Inquire by phone, email, or in person and we’ll respond as quickly as we can.
[FAQ below were developed years ago and are still accurate, so are preserved here for archival purpose; ZLab3d now provides print services from a variety of machines!]
B9Creator Printer
B9Creations Resins
ZLab3d
B9Creator Printer v1.2
- B9Creator makes great prints but costs so less, please explain
B9Creator has provided a new approach to equipment ownership for Indian manufacturers. Originally an open-source printer, you have full ownership of early models’ workings. Its maker didn’t restrict access, require you to ship it for service, pay software licensing fees, or costly maintenance contracts.
Full control over YOUR printer gives you power in using the machine. Go ahead, disassemble it, improve it, try different ideas, and share the results with other users via the Forums. Build your own vat or build table. Experiment with other resins and resin mixes. - Build sizes
B9Creator version 1.2 uses a moveable HD projector, giving flexibility not available in other DLP printers. Z-height for all is 200mm.
By changing the projector position, you get 3 natively-supported build spaces:
57.6mm x 32.4mm; xy resolution of 30µm
96.0 x 54.0mm; xy resolution 50µm
104.0 x 75.6mm; xy resolution 70µm
ZLab3d build space illustration (pdf)
So if your work only requires 70µm xy resolution, you can print more pieces per print cycle. ZLab3d B9Creator 2-page info sheet (pdf)
ZLab3d B9Creator DIY actual size paper build spaces for visualization (pdf). - Consumables
The most expensive is the resin, but B9Creations castable resins are much less costly than competing resins.
Next is the clear silicone layer, PDMS, that coats the bottom of the vat.
You’ll also need less cost items like isopropyl alcohol, mixing cups and stirrers for the PDMS liquid, and other disposables for clean up, and storage containers for your finished prints. - Additional items
While you can cure B9Creator prints by sunlight, it’s faster to use a UV curing chamber, such as a fingernail polish curing unit, or your own design of a ventilated box with UV lights. Some also use a small turntable inside to rotate the prints for all-round UV exposure. B9Creator offers its own curing unit as an optional purchase.
If you plan a lot of printing, consider extra vats and build tables. Each PDMS layer is slightly different height, so must be calibrated, a brief process, to the build table. So pairing vats and build tables might be worth doing depending on your situation. - Support
Your B9Creator printer is a product of the USA. Unlike other machines in a jewellery factory, you need not send it back should it require service, there’s no need to call or email anyone should you have doubts.
It is a very simple machine and in the unlikely event of a service issue, 24/7 worldwide support is available from fellow users on the B9Creator Forums to help you service or operate B9Creator yourself, so downtime is far less than trying to get a technician flown in to look at it. This is a huge benefit for Indian jewellery manufacturers.
Should a part need replacing, simply identify it and source it locally. More and more B9Creators are coming to India, so the user base will increase. ZLab3d has been using B9Creator v1.1 for a year, assembled India’s first v1.2, and is located in Bangalore.
If you can’t find the needed parts, Contact Us to see if we can obtain them for you. - Sample prints
ZLab3d can print reasonably sized prints for your evaluation - Origin
B9Creator, its resins and software were invented and are actively developed by Mike Joyce in South Dakota, USA. The v1.0 was a Kickstarter project, the v1.1 made improvements, and the v1.2, released July 2014, provides further enhancements based on user input. In mid August 2014, ZLab3d became one of only 12 worldwide distributors of the B9Creator printer and supplies. In 2016 we are expanding our offerings in support of casting and B9 printing. Gary Dawson was an early supporter and worldwide distributor.
In 2016 and later, B9Creator is becoming a larger company with more emphasis on finished products, accessories, training offerings and consumables rather than a DIY community product. New and less user accessible products are becoming available.
B9Creations Resins
- Tell me about the resins
They may be mixed or used pure. They must be stored at less than 38 degrees C in light-tight containers. Uncured resin from a print cycle can be filtered and reused; cured resin cannot be reused. After a print cycle, wash the printed design in isopropyl alcohol then fully cure it under UV light or in the Sun’s UV rays. - Cherry: “A castible resin pigmented for thin slicing and sharp details (30-50 micron layer thickness)”
- Red: “A castible resin pigmented for thicker slicing and faster printing (70-200 micron layer thickness)”
- Black: “A high-strength, fast-curing, resin for durable models, vulcanized mold-making, or casting in hard investments. Flexible printing parameters suit a wide variety of applications. Slice thick for quick results or thin for fine details (30-200 micron layer thickness). Castable with smaller models and/or harder investments”
- Yellow: “The ultimate casting resin. Developed based on feedback from jewelers looking for the most complete burnout and castability on the market at any price. B9R-4-Yellow leaves no ash and prints with excellent detail to show the finest features of any design. B9R-4-Yellow is also our fastest-printing castable resin while adapting to your requirements across a broad range of slice thicknesses. (20-50 micron layer thickness).”
- Emerald: “Developed as an improvement to B9R-1-Cherry based on feedback from jewelers. B9R-3-Emerald provides clean burnout without staining the investment, enables casting of thicker objects, and prints with excellent detail to show the finest features of any design. B9R-3-Emerald also offers improvements over Cherry in terms of castability, print speed and flexibility across a broader range of parameters (25-70 micron layer thickness).”
- Check the B9Creator website for the latest resin developments. ZLab3d can obtain the resins for you if you are not accustomed to the import process.
- I want to use the inexpensive B9 resin in my laser CAM machine
B9Creations resins are made for the B9Creator printer, which uses a digital light projector to cure each layer. Use the resin in any machine you like, but neither B9Creations nor ZLab3d will be able to provide any guidance, you’ll have to experiment and look online.
ZLab3d
- Are you an Indian company?
Yes! Small but growing, we have been in Bangalore for eight years serving the Indian jewellery manufacturing industry. Four years ago we self-renovated our showroom, training centre and lab in Electronics City, the nicest place to try and buy jewellery making tools and equipment in India. About Us. - Can you send me (prints, printer, resins etc) to (outside India)?
At this time we do not export anything B9Creator-related outside India. For the buyer, it doesn’t make sense, either to pay Indian duties and the duties of and shipping to your country. Consider buying directly from the B9Creations store in the US, or becoming a dealer yourself if you’re already in business.