Phrozen was founded in 2016 in Taiwan as a project of several 3D printing enthusiasts. Partly owing to its successful Kickstarter campaign, it managed to establish itself in the world of 3D printing and its products rose to popularity and prominence in several fields. The most successful models by Phrozen is available here. After covering the hobby, industrial and jewelry segments, the company now introduces its 3D printer for stomatology, the Phrozen Sonic XL 4K 2022. However, thanks to its versatile properties, its applications are not limited to this field.
This 3D printer is the successor of the current Phrozen Sonic XL 4K model (review available here) and has been upgraded both in terms of hardware and software.
Mechanics
From its predecessor, it inherited a reliable robust travel mechanism in the Z-axis (strong double linear guides and ball lead screw, high-performance stepper motor) and a high-quality and solid metal chassis. The minimum thickness of one layer remains 10µm. The closing mechanism is improved by an automatic door damper for even better user comfort.
LCD
The core of the Phrozen Sonic XL 4K 2022 is its 8.9” LCD screen with 4K resolution, i.e., 3840 x 2400px. The printing volume has increased to 200 x 12.5 x 200 mm (the predecessor’s volume was 190 x 120 x 200 mm). This results in an increased pixel size, which is now 52 um (last year’s model has a size of 50 um).
LED
The light source remains the same, i.e., UV LED field marked ParaLED Matrix 3.0 with a wavelength of 405 nm and an intensity of approx. 2.5 mW/cm2 at 100% output. As a new feature, the output can now be regulated in the range of 50-100 %. By reducing the lighting intensity, you can achieve a longer service life of the LCD, and—most importantly—the option to change the lighting output (brightness) means you don’t need to regularly fine-tune the profile due to the LCD wear (opacity increase).
As opposed to the cheaper models and other competitor’s products, this printer offers a much more efficient cooling of the electronics and the LCD itself. This is another advantage that allows Phrozen Sonic XL 4K 2022 to be used to print industrial materials that require a longer exposure time (such as the popular Loctite 3843 Matte Black); at the same time this prolongs the service life of the LCD, which doesn’t wear as quickly thanks to the lower operating temperature.
Heating of the print chamber
In order to achieve constant results even at different ambient temperatures, Phrozen Sonic XL 4K 2022 is equipped with print chamber heating. This eliminates the impact of ambient temperature fluctuations on the print quality, i.e., when the season changes, while also improving the quality of the print by heating the resin to 30 or 35 °C. A high resin temperature reduces its viscosity (increases its liquidity so that it flows easier), which means the printer can achieve better accuracy of the layer thickness. The built-in heating also allows the printer to use more demanding materials, such as dental resins with an admixture of ceramics for temporary or permanent tooth replacements such as Detax Freeprint temp, Saremco CROWNTEC or Power Resins PowerDent Temp, as well as popular industrial materials such as Loctite 3843, Loctite 3172, Loctite 3860 and Loctite 3D IND 147.
Carbon air filter
Another improvement is the integrated filter that absorbs vapors in the chamber.
Software and firmware
The dental specialization of the printer is also clear from the supplied slicer, called the Phrozen Dental Synergy Slicer, which has been tailored for easy processing of data for dental products. The simple and intuitive interface offers all the most frequently required functions for dental products, such as hollowing, adding drainage channels or inserting text directly on the model to allow easy identification of the patient or the order.
However, if you’re used to a different slicer, you can continue using it in some cases. For example, Chitubox is not supported directly by this printer but it can be added as a “default” 3D printer or you can modify the configuration for Phrozen Sonic XL 4K.
In terms of software, the new printer control interface on a 5” touch LCD is very pleasant – it has a clean and modern look and, most importantly, is also user-friendly.
USB, LAN, WiFi and remote control
The print tasks remain in .zip format and can be transferred either on an USB driver or remotely via internet (LAN or WiFi), which can also be used to control and configure the printer. The most useful functions are starting the print, preview while in progress and working with print profiles. A new parameter has been added to the print profile, making it impossible to use an exported file from the predecessor (you can import it but the printer won’t start printing). The profile needs to be created again and the values need to be re-entered manually.
Continuing interrupted print
Thanks to the change of zero-position detection, unlike its predecessors, the Phrozen Sonic XL 4K 2022 newly allows users to resume printing after it has been interrupted, e.g., due to a power outage. However, there will be a visible line at the joint.
Supported materials
The so-called open material system is another important advantage. This allows you to use any material for printing, as long as the printer can process it in terms of temperature, lighting output and wavelength. You can find a large number of print profiles for resins directly on the Phrozen3d.com website: https://phrozen3d.com/pages/resin-sonic-4k-2022.
Other improvements
What we consider to be an additional bonus are the adjustable screw legs that make the configuration of the horizontal position much easier. Furthermore, the intakes of cooling fans have been moved to the bottom of the printer, which reduces the space required on the sides and eliminates the problem when more printers are next to each other and one exhausts warm air into the intake of the next printer. Last but not least, we appreciate the practical holders of the resin container.
Comparison of Phrozen Sonic XL 4K 2022 to its predecessor
Complete accessories
In addition to the essentials, the printer also comes with all the necessary accessories for 3D printing: power cable, USB flash drive, the already mentioned Phrozen DS Slicer, user manual, WiFi adapter and Allen wrench for calibration, as well as tools for removing the model and working with the resin: rubber gloves, plastic and metal scraper, funnel for pouring the material back into the bottle.
Conclusion
The high quality of this printer is clearly testified by the fact that its elegant black version has made its way to the portfolio of ZirkonZahn under the name of P4000 as well as to the offer of another renowned player in the field of materials for 3D printing – Dreve, where it is available under the name Phrozen “Sonic XL 4K 2022 Qualified by DREVE”.
Even though we only tested the Phrozen Sonic XL 4K 2022 for a relatively short time compared to the long-term tests of other models that we have been using for years for customized 3D printing, the quality of the equipment became quickly evident and the improvement compared to the previous generation is praiseworthy. In the last year, the response time and quality of technical support directly by Phrozen has also improved and many instructional videos and additional information have been added. We can wholeheartedly recommend their products to anyone who is looking for quality and reliability for an affordable price. They fully deserve their “The Best Entry-level 3D Printer for Dentistry” label.