Current Tabletop Printers Use FDM Technology Uses heated nozzles that extrude a filament of plastic X-Y interface moves nozzle to create each layer Z interface lowers after each layer is added to prepare for next layer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fUjIkvJLlI
Anatomy of a Nozzle
Wait, what the heck is that? Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP) technology Uses UV curable resin (think, screen printing) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpH1zhUQY0c
Back to Reality – What can Tabletop Printers Do? Sturdy parts Relatively low material costs Time tested technology (even if only at an industrial level) Lots of variety in the types of printers and printing supplies Low cost printers not always reliable Affected by temperature, humidity, etc. Cannot build models with gaps or hollow areas very well Lots of variety in the types of printers and printing supplies
Needle in a Haystack http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/3dprinters/ https://www.3dhubs.com/3d-printers http://3dprintingfromscratch.com/3dprinters-catalog/ http://directory.3dprintingindustry.com/category/3d-printer-manufacturers/
Help Finding that Needle http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-3d-printers,review-2236.html https://www.3dhubs.com/trends
(Note: This doesn’t always mean best!) Most Popular (Note: This doesn’t always mean best!)
Materials Galore http://3dprintingfromscratch.com/3d-printer-filament-finder/ https://www.3dhubs.com/materials
Materials Galore
PLA ABS Cooler temperature (190-210C) Less curling/bending/warping Less sensitive to cool temperatures No simple solvent Brighter colors Hotter temperatures (220-250C) More curling/bending/warping Prints best in a heated environment Acetone solvent (evaporation smoothing) Slightly duller colors