, but these things tend to go way the other direction via flooding you with messages about every little thing that happens, and often forget to stop messaging you when operations have ended. Just another nail in the coffin of over-reaching technology not living up to the promises of the word.
This probably reads as an anti-endorsement for the printer, which it shouldn't, but as my own concerns for the printer trying to be too forward-thinking for its own good. If they can pull it off--and I hope they do--it will certainly be a milestone for resin printers universally. Hopefully they've gone the extra miles and fixed 99% of the foreseeable bugs with this type of printer in the R&D process long before user units ship, and not have the user be the beta tester as a lot of these KStarter jobbers end up being, then after successful and assuming they do deliver a product a year or more down the line, the whole company turns into a fly-by-night disappearing act.
Though it should go without saying, KickStarters ALWAYS come with the rarely stated disclaimer that you *Absolutely* should not buy-in with money you can not 100% afford to gamble with.
What kind of threads will be in the bracket for the plate level/holder.
If it’s a aluminium construction.
Please can we have heli coil inserts in the holes.
That way a stainless blot can be torqued to a much higher level.
The bracket is steel, and it has a threaded boss that is pressed in from the back side. So it should be plenty strong, No issues with torquing it well and maintaining level for a long time.
I liked how the vat knobs worked on the anycubic photon S....just loosed 3-4 turns and slide the vat out...no idea why they didn't keep using that method.
It's all about cost... what will get the job done cheapest. That's business.
I was going to wait until other brands have force detection next generation due to them being cheaper, however the upgredability of this printer could make it cheaper in the long run!
I can't tell you how to spend your money my friend, but I can say this. As mine is a prototype, I've had to update a couple of parts. All I got was the parts and pretty well done pdf document. But genuinely it was EASY. This printer really has been designed to allow for users to upgrade and even customise.
@@vogman I've only just got a printer this year (used 4k printer) so it will be a while until I upgrade but I'd either go for a higher res DLP when they come out or one these, if athena ever made a DLP printer that would be awesome but I'm 90% sure there is no way this printer could be upgraded to DLP in the future so I'll be waiting, speaking of DLP... tough/flexible resins usually have less detail than ridgid, does the sharpness of DLP overcome this in your expirience?
its a nice showcase with out review but still shows the aspects of a review
i can not wait until the final product comes out so the real review can start, but based on this "showcase" it looks extreme promising for me :D
Thanks for the kind words. I'll keep updating my prototype as best I can and if and when it matches the spec of the final production models, I'll be happy to give a full review - though it may be a long one 😁
They may be getting feedback that auto leveling isn't desired, but the response to the Mono 5s is proving that wrong.
I don't see why they can't do auto levelling with the adjustable plate. Have the end user run the z axis all the way down and then tighten the screws with the plate sitting on the FEP. Then have it start the auto leveling, knowing the plate is setting directly on the FEP, and it needs to compensate for it. Loctite the screws and torque them to a factory recommended setting that would prevent shifting over time would resolve that. Inside star lock washers would be great for that.
I saw they are working on a 12k version. Good idea, because resolution is king in most peoples eyes, and again, the Mono 5s has 12k and is scheduled for release already. That resolution along with some of it's new features would make people go for the Mono. That happened with the Longer orange mono 4k. By the time it was out of kickstarter and in production, 6k printers were being announced, and people that had been interested in the Orange 4K moved on, drastically cutting their initial sales.
I'm waiting for the day affordable 64bit steppers are available so companies can go to finer thread pitches on the Z axis and thinner layer heights. (more bits means higher bit counts per revolution, allowing finer thread pitches w/o reducing the height of the z axis.
Here's one question, is there any way to develop auto compensation for z axis stretching on the object because of the peel forces that can be stored in a slicer for each resin you use?
With the failure detection, could they not get it to replay the last layer, baking it harder to see if it'll peel? (Atleast try once)
thats an interesting Idea, might be worth looking into!
Looks like the fans are on both sides of the printer, How loud it the printer during operation ?
We use speed controlled fans, so silent when its idle, but not too bad when its running, I have a prototype running Noctua fans for the ultimate silence, but production printer will not be all that loud, for sure quieter than some of the other printers like the Halots that use small fans running at high speed. We got 2x 80mm fans and 2x 4 pin PC style connectors on the Main board that can run at either 12 or 24v. So you can change the fan to whatever you like.
It is a interesting concept. One question did they think of using a PCB heater ring on the metal plate surrounding the area that holds the vat. similar to a vat band heating system. that would warm up that vat holding surface and heat the vat/resin?
They are considering various options, including vat bands. That's what they're like 😁
Yes, we have considered the vat band heaters, and while they work well, they dont look great, and can get resin spills and damaged easily. We are testing solutions now for a vat with integrated heater inside the walls, and a Magnetic connection for maximum usability. But for now, we got a chamber heater and Athena can support any style heater.
is this the bamboo labs of resin printers??? only time will tell, but things look real and i want one!
Time will tell indeed 😁😁😁
Well I don't need to make a comment about this. Was just going to say the same
Wow, this is cool. My only hope is they eventually make a larger format printer. I run the Forge and the size is awesome, I don't think I'd be able to go to something smaller.
Like all visionaries, they have plans for bigger and better. I really hope they get the chance. 😁
@@vogman I hope so too, with that tech they might even be able to get a bigger bed than the Forge or other large format printer.
@@brandonb417How big is the forge? I just upgraded to a Halot lite and the size on it has already blown my mind lol
Yess
I am very interested in this printer, but I am waiting for the 12K screen option.
To many if’s and Maybe’s. The kickstarter for me is bloody expensive in my country and they have a lot to finalise before the kickstarter finishes. If all the “possibilities” were finalised and the heaters etc were included with out having to reach a funding goal I’d take a much closer look..
dang I'd love one of these considering I updated the firmware of my M3 Plus and it bricked itself.... 700usd for that thing didn't even last a year.
Nice video mate ! Next video the Prometheus MSLA 🤭?
Who can say what the future brings 😁😁😁
Me working on adding pressure censors to my pi build and thinking I could maybe even start selling printers with genuinely unuque features when this shows up in my suggestions: "Time to abandon this project before I get called a copycat"
But hey thats just how it goes sometimes, maybe I can keep going and let the GWC effect take hold lol
Will this be available retail at some point? I'm interested in it but I don't quite have the budget right now
We will sell the printer on our website after the campaign is complete.
It looks like these guys actually want to innovate rather than just add numbers. 12k 170mm/h Hyper Speed all sound good on the spec sheet but are mostly numbers to make you want a new printer.
These guys could seriously change the playing field
Absolutely agree. These guys have been building these things literally from day 1 (Nico had a working model before resins printers hit the market). They love this stuff and can see the full potential.
Canadian product! support it!
Canadian pride 😁😁😁
Been watching this one for about 2 years, via the Atlas 3D guys. Feel 12k being a stretch is a mistake now the new Saturn and M5 are releasing soon.
The 12K's are already here and this industry doesn't move backwards. If this unit is produced with 8K, they will provide an affordable upgrade option,
Hey Peter, thanks for the feedback, We are testing the 12k LCD now, We want to ensure its a good upgrade to offer and doesn't cause issues that have been shown in other videos. So we are on it, and if all goes well, 12K will be available to our backers. Kickstarter Backers can choose to get the printer with 12k right away for a small upgrade fee, or get the 8k and upgrade to the 12k at a future date. So if you back the campaign, you can choose what you will receive.
@@vogman It just annoys me that the 12k is being pushed as an upgrade, the rectangular pixels do change the resolution's accuracy at different angles, which is just... not something I want in a 3D printer.
Either I am printing something that doesn't require the extra resolution... in which case expensive 12k replacement screens aren't worth it... or I am printing something that takes advantage of the resolution... and only get it on certain angles of the print, so detail wrapping around a x/y plane isn't going to be uniform in reproduction.
It feels like a lot of bullshit marketing to me.
Thanks for this info ,Nico. This just sold me on this printer. That was what was holding me back. Just canceled my orders for the M5S, Saturn 3 Ultra and Mars 4 Ultra. It’s gonna be an athena and my mini 8k.
I hear your frustration. It has to be said, the 12K prints are a little better than the 8K prints, but it can only be seen with strong magnification. However, it represents improvements and options, and most folks enjoy that 😁
I cant back them either.. but I really want to
Do you know if you can buy the printer post Kickstarter?
Personally I'm a student and have a printer at my parents home but I'd like to do more printing with a better printer. And one thing I really was concerned about is the Upgradability cause I don't want to buy a new printer for the next cool thing. But I also don't want to spend so much money.
They have plans to manufacture and that's what the KS is for. Hopefully Nico can give you more insight.
Hi Henning, Yes as soon as the campaign is complete we will have the printer on our website for pre-order. But shipping dates for the website printers will be after the kickstarter printers have been shipped.
Can you review the Neptune 4 Pro?
what is the VIP list on their website? apprently you can save some money on their kickstarter if you're a part of it
The most interesting feature of this machine is the force sensor. If I were Athena I'd be worried about a larger manufacturer beating them to market with something similar. As nice as the features of the Athena are, resolution & print quality are king. An 8k LCD isn't going to cut it, especially at this price point with a 6 month development window. Other manufactures aren't going to remain stagnant. I'm skeptical of the upgrade options. Other manufactures build "upgradable" machines but the costs savings are minimal or non existent. I've found that it usually makes more sense to buy another machine.
I do appreciate the forward thinking put into the Athena but it's going to be a hard sell.
It sounds like the folks behind the Athena project could offer something truly ground breaking. Imagine for example a pico DLP mounted to an X axis. With each slice the X axis would scan across the build area similar to SLA machines, only much faster. Yes the exposure time would suffer but much of that could be offset by the force sensor technology and the stronger light source of the DLP itself. Using a 2560 x 1400 projector (same as whats in the Mars 4 DLP). The projection can be rotated 90 degrees to maximize pixel density for the Y axis. The X-axis can then be as long as the printer is able to house. With a build area 3.5" high & 6, 8, or 12 inches wide (however big the machine is) the printer would have a resolution of 35um. Very good for a DLP machine & probably capable of better prints than anything in the hobbyist market.
In my opinion this is a more compelling machine that could be built for the $1000 asking price. I'm actually surprised this isn't being done already. It makes me wonder if the idea is patented.
While I understand where you are coming from, the "skill" here is in the software (and use of Pi). Elegoo and others have outsourced most of that to the chitubox guys. This has helped them keep the costs low at the expense of advancing the tech. Elegoo would be dependent on a 3rd party to develop the functionality or take on the massive expense of building themselves. I think Elegoo/Anycubic are content with their cornered low end market at high volumes, but maybe this will shake that up?
@@adurbe Use of the PI isn't anything new. Many of the first generation hobby DLP machines used a raspberry PI & a custom hat as the controller. Chitubox changed the game by offering a low cost board, a decent display adapter, & of course the free slicer. While the PI has come a long way since then, it may not be the best option for this application. Anycubic, Elegoo, & others are already releasing products with non chitu based boards. The competition isn't far behind, you can already see that Anycubic is on the same path with the m5s.
It seems we're kinda reaching the limit of what LCD based machines can offer. I would have found the Athena more compelling if it were paired with a different technology.
Can the Athena guys tell us how we can join the VIP program mentioned on the kick starter please?
I have sent a email but haven’t seen a answer. That’s not a problem guys. You have great works to do.
The Athena is a masterpiece of consideration to the actual problems of resin printing. Well done and keep going.
Nico...?
Just so you know. I supported the campaign without any further considerations. This project is a game changer. Well done.
Hey there, VIP program has ended, some free spots left, but you would need to contact us and we will get back to you on the details for the VIP plan.
it's so cool that this kind of innovation can still be seen from a more grassroot company, a bit sad that it'll get borrowed in no time though