Which XYZ configuration is the most accurate / easiest to maintain? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?41,609537,609537#msg-609537 Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:29:15 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?41,609537,609670#msg-609670 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?41,609537,609670#msg-609670

• accuracy
• reliability
• low cost
• readily obtainable materials
• high printing speed
• large build volume
• easy to build, calibrate and maintain
• robust/transportable without loosing calibration
• compact (relative to print volume)
• easy to enclose (for a heated chamber for ABS or to exclude dust)
• capacity to add multiple extruders, either direct drive or bowden
• capacity to add light weight machining head
• light weight - if you plan to move it around. Heavier if you want to limit the effects of vibration.
• ......

You can't maximise all of the above in one machine. Dual direct drive extruders will be heavy and can't be moved fast. A fast delta machine is not particularly compatible with a direct drive extruder so is less suitable for elastomeric (flexible) filaments (and deltas are excessively tall compared to print height).

I haven't built one yet but my favorite mechanism at the moment for my next large capacity XYZ machine is CoreXY. The bed only goes up and down (slowly) and the X-Y mechanism is fast. With XYZ machines like Prusa i3 having the bed moving fast means that the overall machine speed is limited. Also if you do a large print on your moving bed - the moving mass increases and can reach a limit where you skip steps - absolutely the last thing you want to see near the end of a 3 day print! With CoreXY the frame can easily be enclosed and the build volume is large compared to the overall volume. I would bowden feed a diamond hot end if I needed multi-extruder capability. I'd do a quick release hot end so I could replace it with a direct drive single hot end to be able to do flexible filament or a dremel tool to be able to do light machining or PCB drilling.]]> n.glasson New Zealand RepRap User Group Thu, 14 Jan 2016 15:14:48 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?41,609537,609537#msg-609537 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?41,609537,609537#msg-609537 benrubles New Zealand RepRap User Group Thu, 14 Jan 2016 10:18:17 -0500