What 3D printer should I use?

We have 3 printers in the shop that produce parts in 3 different materials:

  1. Prusa mk3 that prints PLA

  2. Ultimaker 2 that prints ABS

  3. Form 2 that prints standard resins (typically clear)

If you’re not sure what 3D printer you need, ask yourself the following:

  1. Will the part experience temperatures above ‘room temperature’ (20C)?

    1. PLA softens at 50C

    2. ABS softens at around 100C

    3. Form resin is somewhere in between

  2. Will the part experience physical stresses? (Is it a structural bracket?)

    1. PLA is stronger and stiffer than ABS

    2. Both PLA and ABS tend to fail gracefully

    3. Form resin is acrylic-like and is more likely to crack and shatter

  3. How much am I willing to fight fiddle with the printer

    1. PLA is the easiest to print and the Prusa has many features that make it the easiest printer

    2. ABS has a tendency to warp during printing which often creates design constraints and increases the likelihood of errors

    3. Every Form 2 print requires significant post processing and the SLA process has different design constraints

  4. What resolution do I need? (How small is your smallest feature? How much deviation from an ideal part can you accept?)

    1. Prusa mk3: 50 micron layers, 400 micron minimum feature size

    2. Ultimaker 2: 60 micron layers, 400 micron minimum feature size

    3. Form 2: 25 micron layers, 200 micron minimum feature size

Keep in mind that 3D printing may not be the right process for your design. If your design has large flat areas, laser or water jet cutting will be faster, more accurate, and likely stronger. If you have to make many parts, consider outsourcing them to shapeways, 3dhubs or some other 3D printing service.

Feel free to contact us to discuss your project.