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Carbon 3D Printer Pricing - Carbon

Carbon 3D printer pricing starts at $25k per year. Contact a Carbon expert to help you select the right printer and tailor pricing based on your needs.

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Carbon product offerings and pricing vary by country and region. Please contact a Carbon expert for a quote.

Discover the right Carbon 3D printer for your production needs and budget

Carbon printers come in a variety of models with build volumes and price points to suit your specific needs.

M1
M2
M3
M3 Max
L1
Build Volume
(X x Y x Z)		 141 x 79 x 326 mm
5. 6 x 3.1 x 12.8 in 		189 x 118 x 326 mm
7.4 x 4.6 x 12.8 in 		189 x 118 x 326 mm
7.4 x 4.6 x 12.8 in 		307 x 163 x 326 mm
12.1 x 6.4 x 12.8 in 		400 x 250 x 460 mm
15.7 x 9.8 x 18.1 in
XY; Z Resolution* 75 µm; 25, 50 or 100 µm 75 µm; 25, 50 or 100 µm 75 µm; 25, 50 or 100 µm 75 µm; 25, 50 or 100 µm 160 µm; 25, 50, or 100 µm
General Accuracy** Up to ±70 μm + 1 μm per mm dimension size
Up to ±0.003 in + 0.001 in per in dimension size		 Up to ±70 μm + 1 μm per mm dimension size
Up to ±0.003 in + 0.001 in per in dimension size		 Up to ±65 µm+ 1 µm per mm dimension size
Up to ±0. 0026 in + 0.001 in per in dimension size		 Coming Soon Up to ±70 μm + 1 μm per mm dimension size
Up to ±0.003 in + 0.001 in per in dimension size
Production Repeatability Accuracy** Up to ±40 μm
Up to ±0.002 in		 Up to ±40 μm
Up to ±0.002 in		 Up to ±37 μm
Up to ±0.002 in		 Coming Soon Up to ±40 μm
Up to ±0.002 in
Explore M1 Explore M2 Explore M3 Explore M3 Max Explore L1

* Z resolution is adjustable from single digit microns to multiple hundred microns, and can be optimized through working with Carbon on your target application.
** For more information about accuracy, please refer to Carbon DLS accuracy guidelines for engineering materials and dental materials.

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Carbon 3D Printer Pricing FAQs

How much does a Carbon 3D printer cost?

Carbon 3D printer pricing starts at $25k per year. Contact a Carbon expert now to help you select the right printer and tailor pricing based on your needs.

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“The subscription model is beneficial as we are able to make payments over time versus one large capital investment. This enables us to keep costs down and allows for the flexibility to add more printers as the division grows.” Nick Windlow Smile Shapers, Director of Business Development

Why are Carbon 3D printers offered as a subscription?

We focus on helping you succeed in delivering better products in less time–not on selling you equipment. We build an ongoing relationship with you starting the day your printer is installed, and consistently and reliably deliver technology updates, expertise, and support to help you every step of the way. We have proven this approach with a broad range of customers, from major global brands to family-owned businesses, helping them deliver exceptional products efficiently.

Advantages of the Carbon subscription
  • A partner committed to your long-term success instead of a one-time printer sale.

    Paying upfront for a printer puts all the performance risk on you as the customer for your success. We believe in our technology and approach enough to share the risk to ensure you are successful. Instead of paying us upfront for equipment, you pay us as you use it. If we don’t deliver exceptional value, you won’t renew your subscription.

  • Flexibility in your capital equipment investments.

    Carbon subscriptions can vary in length depending on your needs. Shorter subscriptions allow our customers to try out different printers without having to buy them outright. You have the option to renew your subscription, return your 3D printer, or upgrade your 3D printer.

  • Updates, maintenance, and support are included.

    Owning a printer means you own maintenance and upkeep. With Carbon, we handle maintenance and we routinely upgrade printers with new software to improve your printers’ performance. Carbon printers have a track record of consistent, reliable and accurate production over time. We maintain them and ensure excellent uptime so that you can focus on developing and producing great products.

The value of a subscription model for connected 3D printers

Traditional Ownership of Non-Connected 3D Printer Subscription Model for Connected 3D Printer
Continual platform improvement

Gradually becomes obsolete after date of purchase

Improves over time with over the air updates every few weeks
Immediate support for new materials

Purchase separately or available on new version

Included*
Integrated technical support

Purchase service package separately

Included
Minimal unplanned downtime

Not connected, resulting in slower response time

Real-time customer support
Predictive maintenance to optimize machine uptime

Lagged service response time halts production efforts

Preemptive troubleshooting by Carbon keeps machines running
* Exceptions include additional hardware costs for specific materials, e. g., RPU 130 and EPU 41 Black.
Learn more about our subscription pricing model.
What happens after my subscription term is finished?

Once your subscription has finished, you have the option to renew your subscription, return your 3D printer, or upgrade your 3D printer.

Can I upgrade my printer during my subscription term?

Yes, you can upgrade your 3D printer during your Carbon subscription term.

What types of platform improvements can be expected?

Gain access to the latest software tools and support for new materials
Improvements to the Carbon platform add new features and capabilities in design and automation, fleet and factory management, and printing and post-processing. These updates can instantaneously deliver improved print outcomes, better workflow management, new design capabilities, and seamless support for new resins. See our recent platform improvements here.

What makes Carbon technical support so great?

Real-time customer support with predictive maintenance
Our connected 3D printers offer streamlined, remote troubleshooting and accelerated customer support. By monitoring customer operational metadata, we can precisely predict and prevent issues before they impact production. With a customer’s permission, our services team is able to view important contextual data and replicate issues quickly, cutting downtime.

Ready to Get Started?

Speak with an expert to learn more about how Carbon can support your product development process at every step, from concept to mass production.

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Get a Free Sample Part

There’s no substitute for holding a 3D printed part in your hand. Experience the quality of Carbon DLS-printed parts by requesting a free sample part below.

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Get Your Parts Made

Not in the market for a printer but still want Carbon DLS-printed parts? Find a certified Carbon production partner to get your parts made. These manufacturers are certified experts in the Carbon DLS 3D printing process—from design to production.

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Find a Carbon Dental Outsource Partner

Carbon 3D Printers

The L and M Series printers and Smart Part Washer offer versatility and enable scalable manufacturing.

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Materials

Find the right material for your project, from consumer product elastomers to high-temperature automotive materials.

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Carbon Design Engine

Design high-performance conformal lattices to improve product performance and speed up print time.

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The Carbon M1 3D Printer - Start 3D Printing at Full Scale

The Carbon DLS™ process at an entry-level price

Nicht in Europa erhältlich!

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The M1 Printer

Prototyping and production at small volumes

Offering the same speed, accuracy, and reliability as the larger M2 printer, the M1 enables any company to unlock the benefits of producing parts using the groundbreaking Carbon Digital Light Synthesis™ (Carbon DLS™) process at an affordable price. The M1 printer is compatible with all one-part resins, third-party resins, and dual-cure resins that do not require heating during the print.

Get Started with the DLS Process

Get the great accuracy, consistency, reliability, and material performance of Carbon DLS technology at a low price point.

Accelerate Prototyping and Production

Small batch sizes and fast print times are perfect for printing a high mix of low-volume applications throughout the day, such as functional prototypes in multiple dual-cure resins, or multiple dental applications.

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DLS Process

Carbon Digital Light Synthesis technology uses light projection in combination with oxygen-permeable optics to produce isotropic parts with exceptional surface finish.

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Materials

Carbon offers the widest range of real, functional materials and industry-proven third-party dental resins.

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The DLS Advantage

We offer unique capabilities and industry-leading service and support. See why Carbon is more than a printer.

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Discover the right Carbon 3D printer for your production needs and budget

M1
M2
M3
Build Volume
(X x Y x Z)		 141 x 79 x 326 mm
5. 6 x 3.1 x 12.8 in 		189 x 118 x 326 mm
7.4 x 4.6 x 12.8 in 		189 x 118 x 326 mm
7.4 x 4.6 x 12.8 in
XY; Z Resolution* 75 µm; 25, 50 or 100 µm 75 µm; 25, 50 or 100 µm 75 µm; 25, 50 or 100 µm
General Accuracy** Up to ±70 μm + 1 μm per mm dimension size
Up to ±0.003 in + 0.001 in per in dimension size		 Up to ±70 μm + 1 μm per mm dimension size
Up to ±0.003 in + 0.001 in per in dimension size		 Up to ±65 µm+ 1 µm per mm dimension size
Up to ±0.0026 in + 0.001 in per in dimension size
Production Repeatability Accuracy** Up to ±40 μm
Up to ±0.002 in		 Up to ±40 μm
Up to ±0.002 in		 Up to ±37 μm
Up to ±0. 002 in
Printer Software Included in your subscription with regular OTA software updates about every eight weeks.
Service & Support Integrated service package with real-time customer support and preventative maintenance for optimized machine uptime.
Pricing Carbon 3D printers start at $25k per year and come with a variety of packages suited to your needs.
Contact us for printer-specific pricing details.

* Z resolution is adjustable from single digit microns to multiple hundred microns, and can be optimized through working with Carbon on your target application.
** For more information about accuracy, please refer to Carbon DLS accuracy guidelines for engineering materials and dental materials.
See the full lineup of Carbon printers

Get a Quote

Contact an Expert

Smart Part Washer

Reduce labor costs and increase throughput
Simple, Mess-Free Washing

A game-changer in cleaning parts. Simply place the build platform from an M2 printer into the Smart Part Washer and let it run.

Maximize Part Quality

Get a consistent, predictable, and thorough clean of your prints by moving from a manual process to a smart, automated process.

70% Labor Savings Per Wash

With optimized wash protocols, labor time per print is minimal. Spend that time more productively—making new parts.

Size 35 in. x 24 in. x 49 in
Weight 350 lb
Washer Volume 1x build platform

Cutting-Edge Design Powered by Advanced Software

Use Familiar Tools

Carbon 3D printers support STL files. Use standard CAD tools to generate your design, then upload your STL into Carbon’s print planning tool.

Lattice Design

Carbon’s Design Engine software helps customers generate the perfect lattice to fit desired form, mechanical response, and durability requirements.

Learn More

Surface Textures

There’s no need for a complicated pipeline of third-party tools. Add branded, aesthetic, or functional textures to your parts, all from within Carbon software.

Save Time and Improve Quality with Automated Print Preparation

Auto Layout

Save time when preparing builds with multiple parts by using Carbon’s auto layout feature.

Advanced Auto Supports

Advanced auto supports save time and ensure high-quality results by offering a reliable, FEA-backed strategy for supporting parts during printing.

Boost Efficiency with Print Analytics

Manufacture at Scale

Because every machine is connected, Carbon’s entire workflow can be logged, monitored, and reviewed through tools and dashboards to offer deep insights into fleet performance and utilization.

Fleet Management Dashboard

Review production data and manage a fleet of devices in real-time from one dashboard. Queue new projects seamlessly.

Part Traceability

Preserve a part’s entire history—from CAD file, to design, to print—in one digital record. Streamline quality assurance with embedded unique part identifiers to quickly review a part’s history.

Better Operations with Connected Hardware

Over-the-Air Software Updates

Carbon’s 3D printers constantly get better, even after they’re installed. Regular software updates improve every aspect of the Carbon DLS™ process, offering improved user experience, faster and more accurate prints, and more sophisticated process management.

View Software Release History

Real-time Status and Control

Monitor and manage printer and parts at every stage of the printing process wherever you are, regardless of whether you have one or hundreds of Carbon 3D printers.

Accelerated Customer Support

Carbon’s customer support team can identify and troubleshoot printer issues remotely without interrupting business operations. Data-backed predictive maintenance through real-time alerts inform customers about issues that might impact production.

How to calculate the cost of printing on a 3D printer

For some ideas, 3D printing is the fastest and easiest solution. In some situations, purchasing your own 3D printer can be a good solution, but sometimes it is much more profitable and faster to order the necessary product from a company specializing in 3D printing. Yes, and many owners of a 3D printer are thinking about how to “monetize” their hobby, but how to correctly calculate their costs?

Despite the fact that it is customary to indicate the price per gram of working material, simply multiplying the weight of the model by the cost of 1 gram will be wrong. In addition to the cost of consumables, many more, at first glance, non-obvious costs are added to the price of the product.

Each 3D printing technology uses its own consumables. Let's analyze the most popular and affordable of them.

Available technologies and key differences

Currently, a huge number of 3D devices have appeared, from small desktop ones that fit on the desktop to huge industrial machines. Among the most affordable, 2 technologies can be distinguished - FDM and photopolymer printers (LCD / DLP / SLA).

FDM 3D printing

Today, the most affordable 3D printing technology is FDM. A variety of materials and 3D printers allow FDM to be applied to a wide range of applications.


Schematic operation of FDM printer

A large selection makes it easy to choose a 3D printer for a specific task or find a universal device.

The material for printing is a plastic thread - filament. On the market you can find filament for various tasks, for every “taste” and budget. These can be very inexpensive ABS and PLA plastics or specific ones - conductive, burnable, etc.

Pros:

Cons:

Despite the fact that FDM allows you to print a wide range of plastics with different properties, the technology has some limitations. For example, it is impossible to obtain a perfectly smooth surface, to produce miniature and very thin elements, or to produce parts with very complex internal geometry with high accuracy.

Photopolymer printing

Photopolymer printers can work on one of 3 technologies - SLA, DLP or LCD. These devices will come to the rescue if you need to make a small but very detailed model with many small details.


How photopolymer printers work

As a consumable material, a photopolymer resin hardened by UV radiation is used. Now there is a wide variety of photopolymer resins for every taste. From particularly strong and precise engineering or jewelry resins to soft flexes.

Pros:

  • High print precision

  • Good surface quality

  • A wide variety of printers and consumables

Minuses:

Photopolymer printers have shown themselves well in a variety of industries that require a perfectly smooth surface and high accuracy. They are used in dentistry, the jewelry industry, for making miniature master models for casting, and much more.

Industrial printers

These are already industrial machines, which require a separate room and sometimes certain requirements for ventilation, etc. In this article, we will not analyze these devices in detail, but briefly consider the most popular technologies.

FDM

In addition to desktop devices using FDM technology, industrial printers that work on the same principle are common.

This category includes devices with a large print area (from 30x30x30 cm and more). For example, Raise Pro2 with a print area of ​​30x30x30 cm.


Raise Pro2

Or machines designed for printing with refractory materials (eg PEEK). Such 3D printers usually have an active thermal chamber, and the extruder can be heated above 400 degrees.


CreatBot F160-PEEK designed to work with refractory plastics

Photopolymer printers

Industrial photopolymer devices usually have a much larger working area, compared to their "home" brothers. In addition, many processes have been optimized and automated for faster operation. On such printers, you can quickly and accurately produce a small batch of models, a large prototype or a master model.


Prismlab Large Area Industrial Resin Printer Family

3DP

3DP - Three-Dimensional Printing (translated as three-dimensional printing) is a logical continuation of conventional two-dimensional printers. Printing is done using nozzles that selectively apply a binder to the material (usually gypsum). A dye can be added to the binder and the model will be colored.

Colored plaster model

Since the plaster model is fragile, a similar principle is used for printing with metals. Only the finished product needs to be treated in an oven to remove the binder and improve strength. But despite the processing, such metal prints will still be inferior in strength to cast products.

MJM

This is a proprietary technology of 3D Systems. MJM is a mix of FDM, 3DP and sometimes SLA (depending on material chosen). Printing is done using a variety of small nozzles (from 96 to 488) located on the head of the machine. The accuracy and quality of the surface of models made in this way is in no way inferior to photopolymer printers.


Models made with MJM technology

Such devices can work with photopolymer resins, wax or thermoplastics. You can combine several materials at once - for example, for complex models, you can use wax as a support.

SLM

SLM is the layer-by-layer sintering of metal powder using a powerful laser. There are several similar technologies - SHS/SLS. The principle of operation is the same, only a thermal print head is used instead of a laser beam.

SLM Turbine

As a material for printing, you can use powders of various metals - gold, stainless steel, aluminum, various alloys, etc.

During printing, the working chamber is filled with an inert gas to prevent oxidation of metals. This allows printing even with titanium powder.

Models made by this method are in no way inferior, and sometimes even superior, to cast products. SLM allows you to produce models with complex internal geometry that cannot be produced by another method (casting or milling).

Cost of 3D printing

The cost of a model usually consists of several factors.

  • Equipment depreciation. The printer, like any machine, requires maintenance and periodic replacement of some parts. During operation, belts gradually stretch, bushings or linear bearings wear out. For example, when bushings or linear bearings are worn; shafts may wear out and need to be replaced.

Cost of materials

The main cost item for a 3D printer is, of course, the printed material.;

FDM (plastic filament)

Since FDM technology is by far the most common, the choice of filaments is very diverse.

  • Engineering plastics are usually nylon with various fillers added to improve the physical characteristics of the finished model. Special cost. plastics starts from 2000r per coil and above. It all depends on the manufacturer and filler (carbon fiber, fiberglass, etc.).

  • Decorative plastics are used to imitate various materials. Plastic can simply be unusually colored (luminous, transparent plastics) or a special filler is added to it (plastics with metal powder). The cost of decorative plastics starts from 1500 rubles per coil and more, depending on the filler.

A big advantage of FDM is the diverse choice of materials to work with. This allows, having one printer, to produce almost any product - from a child's toy to a complex engineering prototype.

Photopolymers (resin)

Photopolymer resin printing technology is becoming more and more accessible. There are many different resins.

  • The cost of ordinary colored resin starts from 2500 rubles per 0.5 kg (volume +/- 0.5 l). You can find a smaller volume of resin (250 gr) on sale. You can buy several different resins in small containers and find out in practice which one is best for a particular model.

  • Engineering resins are resins with increased strength. They can be used not only for printing decorative items, but also for making functional prototypes and models. The cost for 0.5 kg starts from 5900r and above.

  • Special resins - burnable, dental, soft flexes, etc. Depending on the resin, the price for 0.5 kg can start from 4800 rubles and more. It all depends on the characteristics of the resin.

Photopolymer resins have not yet reached such a variety as FDM filaments, but they are surely catching up. Although due to the fact that a liter of resin costs significantly more than a spool of filament, the cost of the product is much higher.

Print examples

FDM

Mag Pull (quick release loop) for G3 magazines.

The model was downloaded for free from an open source (the file can be downloaded here). Printing with engineering carbon-filled plastic (price per spool from 4700 rubles). The weight of the model with support is about 25 grams. Post-processing was not needed. The cost of the finished model is 250 rubles.


Plastic fastener

The file was downloaded from an open source (can be downloaded here). Plastic - carbon-filled nylon (price per coil from 4700r). The weight of the finished product is about 20 grams. Print without post-processing. The total cost is 200 rubles.



Model watch

The model is modeled to order (the cost of modeling is from 1000 rubles). The product is printed on an industrial printer using soluble support. Print without post-processing. The cost of the finished product - from 700 rubles per piece (depends on the number of required products).


Traction prosthesis

The model is taken from an open source (you can download the modified version of the prosthesis here). The weight of the used material is about 600 gr, printed with ABS plastic (the cost of the coil is from 800 r). After printing, post-processing and assembly took place. The total cost of the product - from 3000 r (depends on the print material, support material, filling, etc.).


Pedal layout

Production of a 3D model according to the drawing (from 1000 r). The weight of the finished model is about 200 gr. The product was printed with engineering carbon-filled plastic (the cost of the coil is from 4700 r). Post-processing was not needed. The cost of the finished product is about 3000 rubles.

Photopolymer printers

Model jaws for crowns

Files for printing were obtained using a 3D scanner and finalized in a 3D editor (the cost of scanning is from 3000 r, the cost of manual revision is from 1000 r). Printing on an industrial photopolymer printer. Post-processing is not needed. The cost of the finished product is from 80 r per gram.


Burnout resin rings

The model is made to order. Printing on a desktop SLA printer with a burnable polymer. Post-processing is not needed. The cost of the finished product is 200 rubles per product.


Miniatures

The models were bought on the myminifactory website (the cost of the model is from $2). Made with a desktop DLP printer. Post-processing was not required. The cost of the finished figurine is from 70 r per gram.

Custom 3D printing

Many owners of 3D printers are thinking about monetizing their hobby. But you should understand that the price of 3D printing “for yourself” and the price of commercial printing are very different.

When starting to print to order, it is better to have several printers working on different technologies.

Cost of commercial 3D printing

In addition to the cost of the model, to the commercial production of products, you can add:

  • Modeling. Often the client needs not only to make a part, but to pre-model it. It can be a simple cogwheel that doesn't take long to model, or it can be a complex sculpture that takes more time to model than it does to make.

  • Model post-processing. This can be simply the removal of supports, with cleaning of the place of their contact with the product, or a complete processing cycle (puttying, surface grinding, painting, etc.).

It should be borne in mind that it is not always possible to print the model the first time. Sometimes it may take several attempts. And these are additional costs.

What is unprofitable to print

Despite the wide possibilities of 3D printing, there are models that are unprofitable to make on a 3D printer. For such models, it is better to use other manufacturing methods.

Commercial print examples

Jewelry for further casting


Manufacture of promotional items and souvenirs


Piece miniatures or master model for further casting


3D printed model

Profitable to print on a 3D printer:

  • If the item is only sold as an assembly. For example, a small gear broke in the mechanism, but the mechanism is sold only “assembly”. It is much cheaper to make the desired gear on a 3D printer than to buy the entire mechanism.

  • A small batch of parts. Small batches, especially models with complex geometry, are more profitable to produce on a 3D printer than by casting or other methods.

Totals

If you need several models or a small project, sometimes it will be more expedient to outsource manufacturing. After all, in addition to buying equipment and materials, you will have to understand the nuances of the settings and the characteristics of various materials.

Buying a 3D printer for commercial use is justified if you can fully load it with work or then it can be used for other purposes.

To print to order, you need to have several printers working on different technologies. It is better to get several devices with a smaller print area than to buy just one printer, albeit with a large working area.

8 nuances worth paying attention to

Sooner or later, everyone will learn about 3D printing. And only a few lucky people, imbued with the opportunities that 3D printing opens up, catch themselves thinking that they want to purchase a 3D printer. The desire gradually develops into a serious decision and the search for the right option begins. And here the potential buyer is faced with the fact that he does not fully understand what to choose among the whole variety of 3D printers. We will try to answer this question in as much detail as possible. What to look for, and how to make a choice? We want to offer a small checklist of the nuances that you need to pay attention to when choosing a 3D printer. You need to decide for yourself for what tasks you will use this technique? What features should a 3D printer have to solve your problems?

Tip 1 : Decide on 3D printing technology

The first step is to decide on the technology of 3D printing. There are two main paths here. If you are faced with the task of manufacturing high-precision and miniature products, such as jewelry, then 3D printers using SLA or DLP technology are suitable for you. Such printers are specially designed for the manufacture of high-precision models. 3D printing in these printers occurs using a laser beam that illuminates the photopolymer resin. Hence the accuracy of the models. Prominent representatives of this segment: Form 2 3D printer or B9 3D printercreator If you are faced with a wider range of tasks, and functionality, part size, and low manufacturing cost are more important, then an FDM printer will suit you. 3D printing on this equipment involves layer-by-layer melting of plastic. If according to SLA printers everything is clear. The scope of their application is jewelry, dentistry, high-precision prototypes of small parts. Then we will dwell on FDM printers in more detail. There is a lot more variety of different options for implementing printers.

Nuance 2: Evaluate your needs

Of course, you always want to get all the best and with maximum opportunities. Do you need all this to solve your current problems? What can be cited as an example? For example, the size of the working area of ​​the FDM 3D printer. There are printers on the market with a large print area (1m x 1m x 1m), and with a very small one (100mm x 100mm x100mm). But for most tasks, a certain standard has already developed. This is the printable area within 200 x 200 x 200 mm. With slight fluctuations in size in one direction or another. Most 3D printers have exactly this size of the working area. This volume is enough to solve 95% of any tasks. But options are possible ... If you plan to manufacture small parts, then a smaller size will probably be enough for you. But if your work will be related to manufacturing, for example, a master model for casting, or large prototypes, then only then it makes sense to pay attention to a printer with a large print area. In other cases, the size of the print area larger than the standard is nothing more than a nice bonus. But as they say, you have to pay for everything. Therefore, most often it makes sense to focus on the “standard” print area. And even if the part you need to print is larger than the working area of ​​your 3D printer, you can always cut it in a special editor, and then print 2 parts of the model and glue them together.

Nuance 3 : Decide on the complexity of the products

You should decide for yourself how complex models you will print on a 3D printer. If you plan to manufacture complex prototypes, or complex art models, then you need a 3D printer that can print with two materials. This is necessary so that your printer can print supports from soluble material. If the models are not the most complex, then you can get by with one extruder and save the budget. A complex model is a model with a large number of elements suspended in the air, or a model whose elements have angles of more than 30 degrees.

Point 4: Decide on the list of materials to be used.

Another important point. You must immediately determine for yourself a list of possible materials with which you are going to print. This primarily applies to materials with a high degree of shrinkage, such as ABS and Nylon. In order to print with such materials, a heated table is clearly required in a 3D printer. And it is very desirable to have a closed case to provide a thermal circuit around the model. If you plan to print only with PLA plastic. You don't need a heated table. But still it is better that the printer has a heated table. Now the difference in the cost of printers with a heated table is practically the same as the cost without it. But you get a universal solution with which you can perform the full range of tasks facing a 3D printer. One more moment. Ability to print with flexible materials Quite a number of 3D printers face the problem of printing with flexible materials. Of course, printing with various Flexes and Rubbers is very interesting at first glance. But the use of these materials in life is not very common. Usually, for most people, this happens like this: A couple of models are printed, and the understanding comes that this is not a fast and rather complicated process. And this is where the acquaintance with flexible materials ends. Therefore, it makes sense to demand such an opportunity from the printer if printing with such materials is very necessary.

Nuance 5: Structure and kinematics

Next, you need to pay attention to the design of the 3D printer. Even if you are not a great specialist in technology, you can immediately see that some printers have an open design. And others are closed. As they like to be called in the Russian-speaking community "cubes". What does the appearance say? Printers with an open design, usually have kinematics with a horizontally moving table (based on Prusa 3D printers). This kinematics has some inherent flaws. Such as, not the highest print speed and possible print quality problems associated with the complexity of the settings. First of all, this is the so-called wobble. Also, the lack of a closed case can cause print quality problems with high shrinkage plastics (ABS, Nylon). The main advantage of printers of this design is their price. It is usually lower. But as you know, you have to pay for everything. In this case, the worst performance. The so-called "cubes" today, is the main design, which is represented by leading manufacturers on the market. Such printers are built according to the lifting table scheme. And they lack most of the shortcomings that are inherent in printers from the previous group. “Cubes” usually have a closed body, which allows the highest quality printing with plastics with a high degree of shrinkage. Closed case printers are more rigid. This results in better quality printing. The kinematics of moving the print head is represented by various designs. They have their pros and cons. But most of them have advantages over moving table printer circuits.

Nuance 6: Diameter and interchangeable nozzle

Most 3D printers on the market come with 0.3-0.4mm nozzles. This is enough to solve the vast majority of tasks facing a 3D printer. Some of the printers have the ability to install a nozzle of a different diameter, others do not. As we wrote above, the need to print with nozzles with a diameter other than 0.3-0.4 mm arises very infrequently. This mainly concerns, or personal experiments, or some very specific tasks. If you do not plan to do this, then this opportunity is not so necessary. What do we mean by specific tasks? This is especially true for printing large items, where it is very important to reduce the printing time. This can be achieved by using large diameter nozzles. For example, with a diameter of 0.6-0.8 mm, or even a diameter of 1 mm. For printers with a large printable area, the ability to change nozzles is already a vital necessity. Therefore, here, as in the case of a heated table, the ability to change nozzles is a good bonus. It is not mandatory, but very useful if you do not have to pay extra for it.

Nuance 7: Print thickness

It is important to understand that most models on a 3D printer are printed with a layer of 0.1-0.2 mm. These are the optimal values ​​that allow you to achieve quality and acceptable print speed. There are a certain number of printers that allow you to print with a layer of less than 0. 05 mm, and get very high quality prints. But then there is the problem of a sharp increase in print time. And if such print quality is important to you, then it probably makes sense to turn your attention to 3D printers, which we talked about at the very beginning of the article. These are 3D printers using SLA or DLP technology.

Nuance 8: Extruder type

Today there are two main types of extruder. This is a direct extruder in which the bar feed motor is located in the printhead itself. And the so-called Bowden extruder, where the plastic feed motor is located on the body. And the plastic itself is fed to the extruder through a fluoroplastic tube. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of extruder? Bowden extruder, due to the lack of a motor on the print head, has less weight. And therefore, it has greater positioning accuracy, which affects the print quality. And a higher speed of movement, which, accordingly, has a positive effect on the speed of printing. But it has one drawback. It is usually difficult to print with flexible plastics on a Bowden extruder. Such as Rubber or Flex. All its positive features, this extruder reveals when using plastic with a diameter of 2.85-3.00 mm. But this type of plastic is less common than the now standard plastic with a diameter of 1.75 mm. And therefore, users of printers with such plastic are often deprived of the opportunity to use new types of materials. Which are primarily produced in the most common form factor of 1.75mm. The direct extruder usually doesn't have such big problems with flexible plastics. Easier to set up, but due to the greater mass of the print head, it is inferior to the Bowden extruder in terms of speed and positioning accuracy. What to prefer? This is the user's choice. We just wanted to talk about the pros and cons of these extruder types. Of course, there are many more nuances when choosing a 3D printer. But we think that even our small list will force you to look and study some points that you may not have thought about more closely.

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