Anycubic Photon Mono X MSLA 3D Printer

Anycubic has built possibly the most impressive resin printer I have ever seen with the new Photon Mono X!

GeekDad has previously reviewed several Photon printers including the Photon Mono and the Photon Zero. The Photon Mono X is the largest, fastest, and has the highest resolution of them all. That is the claim and GeekDad is about to see how well it lives up to its predecessors.

Unboxing

You only need to see the box of the Anuycubic Mono X on your porch to know that you are dealing with one big MSLA unit. When removed from the box the 270mm(L)*290mm(W)*475mm(H) hits you right away. My mind immediately told me that I was going to need a considerable amount of space not just for this unit but for the additional equipment I would need to keep the workflow in check. The build volume compared to many other resin printers is massive at 192mm(L）*120mm(W）*245mm（H). This is larger than most of my early FDM printers and can create some considerable models and pieces. The new mono LCD cranks out an XY Resolution of 0.050mm 3840*2400（4K）making also one of the sharpest screens available for this work. This 3.5″ touchscreen is a decent size with the software being very similar to all of the previous Anycubic machines making it a quick study if you already have experience with this platform. If you do not, don’t worry: it is a very simple GUI that is straightforward and intuitive.

Setup

Nothing too fancy here: the Anycubic Photon Mono X is pretty complete out of the box. You simply need to plug in the 12V power supply and attach the build plate and resin vat. Before you get too ahead of yourself, remember to adjust the build plate so that you can level it to the machine. This is done by first loosening the nuts on the build plate, placing the provided paper on the LCD screen without the vat in place, setting the machine to the home position, tightening the nuts, and then listing the bed up and placing the vat back in position. Once that is done you can now add some resin. Be sure to wear gloves whenever handling resin. Resin is not something you want to get on your hands. Even if your skin does not react you will stink of resin fumes for some time. Since I am speaking about resin fumes it is important to note that the resin well is larger than any well that I have used prior which means the fumes and smell are noticeably stronger. Make sure you place the Anycubic Photon Mono X in a well-ventilated area and away from children and pets that may find the grey milky fluid fascinating.

Use

Typically with any new Anycubic printer, I would make the ubiquitous Anycubic Cube. When I did this on the new Mono X something strange happened…The base fell off the print. Upon some quick troubleshooting, I realized it was not the printer’s fault but something I had done.

After destroying several screens of my previous MSLA printers I decided to add an extra screen protector to my new Mono X to keep it clean and working hard for a much longer time. What this did was throw off the layer curing time on my Mono X. So I went into my Photon Studio settings and went up on my exposure time in .5 increments until I hit 3 seconds. I used this Resin XP2-ValidationMatrix file to calibrate the differences.

Once I was happy with the look of the test prints I set out to make some interchangeable Mickey Mouse Ears for my Niece and Nephew’s first trips to Disney World. If you are interested in this project go over to Thingiverse and type “Mickey Ears” in the search bar or click this link.

Technical Specifications

● System: ANYCUBIC Photon Mono X
● Operation: 3.5 inches Touch Screen
● Software: ANYCUBIC Photon workshop
● Connectivity : USB
● Technology: LCD-based SLA
● Light-source: high-quality filament（wavelength 405nm）
● XY Res.: 0.050mm 3840*2400（4K）
● Z-Axis Res.: 0.01mm
● Layer Res.: 0.01-0.15mm
● Printing Speed: MAX 60mm/h
● Rated Power: 120W
● Printer Size : 270mm(L)*290mm(W)*475mm(H)
● Build Volume: 192mm(L）*120mm(W）*245mm（H）
● Material: 405nm UV Resin
● Net Weight: ~10.75kg

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

The Anycubic Photon Mono X is an amazing MSLA printer for various reasons: speed, build size, resolution, and more. What it is not is an entry-level machine. I am not saying that it cannot be your first foray into resin printing. The Mono X is still a very simple and straightforward machine and is not any more difficult than the Photon or Mono but there are a few things you need to take into consideration. First is the price. Coming in at $589.00 which is on sale from the regular $759.00 it is a value for what you are getting but a substantial investment for your first resin printer. Always take into consideration that resin printing requires you to purchase a substantial amount of added supplies to clean and cure your projects, so factor that in. Second, you are handling a lot of resin and that workflow can be tedious at best and dangerous at worst. You must have a designated workspace with water and ventilation nearby. This is not something you want in the living room or anywhere pets or children may access it. That is why I strongly recommend the Photon Mono X for experienced resin 3D printers who already have the space, equipment, and knowledge needed to properly handle this machine. If you have all of the above then I absolutely think you should step up your game with this amazing piece of tech. You can now build models out of resin that you could only previously dream of or that you had to compromise with using PLA machines that gave you build lines and other headaches. If you are that person The Anycubic Photon Mono X maybe your dream machine.

A sample of the Photon Mono X was made available for the purposes of this review by the manufacturer

Thoughts expressed in this article are the authors alone and not that of the manufacturer or GeekDad editorial staff.