Wich fdm-printer has the best results (2013) ?

Hi all,
this is interesting for me, so i hope to get a lot of answers.
speed, area, elektronics and so on is not the point here. This question only belongs to the final print quality with iteration !

1) prusa
2) prusa 2
3) prusa i3
4) mendelmax
5) mendelmax 2
6) mendel90
7) Rostock
8) aluminatus
9) replicator x2
10) up!
11) Soolidoodle 2
12) Soolidoodle 3
13) Lulzbot A-100
14) Lulzbot A-101
15) Fab@Home
16) Ultimaker
17) Tantillus


Thanks alot & best regards

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2013 06:15PM by Repper.

Depending on hotend setup, calibration, and many many other factors, any one of those machines could produce better results than any other. But I'm interested in seeing people's input on this, rigidity is a factor so im sure some frames are better than others. I think another relevant question here is Which custom setup would yield the best results?

The people that owns these are likely to say theirs, the ones that sell you them will definitely tell you theirs.

truth be told side by side you could not tell the difference between the product of any of these machines if using equiv plastic/layer height combination as long as they are ran within their Cartesian bots frame/extruder tolerances.

The majority of all the Post Prusa Mendel function equally, most the difference any more between these machines come down to calibration, acceptance of the limits of the hardware, and quality of firmware/gcode generator.

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repraplogphase.blogspot.com

>...truth be told side by side you could not tell the difference between the product of any of these machines if using equiv >plastic/layer height combination as long as they are ran within their Cartesian bots frame/extruder tolerances.


I would have to disagree. For example a Delta will produce something obviously different from a Cartesian.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2013 05:05PM by xclusive585.

You are missing Tantillus form the list. And I would have to say Ultimaker and Tantillus will give the best results at the speeds people want to print at. They have zero resonance which all the bots with extruders mounted to their carriage suffer from and in my view ruin the prints (if quality and finish are one of your concerns).

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FFF Settings Calculator	Gcode post processors	Geometric Object Deposition Tool Blog
Tantillus.org	Mini Printable Lathe	How NOT to install a Pololu driver

Discounting our printers because we are biased...

I have seen all of these printers in person except for the Mendel 90 and new Lulzbot printer (although I have seen the older one).

Out of the printers on the list the Ultimaker has surprisingly good consistent prints with Lulzbot coming in a close second only because its more expensive. With that being said most any of the printers listed can have A+ quality prints its just a matter of how much tweaking and more importantly at what speed they print at, at a given quality.

Chelsea - QU-BD

Chelsea - QU-BD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------->With that being said most any of the
> printers listed can have A+ quality prints its
> just a matter of how much tweaking and more
> importantly at what speed they print at, at a
> given quality.
>
> Chelsea - QU-BD

+1, any well setup machine will do very nice prints if your happy with cripplingly slow speeds.

Sure I can print at 150mm/s if I want to whack something out, and the layers are all perfectly aligned, but the wobble due to resonance at corners is pretty bad! (I have yet to install 12mm rods, but I have them ready to try!) On the other hand at 10mm/s the part is perfect but takes forever

Incorect, You can not tell the difference, this is coming from someone that has used both.

A mechanically true machine is a mechanically true machine. You can't look at an object that was cut with a CNC Router and tell the brand of the machine, or even it's gcode generator if it's ran properly.

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repraplogphase.blogspot.com

I think to ask this question properly, you have to first establish the criteria. For each criteria, a special object must be designed that pushes the envelope.

Just for example...

1. Speed Test. This object needs to be big, and take up most of the build volume, to insure we can see how the head behaves throughout the range of motion. It should be hollow as much as possible, and consist of an even mix of straight, on-axis, and off axis lines, and small and large curvy walls. The winning printer is the one that prints the object both fast, and with minimal ripples.

2. Miniature Feature test. These are small feature on vertical and horizontal surfaces (top and bottom).

3. Wobble test, or maybe Vertical Surface Variation test. This one would require special equipment. I have one of these that can do the job.

I just did some testing to see Tantillus's resolution at 8, 16, 32 and 64 micron details in the side of the block. You can read more [forums.reprap.org] as well as videos of it being printed at a true 45mm/s.

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FFF Settings Calculator	Gcode post processors	Geometric Object Deposition Tool Blog
Tantillus.org	Mini Printable Lathe	How NOT to install a Pololu driver

When i startet this thread i underlined that the topic here specially is the quality of those prints, as an optimal iteration!
Of course this includes an optimal speed, noozle.... for each printer by itself.
I thought that maybe a few of you saw in some fairs printers so we could collect those experience.
As i see the Ultimaker has a nice resolution as tantilla to.

Thanks a lot.