Simple Voxelab Proxima 6.0 Review – Worth Buying or Not?
Voxelab is a subsidiary brand of the well-known Flashforge that started in 2020, with the aim to provide cost-effective 3D printers for users.
They released the Voxelab Proxima 6.0 which is a resin 3D printer that achieves high quality through a competitively priced machine that many users have grown to love. It’s a better version of the Voxelab Polaris 5.5 machine, and has many significant upgrades.
I’ve been personally using it for a few weeks so I decided to write a review for people to check out and use to help them figure out if this is a 3D printer that is worth buying or not.
I’ll be going through the features, specifications, benefits, downsides, other reviews of similar people, as well as many other points that you should find useful, so stay tuned for this simple Proxima 6.0 review.
Here is the Voxelab Proxima 6.0 3D printer (Official website) box along with a bottle of Voxelab Gray Rapid Resin (Amazon)
The packaging does come with a cover on top to keep all the items sealed in.
Here are the contents of the box.
The styrofoam reaches all the way down the box to protect the 3D printer, which slides out nicely.
Even the inside of the printer has styrofoam to ensure safe delivery.
The build plate comes separate from the main printer. Setup is really easy and only takes securing the build plate to the printer and leveling it. The USB does have STL files rather than the correct .fdg file type so you’ll need to also slice the file to get things started.
The red acrylic case is a really nice touch that gives it a unique flavor and look.
Now that you have seen the unboxing process, let’s look directly at the features of the Voxelab Proxima 6.0.
Features of the Voxelab Proxima 6.0
- 6-Inch 2K Monochrome Screen
- Single Linear Rail
- Stable & Efficient Light Source
- Simple Leveling System
- Full Gray-Scale Anti-Aliasing
- Integrated FEP Film Design
- Supports Multiple Slicers
- Sturdy Aluminum Vat with Max. Level
6-Inch 2K Monochrome Screen
The Voxelab Proxima (Amazon) has a mono screen which is much better than the RGB color screens with older style resin 3D printers. The 6-inch 2K monochrome screen allows users to cure each layer in just 1-3 seconds rather than 10+ seconds with other machines.
Not only do you get faster 3D prints, but the quality still performs to a really high standard as I’ve produced and seen. It really is comparable to other high-quality resin 3D printers out there like the Anycubic Photon Mono X.
Single Linear Rail
The single linear rail is enough to stabilize the movements of this printer. It’s mostly because it’s a smaller machine, but also, the frame and parts that build up this printer are really sturdy and durable.
If this was a larger 3D printer, dual linear rails may be in order, but for this size it works perfectly.
Stable & Efficient Light Source
The light source is the equivalent of the nozzle in filament 3D printers, so this has to be done properly to operate effectively. You want a light source that is stable, long-lasting, and efficient, which Voxelab have definitely achieved with the Proxima 6.0.
They have a Matrix UV LED Light Source that allows for quick curing and amazing accuracy. Even though the light transmittance is very high, you still have a screen life of up to 2,000 hours which is great.
Simple Leveling System
The leveling system was very easy to do and only requires a few basic steps to get right. The instructions that come with the printer detail the steps well so you can get your printer properly leveled.
Once it’s leveled, you shouldn’t have to re-level it for a long time because it holds really well, as long as you tighten the screws a good amount, but not overly tight.
All you have to do is attach the build plate onto the 3D printer, loosen the 2 screws at the front of the build plate so it is a little loose but not too loose. Then you put your leveling paper on top of the screen, making sure the resin vat is removed.
Now you press home on printer’s touchscreen to tell your printer to move to the home position.
Once the build plate moves to the bottom, you want to press down on the build plate and tighten the screws.
After that, you pull the leveling paper to see how tight it is underneath the build plate and ensure there is a little bit of wiggle room but is still fairly sturdy but pressing 0.1mm and the up or down arrow as needed.
You can then select Z=0 and this will correctly level your build plate for future printing success.
Full Gray-Scale Anti-Aliasing
Being able to further improve your 3D printing quality is possible with some models using Full Grayscale Anti-Aliasing. What it does is reduce the presence of layer lines by smoothing out the “steps” or “staircase” effect on your 3D prints.
Some people have had pretty mixed results with this, though for the right kind of models, it can work fairly well. It’s available with many 3D printer slicers so it’s definitely worth trying out to see if it works out for your models.
Integrated FEP Film Design
The FEP is designed in a way that’s real easy to operate and easy to replace when need be. There are 12 screws around the resin vat to unscrew and tighten to change the FEP film which can be done in around 3 minutes.
Sturdy Aluminum Vat with Max. Level
The aluminum resin vat on this machine is very simple and effective for the purpose of holding resin in a secure container. It even has a Max. Line mark that shows you how far to fill resin up to so it doesn’t spill over.
This is a very useful feature for people to have because overfilling your resin vat can lead to a pretty bad spill of resin over the LCD screen which wouldn’t be ideal.
Supports Multiple Slicers
The Voxelab Proxima 6.0 is compatible with many slicers out there including the proprietary VoxelPrint, ChiTuBox, Lychee Slicer and more. My preferred method of slicing resin 3D prints is definitely Lychee Slicer because it’s seamless, smart, and easy to use.
I haven’t tried using VoxelPrint myself, though you have many options to choose from. Slicers are generally pretty simple to operate, but some have more features than others.
Voxelab Proxima 6.0 Print Quality
I’ve printed a few models in the Voxelab ABS-Like Gray resin and they came out really well. These are printed with a 0.05mm layer height and an exposure time of 3 seconds.
This is an Elven Sorceress model which you can find on MyMiniFactory.
Here is the model after cleaning and curing.
Here is the Meridia Shrine, also on MyMiniFactory
The Barbarian Chieftan on MyMiniFactory is a nicely detailed miniature you can print.
You can download Mario with a Gun from 3DMag. The supports on this model weren’t placed the best, so there are a few imperfections.
The Stone Giant Bust is a great print with excellent detail, which you can find on MyMiniFactory.
The quality is amazing with the Proxima 6.0 even at the competitive price point. Not only is the quality great, but the curing time is really short.
Benefits of the Voxelab Proxima 6.0
- It’s packaged up very securely and snug so it comes to you in one piece.
- Decent instructions that provide the simple steps to set the machine up – though some parts aren’t written too well
- Overall setting up and operation of the machine is very easy to do and can be done quickly
- The quality of the prints are top of the line and allows you to print at a 0.025mm layer height
- Frame and sturdiness of the Proxima 6.0 is amazing compared to other printers out there
- The touchscreen is great in terms of user experience
- Good tight fit around the acrylic lid, so fumes don’t spill out so easily
- High quality USB to connect and print with
- Really competitive price point for the quality and features you are getting
- Leveling is very easy to get the hang of and doesn’t need to be done so often
- The plastic and metal scrapers that come with the printer are great quality
- It’s a perfect 3D printer for beginners who have never printed with a resin machine
Downsides of the Voxelab Proxima 6.0
- You can’t change the settings and exposure time during the printing process
- It is pretty loud compared to other resin 3D printers – mainly the up and down movements of the build plate.
- The USB stick comes with STL files rather than a pre-sliced model so you have to slice the model yourself to test the printer.
- Some users have mentioned that the VoxelPrint software could use some improvement
- A few users couldn’t follow the instructions too well so I’d recommend using a video tutorial
- The package came with one set of gloves that were a different size unfortunately!
Voxelab have mentioned that they have scheduled some video tutorials to better help users get setup properly, so this is good news. They are also looking into trying to make other improvements with the machine.
Specifications of the Voxelab Proxima 6.0
- Build Volume: 125 x 68 x 155mm
- Product Dimensions: 230 x 200 x 410mm
- Operating Screen: 3.5-Inch Touch Screen
- Max. Layer Height: 0.025 – 0.1mm (25 – 100 microns)
- XY Axis Resolution: 2560 x 1620
- Printer Screen: 6.08-Inch 2K Monochrome LCD Screen
- Light Source: 405nm LED
- Power : 60W
- AC Input: 12V, 5A
- File Format: .fdg (exported from .stl files in slicer)
- Connectivity: USB Memory Stick
- Supported Software: ChiTuBox, VoxelPrint, Lychee Slicer
- Net Weight: 6.8 KG
Customer Reviews of the Voxelab Proxima 6.0
In terms of the reviews for the Voxelab Proxima 6.0, they are pretty promising having an overall Amazon rating of 4.3/5.0 at time of writing with a 70% 5-star rating.
The customer reviews are mostly positive with a couple of reviews that mention things about quality control with the build plate and a few screws, though it looks like they have sorted these things out now.
Many people mention how this 3D printer is a perfect machine for beginners who want the MSLA technology for a competitive price. They say how great the quality and durability of the machine is, as well as how well the resulting prints turn out.
For new users, resin 3D printing can be a little challenging to get the hang of, but by watching a few tutorials and walkthroughs, you’ll quickly start to understand how to prepare, slice, and print your models successfully.
As mentioned above, one user loved just how protected and packaged the Proxima 6.0 came, with all the Styrofoam around it. All the empty spaces are properly filled so nothing knocks about inside the box.
You can easily unpack the items, but the printer is pretty heavy so you’ll have to be careful with it.
The tools and accessories that it comes with are high quality, but you’ll need to get your own resin separate from the printer. The Voxelab ABS-Like Resin that I used for the 3D prints works out really nicely.
One user described the overall experience of getting this machine as a fantastic user experience from the start. The instructions are fairly easy to follow and directs you throughout the process, though the English isn’t the best in some places.
Setup was really easy for several users since you only have to install the vat and level the printer, which takes no time. Many users have printed successfully with the Proxima 6.0 from the start and had no issues.
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned expert, this 3D printer is a great choice to get for yourself.
Verdict – Is the Voxelab Proxima 6.0 Worth Buying?
Based on my overall experience, along with the features of this printer and the experience of many other customers, I would definitely say the Voxelab Proxima 6.0 is a 3D printer worth buying.
The pricing of this MSLA resin 3D printer is very competitive and is a perfect budget machine for any person interested in getting high quality prints for cheap. It can compete comfortably with some of the best resin printers out there.
You can get yourself the Voxelab Proxima 6.0 from Amazon or get this LCD Resin 3D Printer from the Official Voxelab website.