Monoprice 135880 voxel 3d printer

Prices for desktop 3D printers continue to fall. There were times when a $600 3D printer was a delight and a desire to order it as soon as possible, but technology does not stand still, and developers and manufacturers are looking for new options to lower the price even lower. This review is dedicated to one of the budget 3D printers costing about $200 - Monoprice Select Mini. nine0005

It is worth noting that this inexpensive model breaks established traditions and did not start with Kickstarter, unlike others like M3D Micro, Tiko, OLO / ONO and Trinus, which attracted the attention of consumers and investors thanks to crowdfunding platforms (by the way, this is really an effective development strategy for small startups, but there is often a mismatch between expectations and the final product).

Monoprice is different. This is an American company that did not particularly bother with the development and production of its own 3D printer, but simply imported the Malyan M200 from China, hung its logo on it and put an attractive price of $199. What if you got a defective 3D printer? No problem, send it back and they will replace it for you.

A reasonable question arises: can such a cheap 3D printer compete with Ultimakers or Printrbots? And is it even worth comparing? We will try to answer these and other questions in the review below.

Features Monoprice Select Mini

• Available;
• Robust design;
• Easy to use;
• Predictable 3D printing at low speed; nine0018
• Works with any slicing software and standard 3D printing materials;
• Amenable to improvements and upgrades;
• I think we already mentioned the price?

Disadvantages Monoprice Select Mini

• Difficult to calibrate;
• Prints poorly at high speeds;
• Print table not protected;
• Faulty power supply;
• WiFi module not active;
• Unstable nozzle temperature;
• Strange quirks...

Short Verdict

The Monoprice Select Mini is a great 3D printer for the price. There is a heated table, easy to operate if you do not use high speeds, stable 3D printing quality.

Naturally, there are disadvantages. During operation, the temperature of the nozzle may change, and at high speeds, 3D printing errors occur. The calibration process takes a lot of time and the first time you have to tinker. Well, the most interesting thing is that the power supply burned out after 12 hours. But the latter, incorrect, can be attributed to an accidental marriage. nine0005

Despite all the shortcomings, the Monoprice Select Mini is a wonderful little 3D printer with many great features. In general, it performs in accordance with the information in the technical specifications, and the quality of the 3D printing even exceeded our expectations.

If you are not afraid to take it apart / put it back together, then you can do a few upgrades. The first thing to do is to replace the hotend and update the firmware to activate the WiFi module ( be careful! These upgrades have not been tested as part of this review and may damage your 3D printer! ). You can install the glass on the print table. Even with these upgrades, the price will still remain acceptable.

Would you recommend the Monoprice Select Mini as your first 3D printer? Yes, definitely.

Specifications and features Monoprice Select Mini

Monoprice Select Mini workspace 120 x 120 x 120 mm. The maximum resolution of 3D printing is 100 microns. Heated table. The 3D printing speed is 55 mm/s. nine0005

You can upload your 3D model via micro SD card or USB. The manual states that compatible slicing programs are Cura, Repetier-Host, ReplicatorG, and Simplify3D. This means that the Monoprice Select Mini recognizes the standard G-code, and this 3D printer is not tied to any particular software. Cura was used during testing for this review.

Monoprice Select Mini doesn't limit your media usage. You can print with any standard 1.75 filament using PLA or ABS thermoplastics. In our case, PLA plastic from ColorFabb was used. nine0005

These two points - the freedom to choose software and filament - are very important for this price range, because manufacturers such as M3D Micro and XYZprinting, which are Monoprice's main competitors in this niche, tend to use proprietary software and their own materials for 3D printing .

Unpacking and installation of Monoprice Select Mini

Installation of Monoprice Select Mini is quite simple. You can start typing within 20 minutes.

Inside the box you will find a 3D printer, a power supply, an imbus wrench for calibrating the table, a plastic spatula to scrape off the rest of the material from the table after printing, a 256 MB micro SD card and a micro USB cable.

One piece of paper contains a basic instruction and a link to a website where you can download the full version.

You will also find a rectangular steel sheet, the purpose of which is not clear at first. It turns out that this is a coil holder that is attached to the side of the main unit. nine0005

It is important to note that the Monoprice Select Mini kit does not include media test samples. So stock up on filament with a diameter of 1.75 mm.

You can use the wheel to adjust. The menu is well structured and easy to understand. You can start the calibration process, preheat the extruder and feed the filament.

Calibration can be somewhat difficult. In theory, it should be carried out even before shipment, in production, and you should have a piece of paper between the nozzle and the printing table. If it doesn’t work, then hex keys will come in handy here. It will be necessary to try and tighten the screws at the corners of the table so that the sheet still passes. nine0005

At this stage, the first important shortcoming of this model becomes clear. The printing table is made of aluminum and does not have a special protective film or coating on it. So stock up on blue 3D printing tape or install glass right away. Otherwise, the table will wear out very quickly and you will have to change it.

Well, one more bug that got out in our particular case. The power supply burned out after 12 hours of use. Foaming it was not difficult, but it was very unpleasant. You can probably throw it off for marriage, but in any case, be prepared for a similar turn of events. nine0005

Design and build quality of the Monoprice Select Mini

Very pleased with the build quality of the Monoprice Select Mini. The construction is strong, reliable, with a steel sheet metal case that hides all the electronics. So don't worry about shipping damage.

This 3D printer uses deposition modeling technology. The classical Cartesian coordinate system is used. The design is similar to Printrbot Simple. One cooler is used to cool the nozzle. It is likely that problems may arise during 3D printing with unusual materials. nine0005

The extruder has a diameter of 0.4 mm and can be heated up to 230°C. We have not been able to test how easy it is to change, but in the long run this is an important factor as the nozzle will still need to be changed over time.

Monoprice Select Mini Print Quality

Pre-loaded models will already be on the micro SD card. They are supposed to be optimized for 3D printing on the Monoprice Select Mini. So before uploading our own models, we printed test ones. nine0005

The cat was printed first. The resolution was 200 microns. Everything went well until the last layers. The upper part of the paw and ears could not be printed even once. There were 3 attempts in total.

G-code analysis in Simlify3D showed that the table accelerated up to 55 mm/s during the printing of the last layers. That is why the error was repeated. Quite a strange decision of the company - to provide a test model, which a priori will be printed with errors...

The second model that we printed is a test elephant. The resolution was also 200 microns and 10% infill. There were no problems! The result is excellent and you can see it in the photo below. nine0005

Next we moved on to our own models. We used Cura for slicing. This article reveals the excellent Cura settings for 3D printing on the Monoprice Select Mini and we used them.

We printed a classic 3DBenchy and Graphica model: a MEGA Ghost with 200 micron resolution and 10% infill, a V29 whistle with 200 micron resolution and 100% infill, and another 3DBenchy model with 100 micron resolution and 10% infill. nine0005

The simple 200 micron models worked well. There are no special problems with small protrusions and holes, although there are sagging. The layers are laid evenly along the X and Y axes.

The V29 whistle sounds as loud as intended, which means the partitions were printed correctly. The Graphica Mega Ghost with its long tongue also printed correctly. The hinge glided smoothly. The

3DBenchy at 100 microns worked well too. When you look at the photo, don't forget that this is a $19 3D printer.9.

We have noticed that most errors in 3D printing occur when the spool of filament clings or there is not enough adhesive coating on the printing table. This cannot be attributed to the shortcomings of the Monoprice Select Mini itself, since this is a global problem for all FFF printers.

During operation, the print table may block access to the control wheel. This point is implemented in the design is not very ergonomic.

Another disadvantage is that the nozzle temperature has an error in the region of 5°C. For example, when the 3D printing temperature is set to 215°C, it jumps between 213°C and 217°C on the control panel. nine0005

This does not particularly affect printing with PLA plastics, but may have a negative effect during 3D printing with materials that are more sensitive to temperature changes.

Finally, we printed a Low Poly Moai bust. We scaled the model by 50% and printed with 100 micron settings and 30% infill. It turned out well on the whole, the only small marriage is the influx of material on the chin. By the way, we observed the same effect when printing 3DBenchy with resolution settings of 100 microns. nine0005

Life hacks and upgrades Monoprice Select Mini

A few words about upgrading the Monoprice Select Mini 3D printer. There are no official upgrades! But here are a few options that you can try to implement on your own.

In our opinion, it is necessary to deal with the temperature of the extruder, make it more stable. For example, you can implement a PID temperature controller.

You can activate the WiFi connection by downloading the original Malyan M200 firmware. nine0059 But be careful! This option has not been tested and there is a possibility that you may damage your 3D printer!

Monoprice Select Mini Summary

After testing the Monoprice Select Mini, this is one of the best 3D printers you can buy for $200.

But it's important to realize that the print quality can't be compared to the Original Prusa i3 MK2 or LulzBot Mini. Not to mention the more expensive models.

If you're looking for a small business 3D printer or just high-quality 3D without bugs, then the Monoprice Select Mini is not for you. In addition to the print quality, you will obviously not be satisfied with periodic bugs and a small workspace. nine0005

But if you are just starting to explore the world of 3D printing, then this is a great choice and a good alternative to the Chinese Anet A8 3D printer.

The Monoprice Select Mini has some drawbacks, but it's still a great option for learning and just having fun. It's easy to use and print quality rivals more expensive models.

How steaks taste from a 3D printer

Redefine Meat founder and CEO Eshkhar Ben-Shitrit / Corinna Kern / Bloomberg via Getty Images

“What will you print for lunch?” - such a question is no longer from the category of fantasy. Israeli startup Redefine Meat has learned how to 3D print steaks that look like real meat. In mid-February, the startup completed another round of funding to start shipping its printers around the world. According to the plan, the expansion was supposed to begin last year, but the pandemic prevented it: the startup intends to promote the product first through restaurants.

Many companies produce artificial meat from soy and pea protein, coconut fat, sunflower oil, natural colors and flavors. But even if they taste like real minced meat, they lack the main thing: the texture and look of the steak. Redefine Meat founder Eshkhar Ben-Shitrit figured out what to do with it. His printer prints three types of voxels, or millimetric three-dimensional pixels. Some copy muscle, others fat, others blood. Each stake consists of an example of 3 million voxels. By changing the recipe and collecting them in different sequences and proportions, you can reproduce tenderloin, ribeye, picanha and other types of steaks. And most importantly - they copy not only the taste, but also the type of meat, and even sensations. “A steak is basically muscle, fat and blood in a complex structure that affects how it feels in the mouth and how it is cooked. The taste depends on how the marbled veins of fat melt when you cook,” Ben-Shitrit told Israel21c online. nine0005

How Ben-Shitrit met cows

Ben-Shitrit grew up on a kibbutz where his mother ran a dairy farm. He loved meat since childhood. And at the age of 13, he learned how to cook the perfect steak when he went to work part-time at his uncle's restaurant in Tel Aviv in the summer.

He received his law degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, worked for a year and a half as a clerk of the Israeli Supreme Court, and in 2011 changed careers to become a product manager for Hewlett-Packard. Responsible for printing on cardboard boxes. His next job was at the Israeli company Highcon, specializing in cardboard packaging. In 2015–2017 he was its vice president of marketing. nine0005

So, Ben Shitrit loved meat. But when his first child was born, he was surprised to find that he could no longer eat beef. There were memories of his childhood on a dairy farm, where he saw firsthand how cows take care of their calves. Ben-Shitrit tried many meat substitutes, but none of them looked like a real steak. Then he had the idea to print meat on a printer to copy its texture. He quit and in February 2018 founded Jet-Eat, which was later renamed Redefine Meat. nine0005

“The company was engaged in R&D for almost two years before [in the fall of 2019] we first raised serious investments and recruited a team - in nine months the staff grew from 6 to 25 people,” Ben-Shitrit told Business Insider and last July . Now, judging by the information on the startup's website, it employs 36 people.

The startup developed its products in collaboration with scientists from the Israeli Institute of Technology Technion, using its laboratories for experiments. In September 2019The company received $6 million in seed funding from CPT Capital, a venture fund that also includes stakes in other artificial meat producers, Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. In February of this year, Redefine Meat raised $29 million in a Series A round in which new investors joined CPT Capital - Losa Group, Sake Bosch, K3 Ventures.

1/5 cow per day

Redefine Meat already has something to boast about. Last June, the company officially unveiled the world's first plant-based 3D printed steak, then began testing its product in high-end restaurants in Israel, and Ben-Shitrit became a hero in the Israeli media with the phrase "We print steaks on a 3D printer ". nine0005

True, the fastest printer at his disposal prints about 6 kg of meat per hour. With three cartridges to recharge (artificial meat, fat and blood) and maintain the machine, on good days it produces about 90 kg of meat per day. Beef cows can weigh about half a ton, but meat can account for 60–70% of the total weight.

No meat in meat, no milk in chocolate

Not only meat becomes vegan. In mid-February, Nestle announced that it would launch the first vegan milk chocolate, called KitKat V. The product will roll out to several countries, including the UK, and if successful, will expand to other markets. It took about two years to develop the bar. The main problem was that soy and almond substitutes do not mix well with cocoa and sugar, and as a result, the desired creamy structure is not obtained. KitKat V replaced milk with rice mix. This is not the first product to replace animal ingredients. Last year, Nestle launched meat-free sausage, veggie ground meat, dairy-free ice cream, and animal food with insect protein and bean and millet meat protein substitutes. nine0005

Now the startup is completing the construction of the first production line, which will assemble a new printer model, designed for 10 kg of meat per hour. “It’s not yet an industrial machine, we call it semi-industrial,” Ben-Shitrit told Business Insider.

Machines will be installed directly at customers' premises to enable them to sell fresh meat. The technology that Redefine Meat is developing could disrupt the global food supply chain, Ben-Shitrit shared his thoughts with The Times of Israel online edition. 3D printers that produce meat near the points of sale make it unnecessary to buy meat in other countries, he said. nine0005

Redefine Meat was supposed to hit restaurants late last year, but the coronavirus got in the way. During the pandemic, Redefine Meat signed contracts with several organizations interested in introducing artificial meat into the assortment. For example, in January of this year, Redefine Meat announced a strategic agreement with Israeli meat distributor Best Meister. The partner will supply not only to restaurants in Israel, but also to butcher shops. The agreement was signed after a blind tasting of alternative meats in Tel Aviv (both companies claim that it was the largest in the world - it was attended by about 600 people), which showed that 90% of meat eaters like fake meat. The company wants to conduct the same test with chefs in other countries and is preparing to enter markets in Europe, Asia and North America later this year. “This is a step towards becoming the world's largest alternative meat company by 2030,” Ben-Shitrit told The Times of Israel.

What the startup hopes for

Ben-Shitrit is going to sell his meat at the price of the real one. He believes that now is the best time to bring the product to market - many large meat companies are investing in meat alternatives for vegans, flexitarists, etc.

According to Euromonitor, global sales of meat substitutes reached $19.5 billion in 2018. In 2019, investment bank UBS predicted that the plant-based meat market would reach $85 billion by 2030. And Barclays named meat substitutes as the fastest growing segment of the food industry and estimated their market by 2030 at $ 140 billion. A large contribution to its popularity is the demand from people concerned about healthy eating, animal cruelty and climate change.

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