3D printer - Buy these types in 2024

THE ARTICLE WAS UPDATED: 2024.06.01

The RendeljKínait team tested a 2016D printer for the first time in 3, that is, we have been dealing with the topic for almost 8 years, for example we were lucky with the Anet A8 type that caught fire. This was another DIY kit that we put together in about a day, fortunately by now the topic has matured much more. We have been using an upgraded version of an older Creality Ender 6 printer on a daily basis for about 3 years, but we have tested several products. 3D printing is a really fluffy, niche topic, which is especially difficult to start if you don't find the right information.

You have to gather your experiences from dozens of websites, from the depths of Reddit forums, and from videos, which is still a working method if you have a lot of energy for it. If not, then read our article about 3D printers, so you can save yourself a lot of time, money and unnecessary laps. In addition to the practical experience accumulated during use, we will also share the opinions of our friends and partners with you in the following lines.

The article deals with a special topic that is developing very quickly, so its contents discuss technologies and solutions available at the time of writing the article - May 2024. Since the technical literature is typically in English, not all terms can be properly translated into Hungarian. In such cases, we used the original technical jargon, but where it could be translated, we also typically wrote the English equivalent!

This article is only about filament 3D printing! We will discuss resin 3D printing in another article!

contents

• These are the best types of 3D printers (2024)
• The basics of 3D printing, filaments
• How the FDM/FFF 3D printer works
• FDM/FFF 3D printer components
• Advantages and disadvantages of 3D printing
• How to choose a 3D printer for yourself?
• Frequently Asked Questions

These are the best types of 3D printers (2024)

The range of 3D printers on our list includes only hobbyist FDM, i.e. filament printers, our article does not cover resin printing, industrial use and serial production. We selected the 3D printer models for home use based on the following criteria:

• based on many years of our own experience, our tests and the 3D printers we own
• based on the experiences of our partners
• based on individual research, which is based on domestic and international customer opinions
• based on opinions read in various forums and special groups
• The 3D Academy is 3D printing/3D scanning/3D design foundation course Based on

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The basics of 3D printing, filaments

The process of 3D printing can be scary at first. At first glance, it looks like a complicated, difficult to understand hobby that consumes a lot of time. This has changed a lot in the last couple of years, now the manufacturers have simplified things a lot, there are many out-of-the-box 3D printers available on the market, which can be used immediately after minimal setup time. So there is no need to panic, but we assume that if you are here and reading this, you do not belong to this category.

Let's start with the basics of how exactly 3D printing works. In many places, we have translated the technical jargon into Hungarian, but for the sake of clarity, we also include the English equivalent of the term, so you will be able to look up the concepts in more detail on the Internet!

What is 3D printing?

3D printing is nothing more than the "assembly" of different objects consisting of layers. It is also called additive manufacturing, and the very first experiments took place in the 80s. The technology always uses some kind of liquid material, which is built up in layers using different processes. In contrast to traditional technologies - subtractive, i.e. they are created by removing the excess from a block of material - during 3D printing, the object is built from its own material, so very few by-products are created, and there is no retooling and the like.

The 3D printing process can be briefly described with the following steps:

• you need a 3D model that the 3D printer will work with
• the 3D model must be converted to the appropriate file format, which is interpreted by the printer's preparation software - the slicer
• the preparatory software divides the 3D model into very thin layers - that's why it is often called slicing software - and within the layers the program determines the coordinates to which the printer should move and what it should do there
• the 3D model file created by the slicer must be delivered to the 3D printer, which starts printing based on this
• certain preparatory routines run on the printer side - e.g. leveling and heating the stage, cleaning the printhead, etc. - and then printing begins with the selected material, from which the 3D printer builds the object based on the layers

Where did you find 3D models?

The 3D models to be uploaded to the 3D printer can be obtained from several sources:

• The most complicated solution is to design them yourself, for which you will need a 3D modeling software. This gives the greatest flexibility.
• A simpler but more expensive solution is to scan objects yourself with a 3D scanner. By definition, only 3D models of objects that already exist can be created with this method, in return you get a fairly accurate picture of the objects to be printed.
• You can also download 3D models from an internet database.

Download 3D models from the Internet

Countless 3D models can be downloaded from the Internet, but luckily there is an even simpler method: the setting models provided next to the 3D printer, which are typically hidden on the SD card.

The most common 3D model extension for filament type 3D printers is .STL - standard triangle language -, which is created by most 3D modeling software and can be interpreted by various slicer software. You may also come across the .gcode format, which is actually a text file containing instructions, but in most cases it is printer specific, so it can only be used properly with the given printer.

With the adjustment models supplied with the 3D printer – calibration cube, Callicat, Benchy small boat - start printing to see the operation of the 3D printer in practice. If you have passed this, you can obtain additional 3D model files from the following websites, typically free of charge:

• Thingiverse
• Printables
• cults3d
• Youmagine
• GrabCAD
• Sketchfab
• MyMiniFactory (basically 3D fantasy and sci-fi figures)
• PinShape

Tip: most 3D printer manufacturers also have their own libraries with 3D models, for example this one Owned by EasyThreed.

The next step should be to load the 3D models downloaded from the above pages into one of the well-known slicing software, such as the most widely used Cura UltiMaker. Here you can play with the different settings, reduce or increase the size of the 3D models, change the fiber thickness and a thousand other things. 1-2 rolls of filament - the material used by the printer - you will definitely waste your attempts, so it is worth stocking up on them.

Create 3D models by scanning

3D scanning is a popular procedure because you can create unique 3D files without 3D modeling skills. When does this arise? For example, if you want to duplicate a specific object, and this can be done more efficiently in a home environment than if you order a commercially available version, for example because it is no longer available. You can also digitize living beings - for example, human faces - and other unique things.

The downside of this solution is that the hardware required for this is quite expensive, even the cheapest solutions - for example the Creality Scan Ferret - cost several hundred dollars, but their quality is not particularly good, which is why they require post-processing, for which you also need a rather rough PC or Mac will be Since the topic alone would cover an article of a similar scope, we will not deal with it in this paper.

Design of 3D models

The most complicated form of creating 3D models, they primarily require knowledge of 3D design software. Learning to use them is a very time-consuming process, in return you do not have to pay the hefty price of 3D scanners - although the two solutions can of course be combined - but you have paid for the knowledge with your free time. 3D design software gives you the greatest design freedom, and the paid versions also have really complex applications.

Staying with civilian use, the easiest for first attempts is the Thingiverse Customizer, which can be used to re-parameterize existing models. Blender is perhaps the most well-known of the free CAD software, but in my circle of acquaintances, modeling is also done with the online Onshape and Autodesk Fusion 360. The topic can actually only be explained in tens of thousands of characters, so we will not discuss it in this article for reasons of length.

What 3D printer technologies are there?

So far, one very important thing has not been revealed: the technological background of 3D printing. In the case of the most common devices intended for home use, 3D models can be printed using the following procedures - in many cases the 3D printer is also referred to in this way - in non-industrial conditions:

• FDM/FFF 3D printing: filament is used and the material is melted with the help of a hot end, from which the layers are assembled, this is also discussed in this article. For those who are familiar with the hobby, we recommend this as a start!
• SLA/DLP/LCD printing: resin is used, and the individual layers are "illuminated" with UV light. Objects often have to be post-treated with chemicals. Advanced theme, in return you can create more beautiful prints! We deal with the topic in a separate article.
• LDM 3D printing: liquid flow stack molding, practically used for printing clay objects. Since we have no experience with the technology, we will only deal with it at the mention level, its technology is similar to FDM/FFF 3D printing.

All of the above are technologies suitable for home use, but of course 3D printing also has industrial applications - for example with metals or concrete - but these are not discussed in our article. Let's look at the operation of the FDM/FFF technology from the list above in more detail.

FDM/FFF 3D printing

Fused deposition modeling/fused filament fabrication is an abbreviation of English words, more simply filament 3D printing. Its essence is that a thermoplastic material - filament - is passed through a feeder - extruder - which pushes the material into a head - hot end. At the end of this, there is a nozzle, which melts the filament, and then the 3D printer presses the hot naphtha onto the stage with the help of the nozzle. The different layers will build the model by sticking together as they cool.

FDM/FFF printing requires filament. It is a coiled material that softens relatively easily when heated. There are several types of filament, they differ in color and properties, as well as their areas of use. Their common feature is that they are all melted and placed on the stage, and the 3D model is created by cooling.

The difference between FDM and FFF technology is that FFF is a variant of FDM printing, basically fiber-based printing invented for hobbyists. In most cases – but not exclusively – plastic with a diameter of 1,75 mm is used for this, which is rolled up into a drum, pulled in by the extruder, and pushed out by the head onto the stage using a heated nozzle. The objects produced in this way require no or only minimal post-work.

Advantages of FDM/FFF 3D printers

Since it is most likely that your first 3D printer will be an FDM/FFF system, it is worth going over the advantages of the technology:

• cheap
• the new devices are quite fast
• relatively easy to use
• countless configurations: rectilinear, CoreXY, Delta, etc.
• its parts can be developed cheaply
• now they provide a lot of extra services
• you can work with many types of filament
• the printed object requires no or only minimal post-processing

Disadvantages of FDM/FFF printers

FDM/FFF technology has some disadvantages that you should definitely know before buying such a device:

• the resolution of printed 3D models is not the best (compared to SLA)
• it can only print one object at a time
• in many cases it is felt that they were not made for industrial use
• FDM 3D printers become louder as the speed increases and the cooling power increases
• not all solutions are out-of-the-box, they have to be assembled and need to be developed later
• certain materials require a special nozzle
• some substances can form toxic gas

Filaments used for FDM/FFF printers

One of the most important aspects of choosing a 3D printer is the filament it can print with, as this largely determines the range of objects that can be printed.

Countless different filaments are available on the market, now we will say a few words about the most widely used ones. Always find out what the printing costs of each material are, at what temperature they melt, whether they are toxic or not, if you need any special materials to handle them, and so on.

Each filament has a different heat tolerance, reacts differently to UV radiation, has different strength and ability to hold its shape - does it twist or break - and some materials may require post-treatment. It is also important that there are materials that are sensitive to moisture, which can cause them to curl or warp - this is warping - they start. It is also worth drying most filaments, more on that later. Due to the above, different parameters must be set on the 3D printers in order for the printing to achieve the appropriate quality, we will discuss these tangentially for each filament. Still, it requires quite a bit of experimentation.

To top it all off, the proper print quality is also affected by the print speed, they are usually inversely proportional to each other: an increase in speed worsens the quality. Based on these, let's see which material is best suited for printing which 3D models. I compiled the values ​​below based on MyTechfun3D channel and Filament.hu data, and supplemented them with our own experiences. These are only approximate values, and may require some fine-tuning for your 3D printers.

PLA filament: polylactic acid, which is a biodegradable, thermoplastic plastic. It is usually produced from various plants, such as corn starch, and can be composted under industrial conditions. Beginner-friendly filament, it is the easiest to print with, it is used by most people, it is worth starting with.

Advantages:

• cheap
• can be printed on an open printer
• easy to work with
• strong
• does not warp, does not shrink, dimensionally stable

Disadvantages:

• objects that are not UV resistant and can be used indoors can be printed with it
• It softens above 50-55 degrees Celsius
• heat treatment can increase its heat resistance, but it deforms

Nozzle temperature: 190-230 degrees Celsius | Table of Contents: 50-60 degrees Celsius | Object cooling: 100%

Wood PLA filament: this is called "wood", polylactic acid mixed with recycled wood fibers. The wood actually gives the feeling to the material, the grain, touch and even the smell are like real wood. Its properties are similar to plain PLA, but it usually needs to be extruded at a lower temperature than that.

Advantages:

• can be printed on an open printer
• easy to work with
• creates a feeling of wood
• it has a pleasant smell
• it doesn't warp much, it doesn't shrink, it keeps its size
• can be post-processed, e.g. polishing, sanding, painting, etc.

Disadvantages:

• objects that are not UV resistant and can be used indoors can be printed with it
• it can clog the smaller nozzles
• heat treatment can increase its heat resistance, but it deforms

Nozzle temperature: 190-220 degrees Celsius | Table of Contents: 45-60 degrees Celsius | Object cooling: 100%

PETG filament: glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, better known as PET - the 0,5 liter soft drink bottle is made from it - which is made with the addition of some glycol. This is also a beginner-friendly filament, you should try this after PLA.

Advantages:

• cheap
• can be printed on an open printer
• easy to work with
• does not warp
• it softens relatively late, around 70-75 degrees Celsius

Disadvantages:

• sensitive to moisture, must be dried before use
• after printing, it must be kept in a dry place (filament dryer or vacuum packaging, with silica gel)

Nozzle temperature: 220-250 degrees Celsius | Table of Contents: 70-80 degrees Celsius | Object cooling: 50%

ABS filament: abbreviation for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. It is an impact-resistant material, for example, great containers can be printed from it. Since it is prone to warping, it requires a closed space and does not like cooling or air movement. It has an unpleasant smell, but it cannot be ventilated during printing, so you have two options: either print with a closed structure 3D printer or place it in a room where no one will be disturbed (workshop printers, with network access)

Advantages:

• impact resistant
• hard, solid material, difficult to deform
• it softens at a relatively high temperature, 90-95 degrees
• can be treated with acetone, then you will get a shiny surface

Disadvantages:

• shrinking, prone to warping
• it forms gas during printing, which makes it smelly, you can hardly stay near it (for this reason, subsequent ventilation is required)
• does not like cooling and drafts, requires a closed space for printing (the closed housing of Core XY printers is suitable for this)
• adhesion improvement material is required
• not UV resistant
• it can be printed at high temperatures, which is why not all 3D printers are suitable for it

Nozzle temperature: 230-260 degrees Celsius | Table of Contents: 80-100 degrees Celsius | Object cooling: 0-10%

ASA filament: abbreviation for acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile. Impact-resistant plastic, developed as an alternative to ABS, most of its properties are the same as ABS, but it can also be used outdoors because it is more resistant to UV radiation.

Advantages:

• impact resistant
• hard, solid material, difficult to deform
• UV and weather resistant
• it softens at a relatively high temperature, 90-95 degrees
• can be treated with acetone, then you will get a shiny surface

Disadvantages:

• more expensive than ABS
• shrinking, prone to warping
• it forms gas during printing, which makes it smelly, you can hardly stay near it (for this reason, subsequent ventilation is required)
• does not like cooling and drafts, requires a closed space for printing (the closed housing of Core XY printers is suitable for this)
• adhesion improvement material is required
• it can be printed at high temperatures, which is why not all 3D printers are suitable for it

Nozzle temperature: 230-270 degrees Celsius | Table of Contents: 80-100 degrees Celsius | Object cooling: 0-10%

Nylon filament (PA): also known as polyamide, a strong, impact-resistant material. The printing has no smell, basically it is worth loading the 3D printer in the case of printing household items such as quick fasteners and the like. It serves as an alloying material for other materials, the basis of carbon filaments is often PA.

Advantages:

• strong
• impact resistant
• it is usually mixed with carbon fiber
• no smell during printing
• it softens at a relatively high temperature, around 110 degrees Celsius

Disadvantages:

• expensive
• not all printers can print due to high printing temperature
• sensitive to moisture (some types vary)
• it deforms under high, constant load (creeping), this can be improved by heat treatment
• you need a closed space to print it, because it tends to warp
• must be dried

Nozzle temperature: 240-280 degrees Celsius | Table of Contents: 70-110 degrees Celsius | Object cooling: 0-10%

TPU filament: Thermoplastic polyurethane, mostly from wheel components of remote control cars - e.g. wheel - may sound familiar. It is a flexible, shape-recovering, thermoplastic material, flexibility is given on the Shore scale (higher is harder).

Advantages:

• flexible
• impact resistant
• can also be pressed at low temperatures

Disadvantages:

• it needs a direct-drive extruder, otherwise it will get stuck (clog)
• must be printed slowly
• the material is fraying
• adheres very well to Teflon-based (PEI) stages
• during storage, the filament must be protected from moisture

Nozzle temperature: 220-260 degrees Celsius | Table of Contents: 40-50 degrees Celsius | Object cooling: 100%

Polycarbonate filament (PC): you can find polycarbonate in the lenses of sunglasses, it is a strong, impact-resistant, flexible, thermoplastic organic plastic. This is also often mixed with carbon. Recommended for advanced users due to high temperature and fiddly printing.

Advantages:

• strong
• impact resistant
• no smell during printing
• it softens at a relatively high temperature, around 110 degrees Celsius

Disadvantages:

• expensive
• it requires special stepper motors or liquid cooling so that the motors can withstand the heat
• if mixed with carbon, a hard nozzle is required
• not all printers can print due to high printing temperature
• shrinks
• you need a closed space to print it, because it tends to warp

Nozzle temperature: 270-300 degrees Celsius | Table of Contents: 100-115 degrees Celsius | Object cooling: 0-10%

Polyvinyl alcohol filament (PVA): this is a water-soluble thermoplastic, I mention it only because it is used a lot in the case of dual-extruder printers to create supports that are difficult to remove from the model. After the 3D model is printed, the PVA dissolves when immersed in water, so there is no need to remove the support. Recommended filament for advanced users.

Advantages:

• flexible
• soluble in water
• in the case of dual extruder printing, material that can be removed from the 3D model afterwards
• can be printed at low temperatures

Disadvantages:

• expensive
• sensitive to moisture, a filament dryer is recommended
• recommended for advanced users

Nozzle temperature: 195-210 degrees Celsius | Table of Contents: 60 degrees Celsius | Object cooling: 50%

Of course, there are countless other filaments on the market, there are lighting materials, reinforced with carbon fiber, the basis of which is always another material. These put a lot of pressure on the printer, require a hardened nozzle and also wear out the feed rollers. There are also filaments mixed with metal powder, HIPS - support material, dissolves in a special way -, polypropylene, which is a soft material with a nice surface, for example used to make caps. There are also filaments suitable for high-speed printing, for which slip-supporting materials are mixed. Simplify3D has one on its site great table, we recommend this for viewing, and there is one here another subpage, which discusses various printing errors.

Adhesion improving materials for 3D printing

For certain filaments, it is worth using adhesion-supporting materials. These make it easier to stick the 3D model to the stage, especially if the material is not PEI - i.e. "Teflon" metal sheet - but glass.

For some filaments, it is worth covering the stage with certain materials. One DIY trick is hairspray - Garnier Fructis Style Mega Strong - which should be sprayed onto the operating table. The other is kapton tape, which is usually used in the production of printed circuits, which must be glued to the glass sheet. There are also water-soluble – therefore washable – PVA adhesive sticks, which must also be placed on the surface. Then there are different mixtures - for example acetone + ABS plastic - which are very sticky, but it is difficult to remove the material from the stage afterwards. All of these require experimentation, and it is not necessarily easy to apply or remove the material, for example, with a closed housing, CoreXY system 3D printer, it is not easy to access the sheet, it requires a lot of assembly. PEI-coated stages largely solve adhesion problems.

If you are just starting to experiment, the easiest thing is to buy the special material for this from a store that sells 3D printers. The bottom line is that you should expect that certain materials are more difficult to stick to.

How the FDM/FFF 3D printer works

FDM/FFF 3D printers are relatively simple to operate. We have already talked about the fact that all printers of this type use filament, i.e. a coiled, special thread for printing.

If we greatly simplify the process of 3D printing, then nothing else happens than that the firmware running on the microprocessor integrated on the motherboard of the 3D printer moves the print head and/or the stage based on the received 3D model file to X, Y, Z coordinates. The 3D printer pushes out the filament fed by the extruder with the help of a hot end, through a nozzle, onto the stage and the 3D model is ready.

But how does the printer know where to go and how does it make that journey? The answer to the first question is easier: the firmware moves the print head in a so-called Cartesian coordinate system, which has three axes. X and Y are the width and depth, while the Z axis is used to represent the height, thus the 3D space comes together. Most FDM/FFF printers use Cartesian coordinates, which is why they are also called Cartesian printers.

The answer to the second question is more complicated, because it depends on the physical structure and technological design of the 3D printer. There are several subgroups of 3D printers that use Cartesian coordinates, there are rectilinear printers that move on a frame with the help of belts - belt - and rails - rail - and perform a straight line movement, hence the name rectilinear. There are the delta printers, which we will return to later, and they are based on the SCARPA system, the latter is practically a robotic arm. Since there are not really commercially available products sold for hobby purposes, we will not discuss them.

As you can see in the picture above, there are several subtypes of rectilinear printers, the XZ-head is the classic 3D printer, even kindergarteners would draw a 3D printer like this with crayons. Since not all of them are commercially available - of course anyone can build any for themselves - therefore we will only discuss the following from the ones shown in the picture above:

• rectilinear XZ-head, which is the classic 3D printer
• rectilinear CoreXY, which is a solution that moves internally on an external frame
• rectilinear CoreXZ, which is a solution moving on a frame
• non-rectilinear Delta, which is a completely special construction

The Rectilinear XZ-head (i3-style) 3D printer

XZ-head type 3D printers can also be called traditional, as there are most of them on the market. As with all such equipment, the printer head in this system reaches the appropriate coordinates with the help of toothed belts - belt -, guide rails - rail or lead screw - which are moved by stepper motors. On each axis, the head moves along the XZ coordinates with the help of a single toothed belt - hence the name XZ-head - while the stage on which the 3D model is placed moves under the head on the Y axis. In other words, each motor controls only one axis with a single toothed belt, and linear, straight-line movement is performed on them as well.

The entire structure is mounted on an inverted L - smaller printers are only supported on one side - or H frame, which rests on a box containing the motherboard and other components, and looks like a "gate" below the stage moves along the Y axis. This also means that the specimen table can move forwards and backwards out of the plane of the 3D printer - that's why they are also called bed slingers, which is untranslatable into Hungarian - which is why they need a lot of space. The big advantage of this structure is that it is very simple and cheap to build, in return, since a frame does not surround the printer, it works with quite a lot of vibrations. Some types use auxiliary supports to reduce vibrations, this is the support strut - e.g. Elegoo Neptune 4 Plus and Max - which stiffen the frame and reduce vibrations. Fortunately, more modern firmwares now have software procedures to eliminate vibrations and vibrations.

In summary, if you see a printer labeled as "i3-style", "bed-slinger", "XZ-head", it always refers to this type.

Advantages of rectilinear XZ-head type (i3-style) 3D printers

• cheap
• the selection is very large
• simple structure, very common
• easy to develop
• it moves very well in a straight line
• can be a direct drive extruder (more on this later)
• the range of users is very wide, it is easy to ask the community if there is a problem

Disadvantages of rectilinear XZ-head type (i3-style) 3D printers

• the printer is heavy because of the thick frame
• it requires a large space (the stage moves out of the plane of the printer)
• slow, as the head must move separately along each axis
• prone to vibration, which theoretically produces a less beautiful print quality (but there are vibration compensating procedures for this, such as input shaping)

Rectilinear CoreXY type 3D printers

CoreXY type 3D printers are similar in structure to XZ-head type 3D printers, with the difference that the frame is designed and the head is moved differently. What immediately fails the CoreXY 3D printers is the appearance. Almost all devices with this system are housed in a "box", which is actually a cube-shaped frame, which is sometimes equipped with side panels - these can be removed - so they can be open or closed.

Why is the frame needed? This is because CoreXY type 3D printers work with two very long toothed belts that are attached to the corners of the frame along the X axis and run around the frame above and below each other. Do you remember that in the case of XZ-head type printers, a toothed belt was moved by a motor, which caused the head to move along one axis, linearly, in one direction? In the case of CoreXY 3D printers, with the movement of a single belt, the print head moves diagonally – that is, diagonally – along two axes – X and Y – at the same time. Here, the stage is located on the Z axis - in the case of the rectilinear one, it moves forwards and backwards on the Y - along one or two guide spindles and, in fact, the distance between the head and the stage is controlled with it.

Diagonal X+Y movement has two benefits: printers with such a system are very fast, but they create a lot of vibration, which is why the frame has to be very rigid, which is why, among other things, there is a frame around the printing area. The high speed is achieved by installing two carriages on the upper part of the frame – since the head does not have to move on the Z axis, the stage rises there – on a crossbar, the head of the 3D printer moves on this, depending on whether in which direction the stepper motors pull the toothed belt. If one toothed belt is moving - that is, one motor is working - the head moves diagonally, if two, then linearly. This results in CoreXY system 3D printers moving diagonally more easily than linearly, because in this case the activity of the two motors must be synchronized. There is another trick to achieve fast head movement: the bowden extruder. In this case, the filament feeder is not attached to the head, but is attached to the side of the frame, and the filament is fed through a Bowden tube - PTFE. On the other hand, I have also seen direct drive extruders on the newer CoreXY models, e.g. For Creality K1 series.

Another technical challenge with CoreXY 3D printers is proper belt tension. The longer the belt - and here it is hellishly long -, the more difficult it is to tension it accurately, and there are also CoreXY 3D printers where the belts are not routed parallely under and above each other, but crosswise - for example, Ender-3 V3 and V3 Plus CoreXZ printers - , which results in a rather complex system. In return, a well-built CoreXY 3D printer enables very fast and accurate printing. Since the stage is positioned under the printer on the Z axis and does not move out to the side, the CoreXY layout allows for a more compact construction than the XZ-head, and since the frame is also provided, the structure can be covered from the side.

The closed enclosure - enclosure - also has its advantages, including being protected against drafts, can be heated, contains certain odors and insulates noise. Instead, you have to solve its ventilation, which is usually done by a rather loud fan through a carbon filter insert. CoreXY printers, due to their higher initial cost, are usually premium products and include many special features.

The rectilinear CoreXZ type 3D printers – for example Creality Ender-3 V3 – a mix of CoreXY and XZ-head printers. The CoreXZ printer looks like a rectilinear XZ-head printer, but uses the CoreXY logic and the stage still moves along the Y axis. In this case, the belt drive is hidden in the frame. It is not a common type of printer, its properties are a mixture of the two systems, there is relatively little experience with it.

Advantages of rectilinear CoreXY type 3D printers

• fast
• right diagonal movement
• rigid frame, less vibration
• enables precise printing (lighter head, extra fixation, fewer errors, e.g. ghost printing, which is referred to by the words ringing/rippling/ghosting)
• lockable house, which makes it easier to maintain a constant temperature, draft-proof, has exhaust, etc.
• it takes up just as much space as the frame, there is no table swing like in the case of bed slingers
• since this is often a premium category, many extras are usually given (e.g. camera)

Disadvantages of rectilinear CoreXY type 3D printers

• expensive
• only belt drive is possible on the XY axis (e.g. no lead spindle or rail)
• it is difficult to develop because the system is relatively closed
• they used to be complicated to assemble, but now there are out-of-the-box solutions
• according to my experience, fast printing in a closed space produces extra heat, which is dissipated with a high-speed fan, which means that printing is loud

Non-rectilinear Delta type 3D printers

Delta 3D printers are not rectilinear printers. This means that they do not move linearly or diagonally along the 3 axes, but move freely in space. However, these also use Cartesian coordinates, which is why they are usually classified in the same main group as the former.

The construction of Delta 3D printers is special. Here, too, several stepping motors are responsible for the movement, but the stage is fixed and cannot move on either the Z or Y axis. Delta 3D printers work by attaching 3 rails to the corners of a triangular base, on which support arms hang - typically 2 per side, so a total of 6 - which surround the extruder and the printhead. The arms can only move up and down on the rails, but since they can do this independently, they can turn the head in any direction in space.

The Delta structure has some peculiarities. Since the arms must lower the head of the 3D printer to the stage and also move up to the upper end position, the space used by the arms must be subtracted from the printing height. This results in two things: the Deltas are narrow and tall. The wider the stage, the higher the Delta 3D printers must be built, as longer arms are needed to be able to move the head to all points of the stage. The shape of the object table is often circular rather than square, which is why only two values ​​are given for the size of 3D objects: the diameter of the cylinder base and the height of the cylinder shell. That is, the Delta 3D printer is best for printing relatively high, but not too wide and deep objects.

Delta printers are designed for high speed. For this reason, the printhead must be very light, which is why most Delta 3D printers use bowden extruders, and heavy motors are hidden in the printer frame. The frame has to be very rigid because it is narrow and tall, yet it has to remain stable, so it is typically made entirely of metal. The above results in Delta 3D printers being quite expensive. Instead, they are brutally fast, reaching a speed of up to 1200 mm/s and an acceleration of 40 mm/s000. The Flsun S2 model is one such, which prints the 1D model of the Benchy small boat used for reference in less than 8 minutes, with a fairly good quality.

Finally, nothing moves in an insanely cool way like a Delta 3D printer. You can stare at this engineering marvel for minutes, its operation is simply so captivating.

Advantages of Delta type 3D printers

• very fast
• enables precise printing, as the stage does not move at all
• due to the special construction, the house can be closed, so it is easier to maintain a constant temperature, it is protected from drafts, there is exhaust, etc.
• since they are often premium category devices, many extras are usually provided (e.g. camera, LiDAR sensor, etc.)
• it looks so good the way it moves, we'd buy one for that reason alone

Disadvantages of Delta type 3D printers

• expensive
• it is difficult to develop because the system is relatively closed
• very few manufacturers deal with it, small selection of models
• due to its narrow and very tall construction, it is only good for printing objects of this proportion
• if there is a problem with it, it is difficult to ask who to ask, because there are few on the market, so there is little experience with it

The components of a 3D printer, which one is important and why

FDM/FFF 3D printers are drunk

Motherboard

Every 3D printer has a motherboard in its housing that holds the electronic components together. To simplify things for reasons of scope, the most important thing is what kind of firmware is running on the hardware inside it - in most cases some kind of 32-bit TMC-based chip. The firmware is the code that controls the basic settings of the 3D printer and processes the Gcode file of the 3D model that the slicer software sends to the printer. This includes information such as where the head should go, what it should do, how warm the stage should be, how the 3D model will be cut up by the printer, and so on. The more modern the firmware, usually the more routines it contains that make printing more precise or improve quality - e.g. input shaping, vibration compensation, pressure advance - and of course the newer variants are capable of higher performance and contain bug fixes.

There are two types of firmware, manufacturer-specific - proprietary - and open source. The community prefers the latter, because all sorts of things can be developed into it, but the former, by definition, has better support from the manufacturer, and can (can) work more efficiently on the manufacturer's hardware. Changing the firmware of 3D printers requires advanced knowledge and deeper knowledge, so we will not cover it here. It is enough to know that more and more printers are coming out with open source firmware, the best known version of which is Klipper. Some manufacturers that previously used other firmware - e.g. Creality - have also switched to it, for some of their models. The better known firmwares:

• Clipper (open source)
• Marlin (open source)
• Prusa (modified version of Marlin, proprietary)
• Repeater
• RepRap
• smoothieware

Which one to choose: this is not always possible (e.g. Prusa and Bambu Lab use their own), but if you want to choose a printer based on firmware, Klipper is the most popular open source firmware at the time of writing this article.

Table (bed, heated bed)

The stage is the surface on which the 3D printer builds the 3D model layer by layer. Modern solutions automatically level themselves - auto bed leveling - and are heated, which determines what materials can be efficiently printed on them. Some printers have a segmented stage, that is, they can be heated not only all at once, but also in sections.

One of the most important characteristics of the object table is the size of the object that can be printed on it. This is usually given in 3 dimensions, along the X*Y*Z axes. For example, 300x300x400 mm, which consists of the width x depth x height values. For Delta printers, only two values ​​are indicated, the diameter of the cylinder base and the height of the cylinder cover.

Another important feature of the display table is the material its surface is made of. In the past, heat-resistant glass -

with carborundum coating - were used, nowadays a flexible sheet coated with polyetherimide - PEI sheet - is used. It is a maintenance-free material that is usually applied to a magnetizable base. When the print is finished, it can be lifted off together with the 3D model, it can be bent, so the model comes off the coating. In principle, it makes additional surface treatment - lacquers, brake cleaner and similar target materials - unnecessary, as well as the separating base used for 3D models, the variants of which are also called raft, skid and brim.

Stepper motors

They implement the movement to be performed along the three axes. A toothed belt is usually pulled, which moves the print head or stage on the corresponding axis. In CoreXY systems, a lead spindle is used instead of a belt along the Z axis. One of the printer's sources of noise is the fans.

sensors

Several types of sensors are used in modern 3D printers. Perhaps the best known is the limit switch, which does nothing but tell which axis ends where.
Also a relatively frequent sensor is the filament sensor, which monitors the end of the wound material and stops printing if this happens. There are also temperature sensors in the print head and the stage, and some models also display the amount of material flowing through.
More expensive 3D printers also include more serious solutions, such as a LiDAR sensor - Flsun and Bambu Lab brands - which can be used to eliminate errors in the first layer, among other things.

Filament feeder (extruder)

The extruder feeds the filament to the print head. You can move it in two directions, load it, this is load, or retract it, this is retract. There are two types: direct drive, when integrated with the print head, and cable drive. In the case of the former, the disadvantage is that it is heavier, so it is more difficult to move the head, but in return, the solution is more compact and handles more flexible filaments better. The other is the bowden extruder, when the feeder and the print head are connected by an elastic tube - PTFE. This results in a lighter head that can be moved faster and more precisely. It is easier to lead several PTFE tubes to the head, so systems working with several extruders - where printing with more than one filament - are also Bowden. In modern single-extruder printers, direct drive extruders are more common.

Print head (hot end)

The printhead is the part that melts the filament and pushes the material onto the stage. It contains a heating module - heat block - and a nozzle, the cross-section and material of the latter matter.

The smaller the cross-section of the nozzle - bore diameter -, the thinner the printed material will be, the quality will be better, but in return the printing will be slower. The smallest nozzle size – the hole where the melted filament comes out – is somewhere around 0,2 mm, the standard is 0,4 mm, while the 0,8 mm is already relatively large. The material flows through the latter faster, because the cross-section is larger, which means that the printing must be slowed down for the same amount of material to flow through.

The nozzle can be made of several materials, but usually bronze, copper, hardened steel, tungsten carbide, and there is also Nozzle-X, which is a material with a hardened coating. Basically, three properties matter: conductivity, heat capacity and hardness. The first tells you how quickly the head can be heated, the second tells you how evenly it keeps the heat, and the third tells you how much the filament passing through it wears the nozzle. The latter can be improved with coatings, for example, nickel is used for copper heads. The harder the filament, the more it sands the nozzle, for example a metal or carbon one much more than normal PLA, so you will need to change nozzles for certain filaments. Read more in this video you can be smart, in English.

Print heads have another feature that often comes up in practice: how complicated it is to replace. There are quick-swap heads, while the traditional ones require some screwing. Many manufacturers make special heads that can only be purchased from them, such as Creality's Unicorn nozzle. It is important that the length and type of thread on the body of the nozzle match - e.g. the Volcano nozzle is longer than the traditional one - which your printer can accommodate, otherwise you won't be able to wrap it in the print head. There are also very expensive nozzles, such as the Olsson Ruby, but as a beginner it is not worth pushing the topic too far.

frame

The frame of the printer is what holds the other parts together, the mechanics move on it. The faster a printer, the more rigid a frame is needed to absorb the swings. The lighter the printhead, the less vibration it creates during movement and the easier it is to accelerate. The frame is usually further stiffened with additional supports - support struts.
In the case of CoreXY and Delta printers, the components are bounded by an external frame, the sides of which can be covered, so that a completely closed system can be created.

Fans

A 3D printer usually has several types of fans. It is customary to cool the object for faster and more uniform solidification, the print head, and in the case of a closed-house 3D printer, there is also an exhaust fan that brings the air outside the house, usually through a carbon filter. Since the fan is one of the main sources of noise for the printer, they are usually replaced with better ones or their speed is regulated. In the case of many newer printers, the fan speed can also be adjusted via the display or the web server.

Filament holder

It is usually nothing more than a plastic or metal rod with a rim that holds the filament coil. It is interesting for those systems where the print head can mix several colors, by definition there are also several holders.

Tápegység

The power supply supplies the power for the printer to operate. Replaceable on some models. The 3D printer's consumption and costs can be deduced from its performance.

Display

LCD panels are usually used as displays for 3D printers, but not all models have one. The very cheap 3D printers only have an SD card slot and a start button, with which the printer reads the 3D model file. In the case of some 3D printers – e.g. Ankermake M5C – and the device can be accessed and controlled remotely via a wireless connection.

Connection options

Every 3D printer has some connection option, usually in the form of a micro SD or USB connector. By inserting a data carrier into these, the 3D models can be sent to the firmware for printing. In the case of more modern 3D printers, there is usually a LAN or WiFi connection, in which case a web server runs on the printer, where parameters can be adjusted and monitored.

Advantages and disadvantages of 3D printing

Basically, not everyone needs a 3D printer, but a little bit everyone wants one, because the technology is very interesting. However, it is good if you are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of owning them:

Advantages of 3D printing:

• a great creative hobby
• countless useful objects can be manufactured with it
• they could make unique souvenirs
• you can learn 3D design with it, but those who don't want to delve so deeply can also find the calculation
• they could acquire electromechanical knowledge
• today you can find usable models for less than HUF 100
• the supplies are not terribly expensive
• FFF printing can be done at relatively low costs

Disadvantages of 3D printing:

• in many cases, the users have no idea what exactly to produce, so a lot of unnecessary dust collectors are made
• printers with large stages require a surprising amount of space
• some printers are very loud
• a heated stage and a longer FFF print can consume a lot of electricity

How to choose a 3D printer for yourself?

Basically, you have to decide how much budget you have and whether you are looking for an out-of-the-box solution or whether you like to assemble - tinkering - and modding. It is also important, and relatively few people think about it, that printers take up space and that is why there are especially loud models. FFF printing is fundamentally less fiddly than SLA, so we recommend it for beginners, and it is also more spectacular and requires less precautions than using resin.

A few rules of thumb to make the choice easier:

• if you have never seen a 3D printer in your life, choose a cheap, out-of-the-box solution, but even better, go to a friend who has one and try it out
• decide how much time and energy you want to dedicate to the hobby, and whether you want to do 3D modeling (not necessary) or not
• figure out what you want to use the 3D printer for: filament printing is better for functional objects that must be made of a variety of materials, resin is better for design objects and figurines
• if you want to print with several colors at the same time, you need to buy a 3D printer with several extruders
• 3D printers handling UV-resistant materials are required for outdoor objects
• beginners should choose FDM/FFF 3D printers, i.e. those working with filament
• small FFF printers should be bought for children and used under supervision, resins should be avoided
• if resolution is all that matters, then SLA 3D printer
• if resolution and lifespan are important, then a DLP 3D printer
• for tall and long objects, the Delta system 3D printer is suitable
• there are 3D printers with conveyors, here one axis is infinitely long, in fact the stage is a conveyor belt, these are perfect for home, non-industrial mass production
• read about which printer is quiet and which is not, because a noisy 3D print that lasts for several hours can spoil your mood
• one of the decisive selection factors is usually the printable object size. Usually, in addition to the standard models, there is also a Plus and a Max marked, with a larger object table
• extras always have to be paid for, a lot
• it is worth buying a filament 3D printer whose stage is equipped with a magnetic PEI sheet, because it is easier to remove the models and you do not need to use adhesives

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I buy a resin or filament printer?

If you are a beginner and do not want to print very detailed 3D models, then a filament printer. If you already have experience, you want high-resolution objects and you don't mind that the use of materials requires more attention, resin 3D printers can be used.

Which is the best 3D printer?

The most frequently asked question and very difficult to answer. If the aim is to make 3D printing as less problematic as possible, we recommend the "Apple" of 3D printers, one of the Bambu Lab products. The biggest legend, however, is the manufacturer Prusa, with excellent product support. There are also 3D printer manufacturers that make extremely clean models, such as AnkerMake.

Which is the best workshop printer?

The good thing about a workshop is that it is not part of traditional living spaces. Sometimes there can be noise, dirt, and people do all sorts of dirty things here, and you can even ventilate them. A 3D printer that:

• it can be controlled remotely, so it has a LAN or WiFi connection
• it can be loud (and fast in return) and can print for a long time
• you can have a large display table, as there is plenty of space available
• it can be an SLA system, as there is somewhere to store the stuff needed for cleaning and it's okay if you mess up this and that
• can be monitored via camera
• possibly several models can be clustered at the same time
• suitable for reproduction

Based on the above, the large-sized, closed CoreXY, the conveyor, suitable for duplication or the resin 3D printers can be considered.

3D printer for "mass production": which is the best?

It primarily depends on what you want to produce in large quantities and what quality it should be. There are two ways to produce a large batch at home: either with a printer that has one axis that is infinitely long, so the printed object falls off like a conveyor belt at the end - for example Creality CR30 - or in the case of a small model size - for example when producing a group of orc figures - the by simultaneously printing identical models placed on the stage, SLA system 3D printers are suitable for this.

Which 3D printer is suitable for a beginner?

It depends on whether you like ready-made solutions or fun, and whether the possibility of future development is important. If you just want to get a taste of the hobby, we recommend a cheap rectilinear filament printer, you can get one for around HUF 60-70. What is difficult to change is the size of the objects to be printed, this will be one of the constraints in the case of out-of-the-box solutions. In return, in most cases, such 000D printers can be assembled in 10-15 minutes.

If DIY modding is your goal, then it's worth having a forum about it, because you can get a lot of ideas from places like Reddit. Regarding the subsequent developments, it is worth knowing that we also have an older Creality Ender 3 printer, which, although the initial price was low, but if you add up the sums spent on it, you can now get an order of magnitude better printer for this money. So it's worth thinking about what exactly you want in the future.

What materials should beginners print with?

It is worth starting with PLA, it melts at a relatively low temperature, is easy to print with and is not smelly or toxic.

What 3D printer should I buy for children?

The cheaper, simpler and smaller. In the evening of young people, it is difficult to judge how much a 3D printer captures their attention, and whether they are willing to invest time and energy in learning the technology.

What 3D printer should I buy for a small apartment?

The answer is roughly the same as the question of which 3D printer should I buy for the child, with the difference that it is worth choosing from higher quality pieces if you are planning for a longer term. Our tip: Prusa Mini, Bamboo Lab Mini.

What are the best premium 3D printer brands?

The Holy Grail of 3D printers has long been held by the Czech brand Prusa. They were pioneers in many things, their quality assurance and after sales services are very good, and they are copied by countless other manufacturers, e.g. the Sovol.

However, the "Apple" of 3D printers is the company Bamboo Lab, who offer out-of-the-box solutions of excellent quality and high technical standards. The two brands, on the other hand, ask for the price of their products.

What are the best budget 3D printer brands?

The 3D printer market is constantly changing, innovation is very fast, so it is difficult to answer this question. However, the following brands are quite well-known, quite a few of them have something like this, they have community support behind them - you will have someone to ask - so we would search here:

• Creality
• Anycubic
• elegoo
• kingroon
• Artillery
• AnchorMake
• Mingda
• Qidi Tech
• Owl

Is it worth investing in more expensive brands instead of cheaper ones?

Yes and no. The question is how willing you are to assemble. If not, quality assurance and good support are important, then stick with Bambu Lab and Prusa products. However, if the budget is tight, you can't go too far with the brands that make 3D printers.

How loud is a 3D printer?

It depends on many things, the noise is mainly generated by the stepper motors and the cooling, as well as the mechanical elements involved in the head movement. The faster you have to print, the larger the quantity, the higher the temperature, the more heat is generated to be dissipated, the 3D model also needs to be cooled and the motors also whine. Fortunately, there is already a modding option for almost everything.

In many cases, SLA, i.e. resin 3D printers are almost completely silent, some models do not even have a cooling fan.

How fast can I print 3D models?

Manufacturers usually use the Benchy 3D model - this small boat - as a reference, at least for filament 3D printers. The speed depends on the number of layers, the quality, the speed of the lateral movement of the printer - mm/s - and the acceleration of the print head - mm/s2 - and many other things. Of course, these are only reference data, they take into account perfect conditions, so in reality 3D printing is usually slower. The fastest Benchy print time with a factory filament solution is somewhere around 8 minutes - FLSUN S1 Delta printer - at the time of writing, but DIY printers have gone under 2 minutes, with brutally poor quality. Modern 3D printers with a display and web access often indicate when the 3D model will be completed, and slicer software can also give an estimate.

Where can I buy 3D models for printing?

You either design them yourself in a 3D design software, or you download them from the Internet. There are countless such sites on the internet, the majority of models are free, but companies that manufacture 3D printers also usually have their own 3D model library:

• Thingiverse
• Printables
• cults3d
• Youmagine
• GrabCAD
• Sketchfab
• MyMiniFactory (basically 3D fantasy and sci-fi figures)
• PinShape

What 3D models are used to test printers?

The best-known 3D model has an edge length of 20 mm XYZ calibration cube. Here, the slippage of the axes and the accuracy can be checked. THE Benchy small boat is typically the speed-related reference model, a CaliCat and is used to test different shapes. There is also the TempTower, which gives feedback about the melting temperature of the materials.

How do I make beautiful 3D prints?

Mostly with trial and lots of practice. It is worth trying different layer thicknesses and speeds, as well as changing the filaments, because not all 3D printers "like" the same products. There are also additional prints that offer a solution to the first layer problem, such as skirt, raft and brim, see below.

How to set up the stage of the 3D printer?

Fortunately, modern 3D printers already have a target function for this, which is called automatic bed leveling. In this case, the printer checks and levels the distance between the print head and the object table at several points - this is usually stated in the factory documentation.

If the 3D printer case does not have this function, then a sheet of A4 paper should be placed on the stage and lifted with the side screws until the head almost touches the stage of the 3D printer and the paper starts to jam. As a rule of thumb, if you can't push the sheet of paper, but you can gently pull it, then the distance is good. It is worth performing the operation on all four corners of the specimen table, and then rechecking the distance with the paper sheet at the end.

What errors occur during 3D printing? (H3)

Filament 3D printing is nothing more than pressing layers of hot materials on top of each other and then cooling them down. As a result, layers slipping or inadequate heat transfer can result in numerous errors. You should also know about the most famous ones.

• warping: curling up. It is caused by objects cooling and shrinking. Turning off the heated stage and the cooling fan usually solves the problem.
• Curling: this is also a kind of bending, which usually indicates an overheating problem and in this case the layers separate from each other. It can be remedied by cooling the object.
• ringing: usually caused by the vibrations of the printer, the layers slide sideways. It is worth taking it back from the gear, but there may also be a mechanical reason, for example one of the axles or the timing belt itself is too loose. Modern firmwares have vibration reduction algorithms that solve the problem. About the phenomenon this video worth checking out.
• First layer problem (first layer problem): see below

For more specific printing errors and their solution, you may want to check out the Simplify3D visit his page.

What is the first layer problem?

When printing 3D models, a poorly leveled stage or poor adhesion is usually a critical problem. If these are unsuccessful, the first layer will slip or come off, and the print will be ugly. The reverse is also true, even if you have leveled the stage well, it may be difficult to remove the model later due to excess adhesion. Fortunately, these problems are largely solved by automatic leveling and PEI-coated magnetic stage sheets. An example in the gallery of this test I found the first layer of the problem.

How can you defend against it? The stage must be properly adjusted - leveled - if the filament does not stick, the surface must be cleaned or coated with adhesion-promoting materials, and the parameters of the first layer of the 3D model must be properly set in the slicing software. For example, the temperature of the stage, the printing speed, and the techniques that support the first layer, such as raft, skirt and brim.

What are support, skirt, raft and brim?

The above concepts basically refer to the additional elements with which we help to print 3D models or to detach them from the stage:

• support (support): Elements to be removed later, which are meant to keep the original shape of the 3D model.
• skirt (skirt): An element placed around the 3D model that shows that adhesion and leveling are successful. It surrounds the object but does not touch it.
• frame (brim): An element placed around the 3D model that promotes adhesion and prevents warping. Get to the point.
• here (raft): It not only touches the object, but also passes under it. The 3D model "floats" on this, forming a base layer, so the model does not even come into contact with the stage. It prevents the above problems, it also gives the best adhesion.

Does a multi-extruder 3D printer make sense?

The extruder is the part of the 3D printer that conveys the filament to the head. If a printer has several of these components, it can transmit several filaments to the head at the same time, so objects of various materials and colors can be printed with it. There are 3D printers - e.g. Products from Zonestar and Bambu Lab - which handle up to four or more filaments. Individual parts can be printed separately, for example a PLA body for a model car with TPU wheels.

Is 3D printing toxic? What materials should you be careful with?

Most of the materials are non-toxic, but even PLA printing can have a slight odor or produce microplastic particles. PLA, PETG and wood-based filaments are usually classified as non-hazardous materials.

Among the filaments, gas can form during printing with ABS and nylon, which requires ventilation. Some powdered materials, such as metals, ceramics or composite materials, can also be dangerous, they can irritate the skin, it is not good to inhale them, etc. Fortunately, you will rarely encounter these within the framework of home printing.

How much does a 3D printer consume?

In connection with the costs of filament 3D printers, the main concern is power consumption. The power supply of 3D printers is usually used as a reference point, since they are completely redesigned, meaning that a printer will consume less than this. Basically, we are talking about a few hundred watts, which is increased by the heated specimen table or the heated closed house - heated chamber - where the consumption can even reach 600-700 W per hour.

What are the costs of 3D printing?

In addition to power consumption, there is the material cost, which is much lower for filament 3D printers than for SLA printers. Filament printers, on the other hand, eat more parts, for example, nozzles can be destroyed, and due to the change in size, they have to be replaced.

What materials and tools are needed for 3D printing?

Everyone uses some kind of spatula to remove objects. You will need a snitzer or knife to remove the supports, as well as files and sandpaper for finishing work.

A pair of pliers comes in handy, also for removing unnecessary supports or protruding parts, a digital caliper for checking dimensions, a screwdriver, Allen and Allen keys for adjusting the mechanical parts of the 3D printer, and lubricants for greasing the shafts. Many people also use tweezers, or you can use the solder removal pump known from soldering to suck off the excess filament.

How do we store the filaments?

Most filaments are sensitive to moisture. Therefore, it is usually placed in an airtight bag, protected from light, and some people even suck the air out of the bag or sprinkle silica gel next to it.

What additional equipment can be purchased for the 3D printer?

One of the most typical accessories is the filament dryer and feeder, which is also called AMS (automatic material system). They are also used to offer an additional camera for older printers, which can be used to monitor the work process and make time-lapse videos.

If you couldn't find one of your questions in the FAQ, or if we didn't have a clear answer, then contact us at one of our contact numbers listed on the page or on Facebook. To the best of our knowledge, we try to answer all questions about 3D printers!

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