Introduction: Printing Using Casting Resin DC550 on the Ember

By Diego Taccioli
About: Slice Lab is a think tank specializing in innovative digital design. We conduct virtual experiments where sculpture, technology and the organic world all crash together to create something new. We strive to pu…

In this Instructable, we are will touch on our experience with printing using the DWS DC550 Castable resin from DigitalWax on the Ember 3D Printer.

We will guide you through the process of using this resin and all the tips and tricks we've learned throughout such as optimal orientation, printer settings, setting up the squeegee, etc...

Step 1: Sprues + Support

Before we go into the settings, make sure that you have integrated your sprues directly into your digital model. This will help you avoid having to add them by hand after which can sometimes be a pain to properly solder them to the Feeder Gate. Using Meshmexer, use the designated Ember Settings to generate the supports.

Step 2: Spark Platform Settings

After a multitude of testing, recalibrating, retesting, reprinting ... we have found that the optimal settings for printing DC550 with the Ember 3D printer are the ones shown above. Generally our prints were more wire based so there was less drag and we could have a faster RPM. If you go too slow, you run the risk of having the resin having drag along the PDMS Window as it rotates. Exposure settings can differ over the lifetime of the window and the resin life. If the window is new the already programmed settings seems to do that trick.

Step 3: Squeegee Set-up

Compared to the Autodesk PR48 Resin, Casting resins like the DC550 a more viscous and slimy and are more likely have trouble adhering PDMS window. The squeegee attachment was made to clear PDMS window after every layer as the tray rotates to separate the print layers and to have no build up.

If you are going to build your own squeegee, make sure that it is static and doesn't move with the tray or hit the build head as it could cause some issues with your print. Don't forget to calibrate the head after you have set up the sweeper blade.

Step 4: Send Your Print

Now you are ready to send your print and see it come out of liquid just like terminator!

Ok, maybe it's a tiny bit slower than the T1000 but you can still watch it turn all shinny later on.