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The resin 3D printer market is evolving, after the release of the Creality LD-002R earlier this year to compete with the Anycubic Photon and Elegoo Mars, Creality has just released a brand new model: the Creality LD-002H.
What is the difference between the LD-002R and the LD-002H?
The major evolution of this 2H version is above all the use of a new type of Monochrome LCD screen, which allows it to print up to 4 times faster by reducing the exposure time. The new screen is thinner and allows more UV light to pass through, allowing the resin to cure in just 2 seconds (on average) compared to 8-10 seconds for a conventional RGB LCD screen.
Another improvement of the LD-002H, it uses a larger screen of 6 inches, which allows a larger printing area of 130mm*82mm (against 119mm*65mm for the 2R version), the printing height remains unchanged, that is 160mm.
Finally, on the aesthetic side, the machines look very similar, the chassis of the machine is globally the same, seen from the outside you will only notice the colour of the cover has changed, red for the new LD-002H, and orange for the LD-002R.
This LD-002H is still equipped with a charcoal filter to reduce the diffusion of resin odours, a graduated VAT, a maintenance hatch on the side for easier screen replacement, and the power button on the front.
When the machine is unpacked, it is fully assembled and ready to use in a few minutes. Some accessories are included, such as a spatula, a USB stick and spare FEPs.
First impression with the LD-002H
On the USB stick you can find two test files to print, an eiffel tower and a half sphere.
Before starting your first print, you will have to check the setting of the plate, this procedure is quite well explained in the manual. You will have to loosen the tray, then make an auto-home, either with the VAT without resin, or with the help of a sheet of paper, then tighten your tray to keep this thickness of sheet/FEP between your tray and your screen, finally save this value with the option Z=0.
Once this procedure is complete, you are ready to launch your first print! I always recommend to run a template on the USB stick, to check that the printer is working properly.
Here is my very first print, with an exposure time of 2sec per layer. The rendering is really clean.
For the second print, I will create my own file, using the Chitubox software, which already offers a default profile for the Creality LD-002H, you will need version 1.6.5.
However, by default, the plate movements are not very fast (50mm), so this will slow down your prints, for my part I replaced the lifting speed and base lifting speed values at 100mm.
Here are some prints I made with the LD-002H, with an exposure time of 2sec per layer, and Eryone waterwashable resin.
Last print, this time with an exposure time of 1.5sec with IFun High clear resin.
Post processing of resin prints
Resin 3D printing is great, with a much better print quality and level of detail than a filament FDM printer, but you will need to spend some time cleaning your parts, either with IPA alcohol, or with water if you use waterwashable resin.
You will also need to UV cure your model after this cleaning phase, to further harden it, you can either use a home made UV lamp or a Wash&Cure (budget between 120-150€) all in one, or use a curing box (budget 50€), for the prints made with this LD-002H, I used the Curing Box SL1 from Sovol, which is sold on Amazon for about 50€, it is very light and easy to use (I place it on top of the printer to save space).
To conclude
I had the chance to test this new Creality LD-002H printer among the first ones, I had already been pleasantly surprised by the old 2R version, and it is also the case for this 2H.
Its price remains very attractive, 249$ for its launch via LD-002H (Creality Official Store), which is cheaper than equivalent competing models. You can always opt for the 2R model if speed is not an important criterion (sold at $199), the print quality between these 2 machines will be similar
