XYZ Nobel 1.0A

Introduction

The XYZ Nobel 1.0A is a desktop SLA (Stereolithography) printer -- it uses a UV laser to solidify liquid photopolymer resin to form the printed object. In contrast, most desktop 3D printers are FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printers -- they extrude plastic filament through a heated nozzle to form the printed object. SLA printers are generally more expensive than FDM printers, have a smaller build volume, and the resin is generally significantly more expensive than the filament for FDM printers. However, SLA printers generally have much higher resolution than FDM printers -- that is, they can create objects with finer detail.

Bottom Line: Three out of Five Stars

  • At $899.95, this is a good printer for an excellent price. The detail produced by this printer is exquisite!
  • An important caveat is that printer requires proprietary resin, which costs $119.95 and up per kg. XYZ Printing can afford very low profit margins on the printer, because they will earn the bulk of their revenue on the resin.
  • Although XYZ Printing offers a variety of resins (but not as many as the more expensive Form2), changing resin requires emptying and cleaning the resin tank. This is a time consuming process, and results in some wasted resin. I have therefore been using only the clear resin.
  • The printer requires the use of proprietary software, and in my opinion, the software is the weakest link in the system. The Mac software is very slow and buggy. The Windows software is a bit faster (but still much slower than Cura), and more stable. Nevertheless, many models require the use of additional software to repair non-manifold models and make them hollow (so that they consume less resin).
  • The User Manual is missing important informatation needed to make best use of this printer. I strongly recommend viewing the 3D Universe review on YouTube prior to purchasing or using this printer.
  • If you decide to purchase this printer, I recommend purchasing it from 3D Univverse, since their support is so good.
[Photo showing print quality of Nobel 1.0A (left) compared with Ultimaker 3 Extended (right)] Photo showing print quality of Nobel 1.0A (left) compared with Ultimaker 3 Extended (right)

Full Review

You can find my full review at Review of XYZ Nobel 1.0A Desktop SLA Printer.