The Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer [Source: Fabbaloo]
Our review of the new Photon Mono M5S resin 3D printer from Anycubic concludes with a look at software, print results and final thoughts.
This is part three of a three part series, please read parts one and two.
Photon Mono M5S Software
Preparing the Nefertiri 3D print job for the Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer [Source: Fabbaloo]
Our next print, “Nefertiti”, required more of the features in Photon Workshop in order to print properly, including: Rotate, Hollow, Punch, and Support.
We started by rotating the model slightly to offset it from the build plate for easy peeling. We then angled it just right to ensure that most of the supports being generated wouldn’t be on the statue’s face.
The model was then hollowed out and drain holes were punched in a few inconspicuous locations. This was done to allow for resin draining and also to prevent any suction during the printing process.
Anycubic PhotonWorkshop view [Source: Fabbaloo]
We went into the support settings and made our connection points to the model slightly smaller than default, as to reduce any surface marring. We generated supports automatically, paying attention to where they were placed and adding more manually where needed.
When we were happy we had enough support in the proper locations, we sliced our file and sent it to the printer, getting an estimated print line of 08:26:00 and using 91.692ml of resin.
Excellent Nefertiri 3D print made on the Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer [Source: Fabbaloo]
We had some minor issues removing some of the supports from the finished print, but it turned out quite well and had very good detail.
That said, near the end of the review we decided to slice a file with an alternate slicer, Chitubox, just to see how the support structure compared with Photon Workshop.
Using Chitubox software to prepare jobs for the Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer [Source: Fabbaloo]
We downloaded the latest version of the Chitubox and were pleased to find that there already was a Photon Mono M5S printer profile present in the software. We noted there were some slight differences between the two slicers in the Resin Section, specifically that measurements units were different! Motion in Chitubox is measured in mm per minute while Photon Workshops uses mm per second.
When we checked the values against each other, we found that Photon Workshop was 6 mm/sec and Chitubox at 360 mm/min. Although these seem different, the functional value works out to be identical. We will discuss more about what happened later.
Photon Mono M5S Print Results
We adjusted our support structure in Photon Workshop to be a bit lighter and sliced the “Gyro Air” 3D model, getting an estimated build time 05:17:00 using 46.452ml of resin.
Great print results made by the Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer [Source: Fabbaloo]
Terrific Gyro 3D print made on the Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer [Source: Fabbaloo]
The finished print quality was very good and supports were much easier to remove, causing no damage during the process. Although we did manage to pop a few sections of the print out of place, but we were able to coax them back into the corresponding grooves and once in place the Gyro articulated as designed.
We printed the “Xenomorph Standing” 3D model fully solid, as it was tricky to hollow it out without needing to punch a lot of drain holes to avoid trapping resin.
Xenomorph 3D print being made on the Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer [Source: Fabbaloo]
We utilized supports with tiny tips, and upon slicing the file, we projected the print duration to be approximately 10 hours, 16 minutes and 0 seconds. The estimated resin used for the process is 103.376ml.
A link to Xeno detail image here. Excellent Xenomorph 3D print was created using the Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer.
The result of the print was outstanding with high-quality surface details. The supports with smaller tips were simple to detach and didn’t damage the model, a stark contrast to the pre-sliced test print.
A link to Mayan detail image here. Exceptional detailed work on the Mayan calendar 3D printed using the Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer.
We maintained the same settings and sliced the “Mayan Calendar” 3D model, which estimated a print time of 01:17:00 using a total of 104.648ml of resin. The print turned out to be excellent with an impressively high level of detail.
The “Millennial Falcon” 3D model would be our physically largest print, having a total duration of 12:03:00 using a total of 171.035ml of resin. The actual printing time turned out to be slightly faster at 11:58:00, showing that the Photon Workshop estimates were always reasonably close to the actual.
The overall quality of the model’s print was highly detailed. However, the so-called “blaster marks” observable on the model’s sides were actually sides of support structures that were embedded in the model’s surface.
We did not consider this possibility when we set out to create these supports. Ideally, only the tips of these support structures should come into contact with the model, not the supports themselves. A significant amount of time was wasted trying to extract these embedded supports without irreparably damaging the model’s surface. This attempt proved to be futile as we even tried lighter supports and tinier tips to minimize surface damages.
Subsequently, we decided to set up the printer in Chitubox and slice the same model for comparison with the previous support structures that were originally created.
We carefully selected the available Photon Mono M5S Pro profile in Chitubox ensuring that both the Photon Mono M5S and resin settings aligned with those of the Photon Workshop.
It was then that we noticed the difference in the increments of 360 mm per minute vs 6 mm per second. When we sliced the file we received a job time of 06:38:00, which sounded quite quick, but not impossible.
We walked the sliced file over to the printer on thumb drive and launched it with the LCD before shutting the lab down for the night. When we checked in the morning, we found there was much more time left in the print than anticipated.
Perplexed, we checked the mid print settings on the LCD screen and found that Z-lift speed and Z-retract speed were both at 1 mm per second. Something had been lost in the conversion of mm per minute to mm per second.
We chose to wait and see what the outcome would be once the printing was complete. The print time turned out to be a staggering 30:48:00, which may be attributed to incorrect speed parameters that also impacted print quality.
The supports didn’t seem to be structurally suitable as they were distorted and stretched out. What was intriguing was how easily they detached, and took less than a minute to be completely removed.
There was a noticeable flaw on the cockpit, likely due to inadequate support. However, the print on the whole had remarkable surface quality, with great attention to detail and almost no signs of support marks on the surface.
For our final print, we chose to reprint the Anycubic lamp 3D model by slicing the model ourselves in Photon Workshop using our tuned support settings.
The print completed successfully in 03:46:00 using 45ml of resin. This time removing supports took only seconds, with minimal surface marring, with the print itself looking fantastic.
Superior test print result made on the Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer [Source: Fabbaloo]
To wrap things up with the review, we were curious to see how the special quick-release ACF film had stood up, so we drained the tank and inspected the film.
Tiny nicks on the ACF film on the Anycubic M5S Pro resin 3D printer [Source: Fabbaloo]
To our surprise we found that there were several areas on the film that had been near misses for punctures from a piece of cured resin that must have been floating around in the tank. The ACF film was sufficiently weakened to warrant being replaced to avoid a possible resin leak in the future. We would have done this procedure for the review, but there was no spare ACF film included with the printer.
Photon Mono M5S Final Thoughts
The Photon Mono M5S Pro was packaged extremely well for shipping. The packaging, which includes foam inserts and a bag, made it easy to remove the printer from the box. The assembly was straightforward and only required a few small tasks such as applying the screen protector and attaching the Air Heat & Pure.
The digital user manual on the provided thumb drive was more comprehensive than the printed versions, as the latter skipped a few crucial details.
While the package included all the standard tools and safety gear, it lacked a spare ACF film for the tank – an item we thought ought to be included. This absence is comparable to FFF printers not being provided with spare nozzles, even though they are known to fail frequently. While our ACF didn’t leak during the review, the damage it sustained made us deem it unfit for future use.
We appreciated the integration of the Air Heat & Pure within the firmware, which allowed for the pre-warming of the print environment in low ambient temperatures.
We did not come across any Auto Device Check errors throughout our review, yet it was assurance to know that the Photon Mono M5S was self-monitoring with each print initiation. To test out the resin detection feature, we deliberately started our first print with an empty tank, and as expected, we were instructed to add resin.
We encountered some uncertainty in the calibration instructions for the resin. We were instructed by the manual to use the provided Anycubic RERF pre-sliced file, but there was merely a mention of an “example exposure time” of 1.5s for the initial model. On inspecting the file details mid-print, we discovered the exposure time to actually be 2.5s. It is crucial for the operator to be informed of this embedded value as it directly impacts the test’s correctness.
An amateur may struggle to identify the minor differences among the RERF test models as many bear a striking resemblance. Anycubic could think about adopting a method such as the Cones of Calibration to simplify resin calibration for beginners. It’s easy to see whether the cones are touching or not, which are clear indicators of good or bad results. Alternatively, they could include more illustrative examples of precise vs inaccurate results, highlighting where to scrutinize the RERF prints.
Photon Studio was very easy to use and had all the basic features, but it did give us the one unexpected hiccup with the sides of a few support structures bumping into the print surface, causing unnecessary scarring on a larger print.
The only real print failure we had was when we decided to try slicing from Chitubox and had a unit value mismatch that ended up giving us incredibly slow 1mm per minute lift & retraction speeds, which in turn gave us weak support structures, causing the cockpit of the reprinted “Millennial Falcon” to flop about and image poorly. But that was on us for leaving the safety of Photon Studio.
All nitpicking aside, we have to say that the build quality of the Photon Mono M5S Pro is excellent, the hardware quite reliable, and we got some great prints with fantastic detail that for the most part printed fairly speedily although we were just using standard resin.
ANYCUBIC
M5S PRO 3D PRINTER
★ BEGINNER 7/10
★ ENTHUSIAST 9/10
★ PRODUCTION 8/10
BEST FEATURES
✔︎ Great print quality
✔︎ Heated chamber
✔︎ Automated features
QUESTIONS
✖︎ Vague instructions
✖︎ Support generation
✖︎ Spare ACF film
This is part three of a three part series, please read parts one and two.
Via Anycubic
Read More: Exploring the Features of Anycubic Photon Mono M5S Pro: Part 3 - 3D Printing News