How can Light-off Delay improve 3D prints?

Light-off Delay refers to when the building plate lifts up, waits, and retracts while printing 3D models. If the Light-off Delay time is set too high, it will take longer to complete the process. If the number is set too low, there is a higher chance of your prints failing.

1. What is Light-off Delay?

When a 3D printer’s building plate retracts, it is important to allow enough time for resin to stabilize before the UV lights turn on — the time required for this is called Light-off Delay. This parameter setting is extremely important if you want to print out sharper 3D models with high resolution.

2. How to Set Light-off Delay on Phrozen OS?

• The Light-off Delay values on the Phrozen OS Interface are different from the settings on CHITUBOX.
• You only need to dial in the value provided on our official resin profile.
• If your resin isn’t listed on our resin sheet, set delay time at 2000~5000 ms depending on the resin thickness (the thicker the resin is, the longer the delay time should be).

3. How is Light-off Delay Calculated on CHITUBOX?

• The Light-off Delay function on CHITUBOX is slightly different from the Phrozen OS. 
• The parameters consist of the total time of the Z-axis moving up and down and additional stabilizing time before the UV lights turn on.
• To calculate the Light-off Delay, we need to know the lifting distance, lifting speed, and retracting speed.
• After learning how long it takes for the Z-axis to move up and down, add another 2~3 seconds to the total time and you will have your ideal Light-off Delay time.

Light-off Delay = Building Plate Up and Down Time + Additional Delay Time

Example

• Lifting Distance: 6mm
• Lifting Speed: 60mm/min (1mm/s)
• Retract Speed: 150mm/min (2.5mm/s)

• Lift Time = Approximately 6s
• Retract Time = Approximately 2.4s
• Building Plate Moving Time = Approximately 8.4s 
• The suggested minimal light-off delay time will be: 8.4+2 = 10.4s
• The suggested maximum light-off delay time will be: 6.3+3 = 11.4s

4. The Light-off Delay Auto-Calculator

To make things easier, feel free to use this Light-Off Delay Calculator contributed by our community. The calculator automatically calculates the formula. Simply type in your lift distance, lifting speed, and retract speed and you're good to go.

The official resin profile is a good starting point, but you may need to make a few adjustments in order to create perfect prints. Light-off Delay time is essential in resin 3D printing. With the correct settings, each layer will be printed in a much more stable manner, resulting in a better-quality 3D print. But it is also one of the most neglected parameters. Please feel free to share your knowledge with the community.