Which desktop 3D printer for daily printing of varied models ?

Hello, I need a machine to print 3D objects for many people with different needs. Basically a single person will be operating the printer which would be printing all day and all week.

The requirements are:

• cheap raw material
• 1500€ / $2000 max
• fast
• quiet
• reliable on printing/software/hardware
• responsive manufacturer support
• desktop/portable
• support different type of raw materials
• large build size
• low and high resolution
• raw material in different colours
• Mac compatible

Which one do you recommend ? (not necessarily a reprap)

Well Good Luck with that!!

But seriously some of your requirements are impossible combinations.

$2,000.00 MAX & responsive manufacturer support

fast & quiet:

Well, most machines are relatively quiet but I don't know if you would want it on your desk while you are working.
But then you didn't mention whether you wanted to print in PLA or ABS. ABS greatly benefits from being entirely enclosed and could then be made to be very quiet at the same time.

low & high resolution:

Almost all well tuned Mendel variants can print a layer heights between 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm.
Very well tuned Mendel variants can easily print at a layer height of 0.1 mm and some down to 0.05 mm.
However at these layer heights it is anything BUT fast...

One of the currently popular RepRap designs such as Prusa Mendel, Mendel MAX or Mendel90 can meet most of your requirements and support you can get here or on IRC.

large build size

What does this mean? Most Mendel variants have a bed size X x Y,x Z of 200mm x 200mm x 100mm up to around 200mm x 200mm x 200mm. Is this large enough?

Most RepRap software is multi platform so Mac compatible is not a problem.

---

Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

I've read "Make Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing" so I have an idea of what's available, but it doesn't tell me if it's suited for intensive use.

$2,000.00 MAX & responsive manufacturer support
> I sent an email to 17 manufacturers and those who didn't reply had the most expensive printers (3Dtouch,, lulzbot AO-100, Replicator 2), go figure.

fast & quiet
> a good number of printer do both, but I still might cover mine with soundproof material

low & high resolution
> I was thinking of 0,2 to 0,05mm. Some can go lower than what their specs says, so I don't know.

large build size
> yes about this large. In Make magazine those with the largest were around 9000cm3


It sees that Make didn't review any reprap printer, only descendant of them. Is there a comparative table of repraps ?

corngolem Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> $2,000.00 MAX & responsive manufacturer support
> > I sent an email to 17 manufacturers and those
> who didn't reply had the most expensive printers
> (3Dtouch,, lulzbot AO-100, Replicator 2), go
> figure.

Are you saying LulzBot didn't write you back? That is a big oversight, if I understand correctly. Can you tell me the address it came from and/or the Subject: and I'll look into it.

Thanks,

-Jeff

@corngolem: ping! I searched around our email archives and I can't find anything that matches your name. Can you send me the From: email address or a Subject: I can search for?

Thanks,

-Jeff (from LulzBot)

@corngolem: ping

-Jeff, from LulzBot

@corngolem: hello?

For some reason I was not notified of the new messages, and I don't know what this ping is supposed to do.

jebba, I did get a reply from lulzbot (since first post), just very, very late, same for makerbot.
It's nice to see that you care about the issue but don't flood the thread...

Can you send me (via here or pm as you like) the email address and/or Subject: from your email so I can look it up? What do you consider "very, very late"? We generally answer within 1 business day, but typically if it is during business hours it will be within an hour or two.

Sincerely,

-Jeff

No need, and stop hijacking the thread will you.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2013 06:38PM by corngolem.

Just send me a Subject: and/or email address and I'll look it up. At least answer what you consider "very late"?

very late = 8 days
if you think your behaviour here is professional or giving a better image of your company, you're wrong

corngolem Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> very late = 8 days
> if you think your behaviour here is professional
> or giving a better image of your company, you're
> wrong

Yawn.