I’m thinking about buying a 3D printer for rapid prototyping a product that I’m developing. It needs to be somewhat precise, but really I can get by with an accuracy of a several microns, as long as the drift isn’t too bad.
I’m a mechanical engineer, so the assembly aspect doesn’t really scare me, but I have very little experience with desktop units and their specific problem set.
Has anyone here worked with 3D Stuffmaker? And if so, would you recommend it (why or why not)? Also, are there any other inexpensive alternatives I should look into?
Thanks in advance for your help. I have already learned a ton just from reading the discussions in this community. You all are great!
That thing is just a Prusa in a box frame. If you really want a hobby level printer for prototyping, and you need accuracy of several microns, you’re not going to really get much better than the UltiMaker. Yes, I’m aware of the fundage issue, but when you’re doing rapid prototyping, you’re going to need supports that break away. You’re going to need accuracy. You’re going to need dimensional stability.
I’ve never heard of “3d stuff maker”, so I cannot attest to their quality, but their stock pictures look like they’re using a very old version of the J-head or a cheap knockoff. If they’re using a knockoff, you’re going to spend more time fiddling with the printer than simply printing. My guess is you’d rather focus on modeling and engineering rather than engineering on your printer…
I agree with @ThantiK , investing in a decent printer is like investing in a car, you’ll pay for it one way or another. When you say you can “get by with an accuracy of several microns” I don’t quite follow. Since you’re an ME, I’ll speak your language. Your dimensional tolerance on a part will more likely be within a surface profile of .010in if you’re lucky, but easily within .020in. Remember, 100micron is .004in. When people say they have resolution in the single digit microns, that means nothing. You will never get that type of feature resolution. First of all, these use stepper motors, not the servos that the CNC milking machines use, so you don’t get the steady torque, you have song and weak positions in the motor, so you will get more granularity in your motion when the stages are loaded. As you make you microsteps dinner, your torque goes down, so trying to move at the micron level will just get lost in the transmission losses.
Not too mention the extruders don’t have nearly enough repeatability to make that even matter. If you truly are seeking that type of accuracy, you will probably need another technology like sla or other photopolymers technologies.
If you can deal with fdm parts, then you came to the right place. As stated, the Ultimaker simply rocks. Otherwise, look into the Mendel 90, I’ve heard great things about its easy build and reliable prints. No matter what, stick with a kit or design that has lots of successful builds, otherwise you’ll spend more time redesigning your printer than actually printing.
Thanks for the info @Eric_Moy . I guess I’m revealing my ignorance in this area. I have experience using 3D printers, but they have always been owned by my institution. I really have no experience with shopping for and purchasing printers.
@ThantiK No, all I’ve really done is worked with more industrial-style printers owned by schools. I really don’t know brand names, etc.
As you can tell, I’m more or less out of my depth here. I understand the terminology and concepts in the majority of the discussions I have read here on the community, but I have no hands-on experience with these types of printers. I do realize that it will be a different animal than what I am used to. As you all can tell, I need a lot of guidance.
If you really do need resolutions in the several microns range (even 0.01 mm, 10 microns), I don’t think there is anything in the sub-$5000 category (and probably a lot more than that) that’s going to accommodate you.
@Addison_Alexander , I hope I didn’t come off as “know it all”. I sometimes write abruptly when using my phone, as the fewer words I use, the less likely autocorrect will bithcer my verbiage.
@Eric_Moy Not at all! I really appreciate the help, and I will be reading up on the information you posted. You guys are great. Thanks for the information!
If you are strapped for cash, I love my printrbot simple. The thing is a beast, honestly my go to printer, I have a Mendel90 yes it does work, but I spend more time fiddling with it then I do printing. The simple worked out of the box, and I have only had issues with the drive string breaking one. Now I have upgraded to g2 belts, next I will add a hot bed