"You're gonna need a bigger boat." Although there's much more to 3D printing than just build plate size, a larger printer can come in handy. Particularly, for resin printing, which typically boasts superb quality at the expense of build volume. Most resin-based 3D printers, including our editor's choice Elegoo Mars Pro, produce spectacularly detailed prints, but with a small build plate. But the Elegoo Saturn is poised to change that as a much larger printer than the Mars. Learn why the Elegoo Saturn 3D printer is, yet again, the resin printer to beat!
Whereas the Elegoo Mars Pro ushered in an iteration of the original Mars, the Elegoo Saturn arrives as a substantially different SLA printer. What you'll notice first is its sheer girth. Indeed, the build volume is 18.8cm(L) x 11.5cm(W) x 20cm(H) or 7.4in x 4.52in x 7.87in. Clocking in at 22 lbs. it's not only wider and slightly taller, but heavier too.
In addition to a USB port, located like the Mars Pro, on the front of the unit for ease of access, there's also Internet connectivity via Ethernet. As such, you may send prints to the Elegoo Saturn remotely, a huge improvement. Moreover, the motherboard features built-in storage for printing purposes. So any files transferred over the network to the Saturn are stored on its internal memory chip. To wirelessly transfer files to the Elegoo Saturn, you'll need to use ChiTuBox. Its resin tank features feet so it protects the FEP film, and the tank may be placed on a desk without the risk of scratching up the FEP film. My review unit was a beta version of the Elegoo Saturn featuring a 2K screen. But after listening to community feedback, Elegoo replaced it with a 4K screen.
Fitting with past releases, the Elegoo Saturn clocks in at an ultra-competitive price point. THe MSLA printer rocks an 8.9-inch monochrome 4K LCD matrix UV LED light source, large 192 x 120 x 200mm printing area, and slides in at $300 USD for an early-bird price and $400 its first pre-order. That's insanely competitive. The Elegoo Saturn officially launches on June 6, 2020. You can purchase yours directly from Elegoo or maybe from this Banggood link.
I've printed with the Elegoo Mars, Elegoo Mars Pro, and now the Elegoo Saturn LCD photocuring resin 3D printers. On the surface, the Elegoo Saturn is simply a larger iteration of the Mars Pro. Its black frame and red acrylic hood seem merely stretched a bit wider and taller than the Mars Pro. But incremental improvements on the Saturn, as with the Mars Pro before it, provide what's ultimately an enhanced experience. The USB port sits at the front of the unit, an innovation ushered in on the Mars Pro, and on the Saturn it similarly makes plugging in and removing the thumb drive a breeze. No fussing about fumbling with a flash drive on the back of the printer. While the resin vat on the Mars and its Pro sibling screw down, the Saturn has a resin bath that screws into the base for complete removal.
First up, I printed the Elegoo rook test files that came pre-loaded on the USB stick. Printing took about four and a half hours. Once the rooks emerged from their resin bath, both looked gorgeous. I noticed improved anti-aliasing for an overall smoother finish when compared with the Elegoo Mars and Mars Pro. Overall, the Elegoo Saturn sets the standard for resin 3D printing. The only caveat is that there's no pricing info (yet). I'll likely designate the Saturn as my new 3D printing daily driver, with the Mars Pro as my backup for smaller prints.
