The last two years have proved to be effective years for FFF/FDM 3D printers. The prices of these printers dropped  substantially and various interesting features are added to the printers making the prints faster and accurate. But as per experts, the next two years may be the effective years for Stereolithography (SLA) technology.

In the last couple of years, various new 3D printers appeared which used SLA technology in ways new to anything that was done in the past. However, as the competition is high in the market, the companies have to raise the rate of innovation rapidly. One company that is ensuring to stay ahead in this field is Cyprus-based Ilios 3D. It has announced its latest ‘baby’ Ilios Ray 3D Printer. Though the printer is on the heavy side of the pocket costing approximately $18,772, it has features and specifications that will it a good buy at that price.

The printer boasts of a print resolution of 22 microns (0.022mm) with layer thickness of 6 microns (0.006). It has a print speed of 10-15 sec per layer with a build in envelop of 297mm×211mm×300mm. The printer size is 892mm×512mm×200mm.

What is so different about this machine? The best thing about this machine is its usage of four different colored resin cartridges for printing. The four cartridges come in 220 ml and can be refilled with your preferred third party resins. To make it easy for you, nearly the whole process i.e., from the start to the finish is automated. This includes removing of fabricated object when it is completed, cleaning and purging the machine.

Though this printer is beyond the reach of hobbyists and homemakers, it is ideal for small and large businesses that need simplistic 3D printers.