A 3D printer is one of the cool things to 3D print. If you are a beginner looking to buy your 3D printer to print, this article has a quick guide to choosing the best beginner 3D printer.
First learn, what is a 3D printer? A 3D printer works by extruding materials like ABS, PLA, nylon, or other kinds of materials in molten form through the tiny nozzle of the printer. This nozzle moves around under the control of the computer. This printer prints one layer waits until it gets dry, and starts printing the next layer on the top. This is what a 3d printer does.
Being a very different printer from conventional ones, you can’t choose a random 3D printer available in the market.
We have to analyze the printer device more thoroughly to buy the most suitable printer for your needs. So for this, you must first ask yourself the following questions:
HOW MUCH DOES A 3D PRINTER COST?
How much should I invest? You will find the cheapest 3d printers like the ones from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Therefore, this is the first thing that we must be clear about. Based on that, we can choose the best model within the chosen price range. BestPrintersGuide provides you with all the A-Z guides related to printers. If you are a 3D prints lover, then you should really check BestPrintersGuide.com
PURPOSE OF BUYING THE 3D PRINTER
What will I use it for? This involves several questions: whether I will give it a more professional and frequent use or whether you will build a large volume of 3D printed parts. If so, you want to go directly to industrial models, and the other factor to consider is the size of the 3D printer.
Some can create figures of 6 or 8 inches, etc. Therefore, something to take into account when choosing the 3D printer to print useful 3D prints.
WHAT MATERIALS DO 3D PRINTERS USE?
What materials do I need? As you already know, not all of the print is on the same material. Therefore, the “ink or the filament” can be a polymer such as PLA, ABS, PETG, nylon, etc. You can also print exclusive 3d prints using other materials like metal, fabrics, etc., but the prices are crazy and are used for industry.
Below we have also covered the different features the 3D printer comes with.
FEATURES OF THE 3D PRINTER YOU MUST CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN ONE
3D printers, like conventional printers, also have specific characteristics or benefits that can be quantified, and it is essential to know them to choose a better printer. If you want to know what you can do with a 3d printer, you must know the different parts of a 3D printer.
Print speed is measured in millimeters per second, and FDMs usually have speeds between 40mm / s and 150mm / s, etc. Obviously, the faster you can have the finished piece sooner.
Injector: The injector is the part that creates the 3D parts, and this injector comprises several parts.
This part consists of:
Hot tip: This is an essential part of the 3D printer. It is in charge of heating up and melting the filament to create the thin layers to print the 3D figure. The type of material that we can use will depend on how much temperature the 3D printer can reach to melt the filament quickly and do the 3D printing job correctly.
In general, modern metal tips allow the use of a multitude of materials.
The nozzle is the opening at the end of the hot tip where the molten material comes out. With a larger nozzle, we have better adhesions, higher print speeds but less precise details. If it is a small nozzle, we will have better details and precision.
As mentioned, after printing a layer, the 3D printer would wait until it gets dried, and then it only starts to print the other layer. So to print one 3D part takes much time. That said, you must check whether it has an active cooler so that the printed part dries up and the parts are printed quickly.
Extruder: The device (or devices, since there may be several in some cases) at the other end of the hot tip, generating pressure so that the molten material comes out. In this case, we have two types of extruders:
- Direct extruder: It allows better control over extrusion and ease of work, directly feeding the hot tip.
- Bowden extruder: The filament must travel a distance between the extruder and the hot tip, lightening the injector mechanism and making vibrations reduced so it can move faster.
Hotbed: Some printers have mechanisms to keep the hotbed at a high temperature and thus ensure that the part does not lose temperature during the printing process to achieve better results. This is necessary for certain materials such as ABS, HIPS, and nylon to adhere well, layer by layer.
On the other hand, other printers that accept only PET, PLA, PTU, etc., usually do not have this feature since it is unnecessary. In addition, these supports can be made of different materials, and not all of them work with all types of filaments.
Fan: Some 3D printers come with a built-in air extraction system that needs an air duct, an inline fan, and secured tubing to remove the contaminated air and send it outside. Some 3D printers have a more or less large fan for adequate cooling for the 3D printer.
STL: Most printers support STL files that a wide variety of software can create. Make sure your printer supports the file format generated by the design software you use, although this will generally not be a problem.
Others: You might also be interested in some extras, such as LCD screens that include some printers, WiFi connectivity to connect it to the network, cameras included to record how the designs are printed (in case you want to show it in presentations, document your creation, etc.), Recognition of the material of the coil automatically instead of specifying it yourself, etc. Also, take care of compatibility, since if it is not compatible with your operating system’s drivers, you could find a printer that does not work.
By the way, to finish, you know that if you like to DIY, you have 3D printer kits to assemble yourself, or you can choose models that are already assembled.
WRAPPING UP
This article covers the different questions you must ask before investing in a 3D printer and points out the additional features the 3D printer comes with.
We hope this was of some help. Make sure that the printer you will buy has at least the basic features given in this article. So what can you make with a 3D printer? You can print anything you want.