Printrbot simple 3d printer


Printrbot Simple Metal Review 2022

3.7

See Price

So you’re in the market for a 3D printer. The problem is, you’ve found that these printers are quite complicated, very expensive machines, and you’re not sure you can commit to such a high initial cost. No problem – we’ve found a powerful, affordable model to get you started.

Today, we’re talking about the Printrbot Simple, sometimes called the Simple Metal. Despite being superseded by the Simple Pro, this remains an excellent way to get started. We’ll be looking for its strengths and weaknesses so you can decide if it’s the right printer for your needs.

Filament Diameter1.75mm
Extruders1
Supported MaterialsABS, PLA
ConnectivityUSB, SD card
Printing Speed80 mm/s
Build Volume5. 9 x 5.9 x 5.9”

Table of ContentsShow

    Design

    As you might expect, the Printrbot Simple is about as basic as they come. It’s a classic “moving arm” extruder, positioned above an open print bed. The build area is pretty respectable, given that the entire unit measures just 16” tall and 14” wide. Printrbot describes it as a minimalistic printer, and we completely agree.

    Now, while this printer’s simplicity makes it very easy to assemble, some more advanced functionality has been left out. For instance, there’s no WiFi connectivity. This isn’t actually all that unusual, considering the printer retails for around $600. It’s firmly in the entry-level price range, so it’s important to temper your expectations.

    While previous iterations were made of laser-cut wood, this model is powder-coated steel, which really adds to its durability. Unless you’re throwing it around, it’s unlikely you’ll manage to seriously damage the Simple. Don’t consider that a challenge, though: there are smaller, more delicate parts.

    Printing

    Now, because this is a budget printer, you’re likely expecting low-quality prints. However, the Simple actually creates pretty detailed models. The Z-axis does wobble a tiny amount, creating small imperfections in the finished products, but these are so small as to be invisible and all but irrelevant.

    You should note that you won’t be created masterpieces with this printer, though. It is, after all, intended for novices. For occasional or hobbyist use, however, it’s ideal. Printing is exceedingly simple: just connect your storage device and select which model you’d like to use.

    You have the choice to print with either ABS or PLA. The Simple also supports what it calls “exotic” filaments – that is, variants of these two materials. These exotic types include soft-touch or fiber-based filaments, so you actually have a pretty good range to choose from. You’re not limited to proprietary filament, either, which is awesome.

    Features

    The Simple doesn’t really have many advanced features. That said, it does have a way to automatically level the print bed, something which is usually only found on far more expensive models. This takes the tedium out of preparing to print, which can only be a good thing.

    It doesn’t actually come with any printing software, however, Printrbot recommends using Cura. As this is available for free online, it’s not a major issue. This software is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux, so there aren’t any limits on the computers you can print from.

    Now, the only issue is that the print bed isn’t heated. As such, you might have a little trouble printing with anything other than PLA, since your material will tend to stick. However, this can be bypassed by carefully regulating the temperature of your print area or using something like BuildTak to make it easier to remove.

    Cost

    This model performs admirably given its low price. That said, because the upgraded version costs about the same and includes an LCD screen, there’s really no reason to opt for the original. There’s even a heated bed variant of the Pro version, although it costs around $100 extra.

    Still, if you can find a used Simple Metal, it’d be an excellent way to get into 3D printing. Sure, you’re not going to be creating stunning, finely detailed models with lots of overhangs and internal structures, but it’s good enough to get your feet wet with.

    Support

    As this model has been discontinued by the manufacturer, there really isn’t a lot of support available. Don’t get us wrong: the site has basic “Getting started” and troubleshooting guides for older models, but as the warranty only lasts for 60 days (and only applies to products they’ve sold), you’re on your own for the most part.

    As Printrbot don’t offer phone support, you’re limited to either asking for help on the forums or sending them an email explaining your problem. This is a little underwhelming: even though the products don’t cost all that much, you’d still expect some assistance from the manufacturer if you run into trouble.

    There’s also the issue that the support forum doesn’t seem particularly active. When we checked, there were lots of posts that were days or even weeks old, with just one or two responses. If you’re relying on your community to help out, there has to be some kind of community building scheme in place.

    Summary

    A minimalistic, easy to use printer, the Simple Metal does a lot of things right. It strips away much of the complexity that 3D printing fans have come to accept, and even includes features not often found in budget models.

    However, while this product is a great way to get started with 3D printing, it’s no longer available directly from the creators. This means that you’re limited to buying it from third parties. If you can find an amazing deal on this model, by all means, go for it. If you just want a low-cost printer, you might want to consider the Simple Pro instead.

    Printrbot Simple Metal Black with Heated Bed Assembled

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    3. Printrbot Simple Metal Black with Heated Bed Assembled

    Start your 3D printing journey today with the new and improved Printrbot Simple Metal - now with a heated bed! The heated bed allows you to print with a variety of materials including ABS. This beast of a printer also features automatic bed leveling and an efficient GT2 belt pulley system which will meet your 3D printing needs. This machine is one of the best values you can find for a high quality yet affordable 3D printer.

    Remember, everything ships free from MatterHackers including this great printer!

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    Product No. M-XNQ-2FEH

    List Price: $799.00

    The Model 1403 Printrbot Simple Metal comes standard with a heated bed insulator, an Alu Handle, and a upgraded metal spool rack.

    This printer is perfect for anyone wanting to delve into the exciting world of 3D printing . Join the printrbot community today and begin printing anything you can imagine. Printrbot's Simple Kit has been upgraded in a major way - from weak wood to rock solid and sleek metal, this printer is great for beginners who want to learn the process of 3D printing.

    The Assembled Black Simple Metal printer is armed with Automatic Calibration, which means that a lot of the work is done for you. This also ensures accurate leveling, and consistent prints, so you'll be an expert right off the bat!

    Printrbot's Assembled Black Simple Metal printer has your back with the GT2 Belt and Pulley system - it is designed for linear motion. It uses a rounded tooth profile that fits smoothly and accurately in the pulley groove, so when you reverse the pulley direction, there is no room for the belt to move in the groove. This makes the continuous motion of the printer work more efficiently and comfortably while producing your spot-on prints.

    Check out the Yoda prints below which were made using the Printrbot simple metal.

    Why Buy a Printrbot

    Simply put, the Printrbot family are masters when it comes to producing high quality, ready-to-use, affordable 3D printers. Since 2011, Printrbot has taken pride in providing 3D printers to makers, DIYers, and educators throughout the world.  Through its expertise in rapid product development, the company has continued to iterate its products to dispense increasing value and functionality to its customers.

    Why Buy from MattherHackers

    When you buy a 3D printer from MatterHackers you get customized attentive help and support. Additionally, our prices are always the lowest in the industry when you factor in our free shipping for every item on the MatterHackers site (including 3D printers). Most of all, our staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They have been 3D printing for several years now and are happy to answer your 3D printing questions. Have a question about your new Printrbot Simple Metal? No problem. Feel free to give us a call. Additionally, all Printrbot 3D printers can be used with the industry leading 3D printing software, MatterControl which comes with the fastest, most accurate slicing engine, MatterSlice.

    In short, buying a 3D printer from MatterHackers is a holistic experience. We are here to cater to you and walk you through every step of your 3D printing journey. After purchasing your Printrbot, we are here to give you the resources you need to succeed with your 3D printer and to start printing with MatterControl. Additionally, we have all of the PLA , ABS , and Specialty Filament that you could ever need to design anything you can imagine.

    Model: 1403

    Build Volume: 6″ x 6″ x 6″ / 150mm x 150mm x 150mm / 216 cubic inches

    Print Resolution: 50 Microns

    Print Speed: 80mm/sec max recommended

    Filament: 1.75mm PLA (sample included) and ABS

    Extruder: Alu Extruder (direct drive) with 1.75mm Ubis Hot End with 0.4mm nozzle

    Auto Leveling: Auto-Leveling Probe works with software to calibrate Z axis height

    Print Bed: Heated.  Max temperature – 80C

    Construction: Powder coated steel and aluminum body with 8mm and 12mm diameter linear shaft

    Belt: GT2

    Pulleys: 20 tooth, dual flange GT2 aluminum

    Electronics: Printrbot Rev F Printrboard with micro-USB connection (cable included) and micro SD card slot for untethered printing

    Software: MatterControl or MatterControl Touch .

    Power Requirements: 12V (29 amp) ATX power supply (included)

    Motors: NEMA 17 stepper

    Overall Footprint*: 18″ x 17″ x 13″ (L x W x H)

    • GT2 belt pulley system
    • Automatic bed leveling
    • 1.75 PLA filament sample
    • 12V (6 amp) laptop power supply
    • Mini USB cord

    Check out this time-lapse of the Printrbot Assembled Black Simple Metal printer!

    Check out this trial run from a Printrbot Assembled Black Simple Metal user!

    New budget 3D printer / Habr

    There are more and more new 3D printers in the RepRap family. Printrbot was developed with the goal of making a printer as cheap as possible, as simple as possible to assemble, and therefore accessible to the general public. The motto of the project is " Printrbot is your first 3D printer". Looking ahead, the target price for the base model is $549.

    The project generated a lot of interest on kickstarter and 50% of the required $25,000 was raised in less than a day and a half. By the end of the month, 830,000 rubles were collected for the project. $ (3,323%)

    The following are translations of selected locations from the project's website and published videos from printer creator Brook Drumm, which shed light on the details of the project and current status.

    - “I designed the Printrbot to be the simplest printer ever. There are many great DIY kits out there - Makerbot, Ultimaker, Prusa Mendel and others - but none of them is as simple and tiny as Printrbot . Not only do they take many hours to assemble, they contain hundreds of parts and cost more. My design also gets rid of many of the calibrations that other 3D printers suffer from. Even a child can collect it. We assemble the electronics, the print head, we install connectors on all components - no soldering is required during assembly. ”

    - “I assemble this printer in 45 minutes. Following the video instructions, you will assemble the printer in an hour. And after a couple of hours, after you connect the electronics, download the software available for free on the Internet, you can print your first 3D part.”

    — “In January 2011 I built my first 3D printer Makerbot Cupcake . On February 3rd I printed my first object. By August 13th I had designed, printed and built the first prototype of the Printrbot . After several months of testing and improvements, on November 17th I launched the project on kickstarter. During this very long month, there was a lot of interest in the project.”

    — “This is not a side job in your free time, but the start of a new business. I have a small trusted team that takes care of individual components.

    Local supplier of print head assembly available.

    There is an engineer who communicates and makes decisions in the production of electronics. It will be all assembled by the manufacturer - not a kit for assembly, but completely assembled. Mostly surface mount components are used, so it can be assembled by robots. So the bigger the order, the better.

    Motors: I spoke to a local supplier and he has already offered to place a large order for production. I will not engage in direct negotiations with manufacturers in China - this is not my specialty. I'll leave that to the professionals. I was assured that there would be no problem with any quantity. To be on the safe side, if necessary, I will break the order into parts so as not to keep all the eggs in one basket.

    Parts will be printed on the bot farm we are creating. This is going to be the biggest typing bot farm I've heard of. And certainly the densest - my little Printrbot s take up so little space.

    - "... The print head is one of the components that will be manufactured in-house. We have partnered with a gentleman who has many years of experience in managing HP's failure analysis lab. He knows how to do things, how to test them under serious stress, how to find weak points and fix defects We love our printheads and they will be shipped as a set, saving you from dealing with the most problematic part of the set."

    9 days after launch on kickstarter:
    “Now we plan to make 500 sets, but we will increase or decrease this number as necessary. The more printers we sell, the better the price will be in the future. By now, we must be close to $500 per set. Thanks to all the participants."

    13 days - 1000% collected:
    “Tomorrow we will be looking for production facilities, as we have outgrown the capacity of my garage when the number of required kits exceeded 200 pieces.”

    1000+ contributors make the printer better:
    “At the start of the project, my goal was 50 kits assembled in my garage. But after a couple of days we surpassed our dreams... Printrbot is even better than originally planned... In the initial design, I reduced the number of bearings to save a little. But thanks to the large volume of the order, I negotiated a great price and now we have 12 linear bearings - 4 for each axle. In addition to the 12 8mm linear bearings, we have supplied hardened, machined rods in all axes. Paired with excellent bearings, movement in all axes is smooth as silk.

    Our engine supplier has dozens of models to choose from. For the X/Y axes, we chose the most powerful Nema 17 motors with a force of 4.2kgcm. Mendel specification has 1.4 kgcm motors. Why do we need so many? Because we want to give you the best we can. Who knows, you might want to upgrade to a bigger platform and need that power. I repeat, the order turned out to be large and this gives us the opportunity to choose the best.»

    - "We have announced a new option - set Printrbot+ for $649. This is an improved version laser cut from plywood. The size of the working area has been increased to 20x20x20cm. It is stiffer and more accurate than its smaller brother. I hope it helps those who wanted a bigger printer."

    — “We have reached a final decision on prices for international customers.
    $89 printed parts only without iron ($75 + $14 shipping)
    $231 parts kit without motors, electronics and print head ($199 + $32 shipping)
    $469 reprapper kit - everything except printed parts ($424 + $45 shipping)
    $544 complete set ($499 + $45 shipping)
    $694 complete printrbot+(plus) set ($649 + $45 shipping)
    $900 assembled printrbot ($750 + $150 shipping)
    $1149 assembled printrbot in a painted plywood box ($999 + $150 shipping)"

    - "New option!!! I know, I know what you want to say, but there's nothing we can do. The laser cut birch plywood version is just superb. She's so tough and just looks so much better. AND FOR THE SAME MONEY!”
    Differences.
    basic Printrbot :
    - can be easily enlarged - just change the iron rods and increase the size of the printing platform
    Printrbot LC (laser cut):
    - looks better
    - make
    faster - the design is more rigid, which improves the accuracy of printing
    Otherwise, both models are exactly the same.

    - " Printrbot will be sold on printrbot.com for 549$ Estimated with shipping starting May… We are working on pricing for all models, upgrades and special pricing for schools. We will also offer discounts for bulk orders - 10, 50, etc. kits"

    - from questions and answers:
    "When will the source files be available to the RepRap community?"
    “The GPL requires the source files to be released with the product, not before. So they will be available when the first printers start shipping.”

    For the most patient set of links on the topic:

    Project home page (later there will be a store) - printrbot. com
    Kickstarter project (already closed) - printrbot-your-first-3d-printer
    RepRap wiki page - reprap.org/wiki/Printrbot
    Video clips on YouTube - youtube.com/user/printrbot
    Vimeo videos - vimeo.com/printrbot
    Video and photo on flickr - flickr

    PS. Watch the video on the kickstarter website. Unfortunately, it is not possible to insert it here.

    one of the most affordable 3D printers / Shopotam Club

    Gadgets

    Conversations around 3D printing do not subside, but, on the contrary, are gaining new momentum. The possibilities and applications of 3D printers are simply enormous, but such technologies are still relatively new for mankind. And so they have their own disadvantages. Including these are relatively large dimensions and weight of devices capable of printing bulky items. This causes particular inconvenience to fans of foreign shopping: after all, the delivery of heavy items costs a lot of money. But today we will introduce you to a new 3D printer in which the weight problem has been successfully solved.

    Contents:

    1. Affordable 3D Printer Printrbot Simple and its advantages
    2. Characteristics of Printrbot Simple
    3. Where to buy and how much?

    Affordable Printrbot Simple 3D printer and its advantages

    Moreover, the new Printrbot Simple solves not only the problem of weight, but also the price itself: this desktop 3D printer is rightfully considered one of the most affordable on the market. Simple is the most simple and minimalistic model from the notorious Printrbot, which is aimed at beginners in 3D printing. Printrbot Simple uses only non-toxic and biodegradable PLA plastic with a low melting point, so this material is the safest, especially for children.

    Printrbot Simple can produce toys, souvenirs, and other products at home without fear for their safety. However, what exact specifications can this 3D printer offer?

    Characteristics Printrbot Simple

    Prtintrbot Simple is ready to offer its users printing with an accuracy of 0. 1 mm per layer at minimum dimensions, weight and price. The frame of the printer is made using wood, which guarantees a low weight of the product, and, consequently, additional savings when ordering a device from the USA. Like most home 3D printers, it uses FFF fusing technology (almost identical to the Stratasys FDM technology used in desktop printers that cost three times as much as this model).

    Other specifications are as follows:

    • Nozzle diameter: 0.4 mm
    • Maximum print size: 100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm
    • Print media: PLA plastic
    • Dimensions: 18 cm x 21 cm x 23 cm
    • Weight: 2.3 kg

    Where to buy and how much?

    The Printrbot Simple 3D printer is currently only available in the US, where it is available at a very reasonable price. So, on Amazon.com, a desktop printer in the assembled and calibrated form of the 2014 sample was found for only $447. If you are able to assemble a 3D printing tool yourself, you can save $100 on this: you can buy the Printrbot Simple unassembled for only 349$.


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