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Resin 3d printers are some of my most valued tools in my workshop. Without them, there is no way that I could turn out the number of projects that I do on an ongoing basis. But let’s be frank, there is the elephant in the room; and it’s large, stinky, and often messy. After using resin in my shop for the past several years, I thought that I had things down. I had a system, and I built tools to clean and post-cure my prints. I was even confident enough in the processes that I developed to share them on my YouTube channel. Companies were offering solutions; Form Labs, Prusa and others offer all-in-one solutions that looked great but aren’t budget-friendly. Little did I realize that a new version of the Anycubic Wash and Cure was just around the corner.
A Solution Presents Itself
During the mad dash which precedes the Christmas holidays, I received an email from a representative at Anycubic. She had seen one of my recent videos showing how I cleaned my resin prints and offered to send me a pre-production unit of their upcoming Anycubic Wash and Cure station. Never having outgrown my love of new toys I, of course, responded that I would love to take a look at their latest offering. The offer was simple; I was to be sent a unit at no cost to do real-world testing and provide feedback.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Anycubic taking steps to reach out to the 3d printing community with aims to launch products that are real-world tested. For this, I do applaud Anycubic. Also, not only were they doing this with the Anycubic Wash and Cure; but users across the globe were simultaneously testing the Mega Zero, Photon Zero and the Mega X.
A few short weeks later, I received the Anycubic Wash and Cure. It was shipped via FedEx directly from Anycubic. And just like my original Photon, the unit was expertly packaged and arrived in perfect condition. After unboxing, I took some time to take a look at the included manual. The documentation and instructions included from Anycubic are excellent. The directions easily guide you through the set-up and use of the Anycubic Wash and Cure. Let’s take a look at what’s included, and most importantly; how it works.
What’s Included
Here’s a list of what is included with the Anycubic Wash and Cure Machine.
- Control module / main base of the unit
- Yellow/Orange Tinted Anti-UV cover
- IPA wash container with integrated impeller and locking lid
- Metal mesh wash basket for holding prints
- Two different brackets for attaching build plate during the wash cycle
- Clear acrylic turntable for cure cycle
- Hardware bag with a few Allen keys, screws, and a spare bearing
- Instruction manual
- Power supply with cord
Important Specifications
- Control method: Touch button LED indicator
- Power: 40W
- Input voltage: AC110/220V 50/60Hz
- UV lights: 405nm+365nm
- Curing and washing time: 2min 4min 6min
- Max model size for washing: 115mm(L)*65mm(W)*165mm(H)
- Machine size: 225mm(L)*220mm(W)*378mm(H)
- Max model size for curing: 140mm(D)*165mm(H)
- Weight: ~6kg
Additional Supplies Needed
- IPA
- Nitrile Gloves
- Paper Towels
Set-Up
The unboxing and set-up of the Anycubic Wash and Cure only takes a few minutes. After removing the unit and accessories from the packaging, the rest of the set-up was a breeze. All that needs to be done to get the machine ready to do is first to fill the washer reservoir with IPA and then plug in the machine. Simple, huh? So let’s take a look at what’s involved in taking your prints from your resin 3d printer and through the post-processing steps.
Washing Your Prints
The Anycubic Wash and Cure is at its heart a pretty simple machine. The first step of post-curing is washing. To do this, you have two options. Firstly, you can choose to take the build plate directly from your printer and attach it to one of the included brackets to suspend the print in the IPA. Secondly, you can remove the model from the build surface and place it into the wire basket for washing. After choosing which route to take with getting your model into the IPA, put the cover on the machine and get ready to go.
The controls are incredibly simple. There are two main functions, for the washing cycle, select wash. Beyond that, you have the option to choose the length of the wash (2min, 4min, 6min). After selecting the cycle, there are easy to use play and stop buttons from the beginning and ending the procedure. After pressing play, the impeller begins to spin vigorously and quickly there is the vortex of IPA circling the printed parts. Users choosing to add parts directly into the basket must be careful that the parts do not fall through the holes in the basket. I would recommend Anycubic to decrease the size of these holes a bit. Midway through the cycle, the impeller will reverse and continue in the opposite direction. Upon completion of the cycle, the machine will beep several times and then it’s time to remove the parts from the IPA reservoir.
Curing Your Prints
To start a curing cycle, remove the IPA reservoir, wire basket/hanging brackets, and seal up the reservoir with the airtight locking lid. Install the acrylic turntable onto the base of the unit, and you’re ready to go. Place your washed resin prints onto the turntable, put the cover on, select your cure cycle length, and press play. An array of UV led lights on the tower will illuminate, and the turntable will begin to rotate once you do. Just like the wash cycle, a series of tones will announce the end of the cycle. The process is speedy and straightforward. Time to go from printer to a cured part in my experience with the Anycubic Wash and Cure is 15 minutes.
Review
To sum up, I’ve had the machine now for a month. In that time is has streamlined my resin printing workflow. I find that I’m doing more resin printing since getting it. As a result, it makes the process faster, less messy, and certainly more enjoyable. My homemade wash station and my UV nail dryer are sitting idle now. With that, I can take them out of the shop, and I net more usable space! The footprint of the machine is less than my original wash station and nail dryer. Most importantly, in a small workshop like mine, that is a big thing.
Ease of use and space savings are only part of the story, though. The next question is, how well does it work? In short, the answer is this; I’m very impressed. The machine does a great job of both cleaning and curing my prints. My prints have never been cleaner. The process is straightforward.
So what does all of this cost? The Anycubic Wash and Cure is available now to order on Amazon for $199. If you’d like to save an additional $10 you can order from Anycubic directly. Be sure to use this exclusive code; PKG615T, when you order. Had I not been given the unit to review would I spend this much for one? Absolutely. The Anycubic Wash and Cure is an excellent value at $199, and I’m confident in recommending it to other resin 3d printing enthusiasts. I think the cost of this unit will help those sitting on the fence regarding resin machines to take the plunge.
For more information and to get a better look at the machine, take a look at my initial look video on my YouTube channel.
Check out these Resin Display Protection Vinyls or how about Anycubic Photon Zero – An SLA 3D Printer For Under £130!
Have a look at this article by All3DP about SLA Post-Processing Best ways to clean resin 3D prints.
Excellent quality
The Anycubic Wash and Cure is an incredibly effective tool. Wrapped in a small footprint and feature-packed, it will change the way you resin 3d print. The launch price of $159 brings a well-built and solid machine with it. It's time to retire your pickle jars and UV nail dryers!
