CONCLUSION

    SLA 3D printers offer higher accuracy, detail and even watertightness to models and well, this is why professionals prefer them over FDM 3D printers. Now, having used and tested numerous FDM (fused deposition modelling) 3D printers already but still no SLA (stereolithography) ones i was quite excited to get my hands on the Photon Mono M5S model by Anycubic. It's quite large for most projects, very easy to setup and can be even equipped with its own air purifier (unfortunately Anycubic didn't send that along so I’ll probably test it in a future review - and yes, resin does smell). It's also fast (more on that in my next review), doesn't consume much electricity (nowhere near as much as FDM models) and as for quality everything checks out since it did produce more detailed models compared to FDM 3D printers (although not having used other similar models to date means that i don't know how it competes with them in this regard). Still i can't avoid pointing out three key areas where FDM models clearly have the upper hand, material cost, printer cleaning and model washing and curing. Resin bottles for example cost more compared to PLA filament and last less so even though SLA printers are in fact cheaper (at least when it comes to their FDM equals) and do consume less power you'll most likely have to spend more on material. What really stood out to me however in was cleaning, both of the tank and the build platform. You basically have two ways to clean them, one is to use isopropyl alcohol (extra cost) to break down the resin and then wipe it off and another is to use warm water and again wipe it off (takes far longer). On top of that liquid resin is not the safest substance out there so you need to year gloves and a mask whenever you use it. Model washing and curing also takes up time if you don’t own a wash and cure station so that too is something potential buyers need to take into account. Now i do realize that these may sound normal for people who have been using SLA 3D printers for a while but for a first timer such as myself post-print was somewhat overwhelming.

    Currently the Photon Mono M5S 12K resin 3D printer by Anycubic retails for USD569.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 572.06Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) so although higher compared to other SLA models it’s priced well, always for what it offers. Overall, I don’t really have anything bad to say about the Photon Mono M5S (post printing applies to all SLA models), quite the contrary since it did perform extremely well during the 2 weeks I ended up using it and since it delivers where it should it clearly deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- 12k Resolution
- Speed (Up To 105mm/h)
- Auto Leveling
- 10.1” Monochrome Exposure Screen
- Build Surface (218.88x122.88x200mm)
- Low Electrical Consumption
- 4.3” Touch Screen
- Anycubic App
- Bundle

CONS

- Post Printing (For Some)
- Price (For Some)
- Overall Material Durability