BEST 2015 3D PRINTERS

Granted, additive manufacturing is a pretty great fabrication technique. But in many cases, it’s simply a tool among others. And a much as we hate to say it, sometimes 3D printing is not enough.

Many companies, fab labs or passionate makers invest in several machines to have access to both additive and subtractive manufacturing capacities. While operating with separate tools offer many advantages, it is also expensive and requires overall more resources (storage space, learning curve for each tool, etc).

What if there several of these fabrication tools could be combined into one?

All-in-one 3D printers (AIO), multi-tool 3D printers, personal fabricators, hybrid 3D printers, multifunctional fabrication tools… There are many names for this new breed of versatile machines. These supercharged 3D printers combine several key functions in addition to 3D printing such as 3D scanning, CNC milling, or laser cutting and engraving.

With this article, our goal is to give a comprehensive overview of the products available for this fast growing market segment. We did not test ourselves most of these machines and do not pretend to give a full performance assessment. We want to provide an up-to-date list of the 2015 all-in-one 3D printers and multi-tools machines (basically capable of doing more than classic additive manufacturing). You should find here the usual suspects who’ve been there for a few years, but hopefully you’ll discover some less known but still powerful machines.

Now, let’s see this list of the 2015 best all-in-one 3D printers and multi-tools machines.

Desktop 3D printers with a built-in 3D scanner

3D printers with 3D scanning capacities
Those desktop 3D printers come with a 3D scanner integrated in their frame. Pretty neat! The scan quality is not industrial-grade and you won’t be able to get high resolution files. But for replicating a basic object with 3D printing, they should do the trick. Besides quality, the main limitation is the scan volume, determined by the size of the frame enclosure of the 3D printer.

Da Vinci 1.0 AIO by XYZPrinting – $799

This 3D printer made in Taiwan is widely praised for its affordability, ease of use and price-to-print quality ratio. However, the 3D scanner quality is quite mediocre and does not work well on detailed models. This model contributed a lot to making the term AIO popular, although it only offers 3D printing and 3D scanning (vs much more functions for machines listed later in the article).

Zeus by AIO Robotics – $2,499

AIO Robotics, a US manufacturer, chose a name which clearly states their “All-In-One” focus. Users praise the compact design and the decent quality of the 3D scans. The community feedback is overall better than the Da Vinci 1.0 AIO, but the Zeus is also more expensive. Also, spare parts are difficult to find and this 3D printer is not designed to be easily teared apart and upgraded or fixed.



Desktop 3D printers with a built-in 3D scanner and additional tools

3D printers with 3D scanning capacities, and more
Personal Fabricator by FABtotum – $1,050

This stylish hybrid 3D printer comes from Italy and brands itself as a multipurpose tool, allowing users to 3D print, scan, mill and event cut! It’s pretty difficult to get detailed feedback from users, and to give a fair performance assessment for the Personal Fabricator. Two known issues are the frequent jamming of the filament feeder and the extruder clogging. Overall, the value proposition is pretty incredible at this price point. Too good to be true?

Flux – $699 (pre-order)

Many ambitious startups have set out to build the ultimate all-in-one 3D printers. Many died on the way, too. The Flux could be an exception and actually launch one day, at least we hope so. A self-proclaimed “multi functional digital creating device”, the Flux is based on a Delta structure and offers 3D printing, 3D scanning, laser engraving, and even precision drawing with its holder functional head. Successfully funded on Kickstarter ($1.6m!), we expect this one to make waves in the all-in-one market once it’s available. The Flux is even available for pre-order so that means it can’t fail, right? (I see you Pirate3D backers!).

Desktop 3D printers with multiple tools (but no built-in 3D scanner)

3D printers with multiple tools (but no scanning capacities)
PowerWASP EVO CNC Mill – approx. $2,100

This desktop 3D printer from Italian manufacturer WASP boasts a nice drilling function and can also be fitted with a syringe to extrude past-like materials.

MakerArm – $2,899 (pre-order, full set price)

This robotic arm seems straight out some science-fiction movie. With an impressive number of tools and functions, the MakerArm is a serious contender for the ultimate digital fabrication tool. It of course allows 3D printing (FDM and SLA with a DLP projector) and paste-like materials extrusion, but also CNC milling, laser engraving, soldering, precision cutting (wax, foam…), object manipulation, custom tool mount… The downside: shipping is announced for Fall 2016, giving plenty of time to the company to experience some reality checks (or improve even more this insanely cool machine!).

ZMorph 2.0 S – $3,795 (full set price, +$499 for 3D scanner add-on)

Another highly promising multi-function 3D printer from Poland, the ZMorph 2.0 S has multiple exchangeable tool heads to cover almost anything a maker can dream of. From 3D printing and paste extrusion to CNC milling, laser cutting and engraving, this complete hybrid 3D printer is a great all-around machine (it even has a heated build platform and touch probe for automatic calibration). The Zmorph 2.0 S can even be connected to an external 3D scanner! The scanner is not built-in, that’s the only reason why we put the Zmorph 2.0 S in this category. Using laser triangulation and a rotary table, this 3D scanner add-on makes the Zmorph one of the most complete personal fabrication system.

5axismaker – approx. $7,700

Coming from the UK, this insane machine operates on 5 axis (duh!), and offers a milling head, a 3D extruder, a touch probe and a special bracket designed to mount and hold custom tools. Also interesting: the quite big build area, 40 x 40 x 40 cm for the regular version.

Gaja Multitool – $8,650

3D printing (including with advanced materials such as ceramics), milling, cutting, drawing, carving… With 10 differents tool heads and a massive build volume, this Polish multitool 3D printer is one of the most advanced in this category.

This selection should cover most of the desktop all-in-one 3D printers available in 2015. Do you know another digital fabrication tool that would fit here? Please send me an email (braincraaft@gmail.com) and we’ll gladly include it here!

We haven’t included the industrial-grade 3D printers, since they cater to a completely different audience and require most of the time an initial investment north of $250k. We will focus on the all-in-one production 3D printers in a separate article.

Top 3 Tips For Designer

Avoid Angles that Require Supports

What are supports?

Supports are extra material that act as “scaffolding” that hold up certain parts of a design that angle over 45 degrees. These supports prevent filament from drooping in places where it has nothing to build on. After the print is complete, the supports can be broken off and cleaned up to leave you with your final design. In most cases, the supports are automatically generated by the slicing software that converts your STL file into a format the 3D printer can read, called G-code.

Benefits of Reducing Supports

Although supports are sometimes necessary, there are a lot of benefits to designing in a way that avoids them altogether. Here’s a few reasons why you should care about reducing supports:

Saves time and money: Designs that require a lot of supports waste material, since the supports are removed and likely thrown away once the print is complete. Additionally, adding supports means the product will take longer to print (more material = more time), and we’ve seen supports increase print time by up to 100% in extreme cases. When you add in the time required to clean up the supports post-print, the difference in time to completion can be significant.

Lowers probability of printing errors: Supports add more complexity to the design which raises the probability of errors when printing. It’s common for longer, more complex prints with supports to fail much more frequently than short, simple prints. Keep the design simple to raise the chances for a successful print!

Creates smoother surface finish: Using supports typically creates a rougher surface and again, creates more work during post processing to smooth it out. In some cases, the surface may be damaged beyond reasonable repair when using supports. The picture below is an example of a 3D printed part that is printed with supports (left) and without (right).

If you can’t avoid using supports but do have access to a dual extrusion printer, we recommend using a soluble supporting material like HIPS, or PVA which is discussed in more detail in our filament guide.

How to Reduce Supports

YHT Rule

This is a good way to remember what shapes are safe to design without supports and which to avoid. Thanks to one of our top designers who wrote a more detailed article on Supports and the YHT Rule. The basic rule goes as follows:

a) Anything in a “Y” shape is safe to print without support because it’s a gradual slope which still has enough material beneath it to keep it from drooping. This is another way to think of the 45 Degree Rule, which states that in general, overhangs with a slope greater than 45 degrees will require supports. The more gradual the angle, the better. This is why cone shapes are generally safe.

b) Designs that take the form of an “H”, where the middle overhang connects to either side is called bridging. Typically, bridges shorter than 36 mm long print with drooping of 0-0.5 mm, bridges 36 to 60 mm long print with drooping of 0.5-2 mm, and bridges longer than 60 mm long print with significant drooping of 2-5 mm. These rules aren’t set in stone, however, since it depends on your material and print settings.

c) Anything with a “T” shaped overhang will not have any support and will almost certainly create errors in your print. There just isn’t enough to hold the material up in this configuration.

Split the model into multiple parts

Another way to avoid supports is to split up your model into multiple parts so they can each print flat. After you print the parts, you can bond them with an adhesive like cyanoacrylate (super glue) or a solvent. This can be especially useful for complex designs and larger prints.

Orient your model properly

Sometimes, supports can be reduced simply by rotating your design into the appropriate orientation for printing. For example, in the case of the ‘T’ print above, the need for supports can be completely removed by laying it flat on it’s back. You don’t always need to make changes to your model to improve results.

Anchor your print

Anchor parts of your design that would go beyond 45 degrees and attach them to a different part of the model to avoid overhang. For example, in the first picture below you can see the arms are attached to the back. This is a good method to avoid overhang and allows you to print the design as a whole whereas the model below have their arms straight out which will create some problems when printing.

2) Make Sure your Model is Manifold

Sometimes when you are designing, your model may have some tiny holes in it which, in theory if you filled your model with water would leak. When designing a model, things that appear to be connected are actually not connected or might overlap each other which is a problem when you 3D print them. There are a number of free software on the market that allow you to check and repair your file for errors and holes. Tools like Meshlab, Meshmixer, and Netfabb Basic are all free online software that will either check or repair your files for 3D printing if there are any errors or holes in it.

3) Print it yourself!

Of course, the best way to check if something is 3D printable is to print it yourself. If you aren’t ready to invest in a 3D printer, there are services available that will 3D print your design for you. Companies like Shapeways, i.materialise and Sculpteo will all 3D print a design of your choice. These services have a plethora of different printing materials available from PLA to gold and porcelain. To compare how much it will cost to print your design, All3DP has a printing services comparison engine that will give you price estimates from each company so you can get the best deal.

If your design turns out the way you want, be sure to take a photo of it and use this photo in your design listing. Pinshape conducted a study on the main factors in successfully selling 3D designs and found that designers were 3.1 times more likely to sell their design if they had 3 unique photos of their design from different angles. Why? Makers want to see what your designs looks like once it’s printed, rather than just looking at the CAD file image. We found that those designers who printed their design and posted high quality photos were 7.3 times more likely to have their design sold!

Want to learn more tips? Check out Pinshape’s 3D Printing Design Guide! You won’t want to miss their trick on designing for the right level of detail.

Choosing The Right 3D Printer

With the concept of 3D printing only recently developing, it can be difficult to understand what particular type of three dimensional printer caters specifically to your needs. Maybe you’re not particularly tech savvy and require an extremely user friendly printer that allows for quick and easy prints. Or perhaps you need a heavy duty three dimensional printer that provides consistent, top quality prints without rapid wear and tear. Either way, choosing the ideal printer can be a confusing and challenging task through which you desperately must have satisfying results that provide ideal value for you money. To make this tedious task simpler for you, a list of some of the top 3D printers has been compiled simply for your convenience.

• Ultimaker 2: The Ultimaker 2 is an ingeniously designed, relatively attractive 3Dprinter targeted mainly towards early adopters, schools or simply product designers. It features a considerably large build area, and has been proven to constantly provide reasonable quality prints. Of one of its major attractions include it’s surprisingly easy and simple set up which will definitely prove to be convenient for many users! This three dimensional printer has been tested by a certain company to produce prints without the slightest of hiccups. The Ultimaker 2 has excelled in ease of use, and has been listed within one of the top three printers by a popular company.
• Solidoodle 4: This 3d printer boasts a larger build area with an enclosed build space, as well as a more effective mechanism to feed filament. This also makes easier the task of setting the extruder height. This machine has been classified as somewhat expensive but it has also been concluded to provide a good value for the money provided and is mainly targeted towards an eclectic user base that includes makers, professionals, schools which is a result of its relatively easy setup and operation, and more technologically capable consumers.
• Afinia h479: the H479 is targeted towards educators as these printers have been installed within grade schools, middle schools, high schools as well as universities, engineers to develop prototypes, and creatives which have the option of deigning jewelry, robots, drones as well as characters. It involves a relatively simple set upalong with a rather complicated use however is recommended to be considered by more tech savvy users. It has been classified as expensive by a specific company, with regards to its role and service it is able to provide in comparison to other models. Some of its features have been explained as ineffective by testers, however it is assumed that the company is looking to fix certain issues like such.

Where these may be simply three of the better three dimensional printers that can be used to print off tangible items and should be considered when purchasing, there are many more within themarket. It is ideal to communicate with suppliers and different companies in order to experiment with a wide variety of printers in order to successfully determine which of these particular printers is best suited for your needs, and through which printer you will achieve the most value for your money!

3D Printing Tips & Tricks

Employing the use of a 3D printer can be a difficult and sometimes daunting experience for first time users. The new procedures required for successfully applying such cutting edge technology, to ultimately creating a functioning object can be sometimes complicated and a challenge. For home users 3D printing may result in rather immature creations that may possibly not fulfil their desired role. In order to simplify this unnerving and tricky procedure a list of the top tips that can possibly make easier your overall 3D printing experience has been compiled. These tips are believed to have been sourced from experts who have provided certain guides to assist the immature 3D printer!

• Understand the procedure: this involves you being able to understand the mechanisms that allow for the creation of a 3D object by the means of a simple printer. The intricate technology behind the simplified steps, is sometimes required to be understood so that the overall process can seem somewhat simplified and do able. Maybe attempt to seek knowledge from a manufacturer or try experimenting with a simple kit, either way it is, in some cases required that you understand the workings of the machine in order to be able to operate it!

• Correct calibration: It is possible that your 3D printer is not calibrated correctly, in which case you may need to observe each ofthe pulleys and other pieces to check as to whether the machine is correctly tuned. It is advised that you contact the supplier or manufacturer if issues beyond your understanding persist. Cleaning the machine is known to help in some particular cases.

• Never focus one issue excessively: These machines are complicated and incredibly intricate, and a printing issue could arise from a number of reasons, which are sometimes beyond our understanding. For example a slipping filament may not simply be due to an incorrect bolt or driving system, but can also be the result of an obstructed nozzle, a wrong feed value or a variation in temperature. It is advised to keep in mind thatabusing any parameter, through altering the temperature rates for example will not always provide you with satisfying results. Begin your printing with decreased temperatures and little speed after which you may simply alter the settings to allow for you to learn the effects of the mixture of different settings: each and every filament has its own optimum value set, which you may need well aware of. Knowing how to diagnose the printer is a huge win for a full experience, however it is understandable to be completely baffled at its sight. This is why it advised that you contact qualified professionals or simply the suppliers or manufacturers from which you purchased your 3D printing.

As you can see, 3D printing requires patience in its initial stages and sometimes requires a somewhat thorough understanding of its inner workings and mechanisms for you to be able to successfully operate the printer with absolutely no hurdles. It is important to remember that when in doubt, ask for help from professionals or the company from you have purchased your printer before self-diagnosing your high tech machine.

Top 10 3D Printing Small Business Ideas

Before now, 2D printers were what we knew as far as printing is concerned. Our laser jet and inkjet printers simply give us an on-paper representation of whatever is displayed on our PC screens.

However, with the emergence of 3D printers, we can now produce 3D models of objects displayed on the PC screen. Unlike what obtains with traditional 2D printers, the outputs of 3D printers are far beyond on-paper pictures. They are real-life objects that you can see and touch. Now, you can imagine h

ow fascinating that could be.

3D printing is still very new, but it promises to become one of the biggest industries ever–due to its relevance to a wide range of sectors. Now, here’s the good news: You can make a lot of money from by starting a 3D printing-related business. Even if you don’t have a 3D printer and even if you don’t understand how to use one; you can still profit from this upcoming industry. Without wasting your time, below are ten 3D printing business ideas you should consider giving a shot.

Top 10 Unique 3D Printing Small Business Ideas for Smart People

1. Corporate 3D printing services

If you have a 3D printer or can afford to buy one, you can start a business that offers 3D printing services to businesses. Your target customers are manufacturing businesses that need to create 3D prototypes of a new product before starting its production. Although some businesses will have their own 3D printers for this purpose, many others will prefer to use third-party services.

2. 3D printer sales

3D printers are fast becoming very popular. And they will continue to be relevant for as long as they remain the most advanced printing devices technology has ever produced. You can take your share of the “pie” by starting a business that sells 3D printers. However, you must ensure that you have a well-defined target market before taking a plunge.

3. 3D printer accessories and supplies

No doubt, starting a business that sells 3D printers might require huge startup capital; and that because each unit comes at an expensive price, thousands of dollars. However, there’s a less expensive way to make money from the 3D printing industry: selling 3D printer accessories and supplies. If you live in a place where 3D printing has become popular, then this is for you.

4. Tutorials

3D printing is a new concept to most people. (In fact, in some parts of the world, it’s literally unheard of). If you deeply understand 3D printers and how they work, you can turn your knowledge into huge profits by teaching others who want to learn how to use these fascinating devices. Both individuals and corporate clients will readily pay to learn from you.

5. Jewelry production

If you already have a 3D printer and understand how to use it, then you can start your own small business that manufactures fancy jewelry. Once you can come up with hundreds of creative designs, your printer will readily churn them out in 3D; and you can sell to customers either offline or via the internet.

6. Body replacement parts

One of the industries that will benefit the most from 3D printing is the health care industry. Patients can now have body replacement parts—such as prosthetic limbs and artificial teeth—custom made for them within hours. If you are looking at rendering 3D printing services, you can specialize in that aspect.

7. Children’s toys

If you are looking to start a 3D printing business, another area you can specialize in ismanufacturing children’s toys and selling them. There’s a huge global market for children’s toys and they are always in-demand. So, there’s no limit to the profit you can make.

8. Create an information product

Since many people want to learn 3D printing and are ready to pay to achieve just that, you can make fortune by packaging all the information they need into an electronic product; such as a video or an ebook—and put it up for sale. Only few people have knowledge of 3D printing enough to fill up an ebook or long video. So, the competition is minimal.

9. Blogging

Another way you can monetize your 3D printing business is to start a blog for sharing all you know about the technology and application of 3D printing. With time, you will build a large audience of readers who are eager to learn more about 3D printing. Once you have built a high traffic blog, you can start making money from it by selling advert slots to 3D printing services and companies selling 3D printers, offering e-courses on 3D printing, selling your own ebook on the topic, and so on.

10. Affiliate marketing

Even if you are on a flat budget, you can make a fortune from the 3D printing industry by referring finding customers online and referring them to companies that sell 3D printers. Because these printers are expensive, you will get a fat commission each time a customer buys a 3D printer through your affiliate link.

One stop Solution to 3D printing.

The latest ranking by All3DP picks the best all-in-one 3D printer enabling 3D printing, CNC milling and laser cutting. It’s ZMorph 2.0 S! 

The article states that all-in-one desktop machines are still a rarity on the market dominated by simpler single-use desktop 3D printers and multifunctional industrial machines. According to the author, ZMorph 2.0 S hybrid 3D printer is the most successful low-cost machine so far and the best one currently available on the market.

Single and dual head plastic extruder, thick paste extruder, CNC milling and laser toolheads are mentioned as being the core and strongest features of ZMorph. The machine can 3D print with one or two materials at the time, CNC cut and mill in wood, plywood, plexiglass, PVC, PCB boards, carbon fiber, machining wax as well as cut and engrave similar materials with laser. It can even 3D print with chocolate, liquid ceramics and other thick pastes.