Make: Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing 2014 by Maker Media

Author:Maker Media
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Maker Media, Inc.
Published: 2013-11-18T05:00:00+00:00

This Year’s Trends in 3D Printing

Developments in desktop 3D printers come at a breakneck pace, and this year’s roundup brought exciting new trends emerging in size, shapes, and print materials.

SMALL AND AFFORDABLE

Until recently, there has been a steep drop off when entering the small, sub-$1,000 3D printer realm. But with a couple new machines in our test, we now have access to printers that aren’t just portable and low-cost, they’re also capable of producing respectable results.

PRECISE PRINTS WITH LIQUID RESIN

Light-cured resin printers, new to our testing, are in a class by themselves, both in terms of the SLA technology used and the quality of the prints produced. Both of the machines we tested in this category are quickly being adopted by designers and craftspersons who require professional-grade details.

THREE-ARMED ROBOTS AND AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENTS

With smooth, fast-moving heads, delta robot printers also entered the 3D printing conversation this year; we tested the OpenBeam Mini Kossel while keeping our eye on nearly a half dozen more (see our “Ones to Watch” section on page 100).

The Mini Kossel and the more typical Up Plus 2 also introduced auto-leveling features, which eliminates one of the monotonous manual steps required when setting up a print job.

THE PROSUMER CATEGORY GROWS

Until recently, the prosumer selection for fused-filament printers has largely been limited to the MakerBot Replicator 2. However, the new Ultimaker 2 now provides a viable option to those needing high-quality results, onboard controls and intuitive high quality software, with a form factor that is suitable for a professional workplace.

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