The LONGER Orange 30 SLA 3D printer is an affordable option when it comes down to 3D printing with photo resins. It offers some significant changes from its predecessor, the LONGER Orange 10. The size is the first noticeable change along with enhancing features and functionality of the Orange 30 is sure to lure new users and experienced users alike to the printer. Printing with photo-curing resin is messy, but the amount of detail achieved in these builds is impressive and worth considering if you need a break from printing with filaments.
Let’s take a look at some of LONGER’s new and improved technical specs:
LONGER Orange 30 Technical Specifications
| Build Volume: | 120 mm x 68 mm x 170 mm |
| Build Speed: | 30 mm per hour |
| Connectivity: | USB |
| Software: | Proprietary LONGER slicer, ChiTuBox |
| Print Bed: | Non-heated aluminum, removable, declined |
| Leveling: | Manual, assisted |
| Build materials: | Rigid resin, castable resin, dental resin, non-proprietary resins |
| File Types: | STL, ZIP, LG |
| Display: | 2.8 inch LCD Touchscreen |
| Layer height: | .01 mm - .10 mm |
| Light source: | 402.5 nm wavelength Parallel LED Matrix lighting |
Design & Features
Right out of the box, this LONGER Orange 30 review found the printer to be sturdy with an all-metal frame that provides stability for the printing process. The stability is enhanced with a thick Z-axis rail which holds the print bed in place. One noteworthy feature of the print bed is that it declines toward the Z-axis so the excess resin will drain back into the vat automatically. The print bed is leveled manually with four screws and is removable to make taking builds off of the plate easier.
Builds are completed at a decent speed due to the printer’s specially designed optical paths that reduce the curing time between layers. The 405 nm wavelength UV lighting is a uniform matrix that provides faster curing times. Be sure to leave the acrylic ultraviolet cover on to maximize the curing process during the build.
The real-time build progress can be monitored through the color touchscreen display. It is on the smaller at 2.8 inches, but users can access the LONGER Orange 30 resin printer’s settings for preloaded print files. There is also a resume print function and a fast high cooling fan and vent that’s equipped with an LED temperature sensor.
The metal resin tank is easy to remove and clean. The screen is a full-color touch display with all of the necessary settings to monitor the build progress in real-time, load prints, and use the printer without being tethered to a computer. The one-button touch feature that detects suspended objects to automatically generate the grid supports is something all slicer software should incorporate. The decline in the print bed helps reduce the amount of resin wasted in the post-build process and be sure to add drain holes to the build file to further reduce wasted resin.
The LONGER Orange 30 is bigger than its predecessor, the LONGER Orange 10, prints with finer details, and makes the extra costs worth every dollar. The improved 2K high-resolution masking screen along with the larger build area allows it to be used in a variety of professions. The castable resin makes it useful in dentistry while its ability to print with ceramic-based resin gives artists an entirely new avenue to explore within jewelry making and other industries. The printer is sturdy and easy to use making it a great addition to offices, studios, labs, and classrooms.
The resolution of the masking screen is 2560 x 1440 which produces precise detailing in the builds. Speaking of builds, let’s take this LONGER Orange 30 review into the print process.
Printing Performance
The LONGER Orange 30 prints fairly easily out of the box. However, people using the printer should check the USB drive to see if it requires any formatting. Issues with the USB drive can cause the build to fail and clump onto the masking screen forcing you to change it out completely as builds won’t remove without damaging it. Removing the USB itself can be a hassle too since the port is located on the back of the printer.
The LONGER Orange 30 resin printer prints offline without being tethered to a computer and creates files with the company’s slicer. The printer also supports ChiTuBox software, giving users more functions and the ability to save some resin. The printer has an amazing feature that detects suspended parts, and with the click of a button, cross-linked grid supports will be automatically generated to increase the chance of a successful print.
If you notice the LED lighting or printer base getting too hot, there’s an air vent and advanced cooling system to pause the job long enough for the LONGER to cool down. The air vent cooling system has temperature sensors to shut down printing when the LED lights run hot. In many ways, we’d consider this to be an essential feature for UV photocuring resin 3D printers.
Printing is pretty quiet, and the more you print with resin printers like this one, it makes sense to set up a post-build processing station. You can use a disposable mat to set builds on as you remove the supports and clean off the excess resin. There should also be an alcohol rinsing station and if possible, use a curing box if printing with photocuring resin on a regular basis.
Packing & Assembly
The LONGER Orange 30 SLA 3D printer comes about 90% assembled with users having to put together the acrylic cover. Use the guide to assemble it. Leveling the bed comes before attaching the masking screen and resin vat.
Here’s everything that comes with the printer:
- 1 x LONGER Orange 30 3D printer
- 5 x Panels to assemble the acrylic cover
- 1 x Steel Shovel
- 1 x 250 g bottle of sample resin (LONGER includes but 3rd party resellers may not)
- 1 x Power plug
- 1 x Power adaptor
- 1 x Filter funnel
- 1 x Pair of gloves
- 5 x Poker Cards
- 1 x FEP film
- 1 x USB disk
- 1 x Manual
Customer Support
There is a one- year warranty included with the printer and customer service promises a response within one business day. There is lifetime technical support, and users can reach out to the community of other LONGER users on social media pages for tips, tricks, and troubleshooting issues.
Users will find an assortment of resources on the company’s website too. The printer’s firmware, drivers, slicer, and a manual can be downloaded along with the ChiTuBox slicer and everything that comes with the included USB drive. There are also dozens of models to load onto the USB drive from the site to experiment with.
LONGER Orange 30 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Larger build area of 4.72 in x 2.68 in x 6.69 in allows for bigger builds than the average resin printer
- Easy to navigate 2.8 in LCD color display touchscreen provides easy access to menu settings to monitor the build progress and select preloaded files to print
- Temperature sensors and cooling system pause the build when the LED matrix lighting source is getting too hot
- With an extensive cooling system, the fans aren’t too loud which make printing quiet
- Resume print function allows builds to pause and continue if the need arises
- The print bed is declined to drain excess resin during the build, and it’s easy to level manually
- ChiTuBox software is compatible and provides additional functions and features
- Non-proprietary resins are compatible, and depending on the retailer a 250 g sample bottle of photo resin is included
Cons
- The LONGER Orange 30 SLA 3D printer only prints files off of the USB drive limiting functionality
- Included USB drive may or may not need formatting which can cause issues with initial builds
- Instructions leave out that the printer has to be off before loading the USB drive into the machine to ensure the LCD screen lights up properly
- The proprietary LONGER software requires extra work to convert files from the standard formats since files have to be sliced in third party software to attach the needed supports for the build
Verdict
When it comes to quality and price the LONGER Orange 30 is definitely a great buy. When considering the nice sized build area, high-quality prints, temperature sensors, and easy to use software, it’s hard not to like the LONGER Orange 30. We hope this LLONGER Orange 30 review was helpful!
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
