looking at 3d printers- who's reviews do you believe

[JNieman]

id honestly not even bother with a 3d printer until someone releases a somewhat low cost laser sintering version. out side of that, if i had to buy one today, and couldnt spend SLS type money... it would be a projet no question.

Some of the nylons they're developing are pretty tough, but the best material properties are in the SLS range. SLS machines for thermoplastics are cheaper than those for metals. It's a pretty good compromise solution, imo.

I'm eager to see some cheaper laser sintering machines though. It "feels like" it should be any day now.

 

[maxc]

The company I am working with has a solution for the open-loop stepper motor problem without spending the cash on servos, now we just need to get someone to buy the technology and bring it to market. It is super cool to reach into a printer, push the head way off course and see it correct and keep printing. No more missed steps


Luke

Sure you don't miss steps but your not going to be able to have the motion profile like a servo has. The servo motor can decelerate coming into a tight corner and accelerate out of the sharp corner. The stepper motor has a jerky movement that creates artifacts in the print. And servos make much less noise than a stepper motor. We are making a large FDM printer and servos are pretty affordable for our application.

 

[Luke Rickert]

Actually we base the control on snap and jerk (the rate change of acceleration etc) with forward looking planning with history based machine models so we have the whole corner thing under control The system uses feedback so it is by definition a servo system, just one that can be built for a very low cost and has certain other advantages.

L

 

[G-ManBart]

We have a MakerBot Z18 at work and I can't tell you how much trouble we've had with it. The first unit was so messed up they simply replaced it. The replacement worked for a few hours and then started failing to the point they brought it back and did a comprehensive troubleshooting process that got it working. It's fairly reliable now, but the company is SO difficult to deal with I can't recommend them. If you don't pay extra, you have to use online customer support that takes days just to get a call or e-mail back

 

[bcstractor]

Just bought a Makergear M2 and amazed at the quality of parts.
These are 1mm thick and 6 inches tall.

 

[ZD Aluminum]

It's all about layer resolution. If you want a truely smooth part just get it machined from plastic. Especially if you already have a solid model. Find someone/ask the company to print a trial part and see if it is satisfactory if you are hell bent on 3d printing.

Which type of Aluminum do you supply?

 

[charlie gary]

An engineer I work with had the opportunity to evaluate a lot of different 3D printers at her last job, and she said this one was the most Trouble-free and easy to use.

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