Important things you need to consider while buying a 3D Printer

If you have decided to buy a 3D printer, hold your horses. Here are few things that you need to consider before diving into the world of rapid prototyping or 3D Printing. There are lots of options available in the market. 3D Printers have varying specifications which in turn cater to different demands. To help you decide on which printer to make your first, we have compiled a list of important things you need to know before you buy a 3D printer.

Types of 3D Printers•Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)•Stereolithography•Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Printer type:

There are two main types of 3D printers: FFM (fused filament manufacturing) and SLA (stereo lithography). FFM printers work by melting a plastic filament in a moving print head to form the model.

Printing materials:

Whichever type of printer you choose, pay attention to the type of material it can use to print. The filament material used by FFM printers available in several different materials, such as PLA (a brittle, biodegradable material), ABS (the same plastic used in Lego blocks), nylon, TPE (a soft, rubberlike material) and HDPE (a light, tough polystyrene). Many of these materials, particularly PLA and ABS, are available in a huge range of colors. Filaments come in two sizes: 1.75 mm and 3 mm, which are not interchangeable. 

Print volume:

All printers have limits on the size of the 3D print they can produce. That limit is defined by the size of the print bed and how far the printer can move the print head. This is usually measured in cubic inches, but you should also pay attention to each of the individual dimensions, which determine the maximum size 3D print the device can create.

Print speed and quality:

3D printing is a slow business, and at present, there's no way to get around this. You should expect a 3- to 4-inch model to typically take between 6 and 12 hours to print, depending on the print quality you select.

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