SPACE 3D Is a Large and Affordable SLA 3D Printer for Hobbyists

If you’ve ever owned a 3D printer, or seen one in a friend’s house, it was most likely a fused-filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printer. FFF 3D printers are relatively affordable to build, easy to use, print quickly, and produce strong parts. But there are other options that can make parts with far better surface quality and finer details. The most common type is stereolithography (SLA), specifically LCD-based SLA 3D printers. If you’re in the market for one, the new SPACE 3D is a large and affordable SLA 3D printer intended for hobbyists.

The SPACE 3D SLA 3D printer recently launched on Kickstarter, and the campaign has already received nine times the funding goal from more than 140 backers. The campaign’s title proudly proclaims that SPACE 3D is ‘the most affordable 10.1” SLA 3D printer.’ That’s a little bit misleading, as the SPACE 3D isn’t anywhere close to being the most affordable SLA 3D printer on the market. But it is the most affordable SLA 3D printer on the market with a 10.1” LCD screen that we can find. That may be a small distinction, but it’s important if you’re just trying to find an SLA 3D printer that is as cheap as possible.

That 10.1” LCD screen is definitely a good thing, as it relates directly to the size of the parts that yo can print. Most budget SLA 3D printers have a very small print volume — often not much larger than your closed fist. Thanks to that relatively large LCD, the SPACE 3D has a print volume of 215 x 135 x 200mm (about 8.5 x 5.3 x 7.9 inches). That LCD display has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels which yields an XY resolution of 85μm. Z resolution is 10μm and layer thickness is 25-100μm. A matrix of UV LEDs adding up to 140 watts is used to cure the resin.

That hardware is housed within an attractive plastic enclosure, and the structural parts are a combination of aluminum and stainless steel. Files can be loaded from any USB flash drive, and you can select and print those files using a handy 3.5” touchscreen display. That can even show you print previews before you start. A range of resin types are available, and you can also use resins from third party manufacturers.

If you want a SPACE 3D SLA 3D Printer, the Kickstarter campaign will be running until January 18th, 2020. The early bird specials are just about gone, but you can still get the Christmas Pack, which includes two bottles of resin, for $639. Rewards are expected to be delivered in February of 2020.