Anycubic Photon Auto-Dispense Mod

A great amount of effort and time went into the design, testing and troubleshooting of this thing! Please be so kind and consider leaving a tip if you decide to print and install this and share a make of your results.

READ ALL BEFORE USE

This is my take on an
Auto-Refill mod for the Anycubic Photon

My goal was to create a system that's reliable and, most of all, easy to use! While I have found refill mods for other SLA printers, all of them were very inconvenient to use. With some it was difficult to refill the container, with others you had to go through special treatment of the tubes prior to every use. I've tried to resolve all of those issues while still managing to fit the construction into the arguably very limited space available in the Photon's enclosure. I've read comments arguing for a construction that is placed outside the Photon. Besides the visual aspect, I've decided against that, as I want to be able to use transparent bottles, so that you can monitor the amount of resin that is left in the container. A transparent bottle also allows you to check if the system is working correctly. If there are bubbles visible in the bottle even though the vat is filled, there must be an air leak in the system and disaster can be avoided.

To use the mod, print all parts in the following materials:

Cap, Dock, Duct: Transparent standard resin (Do not forget to sand off the elephants foot!)
DripVat, Filler, Stamps, RigidPin, FlexPin: Resin of your choice
BottleSeal, DockSeal: Cast in Silicone, print in flexible or elastic resin, or cut from sponge rubber or similar material using the stamps
Valve: Cast in Silicone, print in flexible or elastic resin, or in rigid resin in combo with the RigidPin

Additionally you need:
Wire of your chosen diameter (I chose bicycle brake wiring ⌀ 2 mm)
Silicone tubing of 6 mm ID x 9 mm OD (cut the ends at 45°)
4 M3x20 bolts
A spring of roughly 0.5mmx6mmx10mm, similar sizes also work (a rigid valve requires a stronger spring).
Optional: A 100 ml wide-mouth bottle, like this.
A sponge rubber sheet of 2.5 mm thickness

Assemble all parts as visible in the pictures and check their fit. Everything should fit together snug and securely. If something is too lose, grab a brush and apply a thin layer of resin, then cure immediately and check the fit again.
Make sure that there are no air leaks in the system! Test it a few times prior to actual use. For this, the DripVat comes in handy. For your test runs, water is sufficient. If you can confirm that there are no air leaks, you are good to go. If you want to be absolutely sure, apply resin to the silicone tube's ends before inserting them and then cure it. Be aware this fixes the tube to the Dock and Duct permanently! I did not do this and it is not necessary, but it may help if you have troubles with air leaks.

To use, prepare your print like normal and fill the vat with resin, like you always do. Then fill the 100ml bottle with resin and close the cap. Flip the bottle upside down, insert it into the printer, push it downwards into the dock and tighten it down by twisting it clockwise. Check that everything is placed correctly and that there are no air leaks. Start the print!

After a print, remove the bottle from the dock. the tube will automatically empty out. Now you can remove the vat. Insert the DripVat and connect the duct. This makes sure no excess resin drips onto the screen and allows you to flush the system with IPA.

Benefits of this system over other refill-mods (in my opinion):

• The bottle can be inserted and removed without creating a big mess! Want to remove a half filled bottle? No problem! Twist the bottle cap counterclockwise and remove. The valve closes instantly and stops the resin flow. Hold above the dock for a second to let drip off. IMPORTANT: When twisting to remove the bottle, always hold on to the bottle cap!!! Do not remove by twisting the bottle itself, as that could open it!
• The system is easy to clean. Remove the bottle and the vat, insert and connect the DripVat and flush the system with isopropyl alcohol. Let evaporate and you are good to go.
• Quick and easy. You do not need to suck on a tube to remove the air from it or other shenanigans. Assemble once and the system is plug and play.