Best 3D Printers 2018 – Buyers Guide

The category ‘large format desktop 3D printers’ has increased in popularity in recent years.

One of the biggest printers in this category is Raise3D’s Pro2 Plus. It has a build volume of 12 × 12 × 23.8 inches (305 × 305 × 605 mm), making this one of the tallest commercially available desktop 3D printers on the market.

The Pro2 Plus has two extruders which enables you to print with two materials or colors in one print job. The closed print chamber, heated bed and high temperature extruders give you the ability to print with a wide range of materials. It has a resume feature so even in case of a power outage you can continue printing when the power is back on.

Since 3D printing is becoming more accessible to everyone, there has been a clamouring for safe educational printers. Classrooms are already gearing up to use 3D printers as new teaching tools. The market has responded in kind by introducing a new class of 3D printers ideal for in the classroom.

The must-haves for educational printers can vary. However, a good general rule is anything that simplifies the system and makes printing safer. Think of assisted (or fully automatic) bed leveling and a closed print chamber. This category primarily judges the printers on ease-of-use, diversity of functions and versatility.

In comes Dremel’s Digilab 3D45. It has a closed print chamber and a automatic filament loading system, making it the perfect for the classroom.

Dual head printers with an independent dual extruder system really took off last year. The entire concept has promoted small batch production printing and overall production speed for FFF / FDM machines. They also enable complex, multi-color prints and add options like sync and mirror modes to the arsenal of features that are already quite impressive. Independent dual extruders (IDEX) have also set the scene for more trust-worthy and consistent quality.

BCN3D’s Sigmax brings even more to the table than just IDEX. It has a large (read wide) print area, it’s easy to swap extruder blocks and is completely open source.

3D printers, like so many technologies today, are in a state of constant improvement. Open source hardware & software for 3D printers are a large part of moving us towards better technologies. Open source technologies have clear advantages: they are easy to upgrade, there are more resources to learn from and there are dedicated communities looking to help everyone on how make their prints better.

Open source runs through the veins of MakerGear. They are known for the high quality parts they use for their machines and the MakerGear M2 is no different.

Searching for a 3D printer that is able to print with really high detail (e.g. for miniatures or jewellery)?, a resin based 3D printer is what you need. As research and development goes along, companies are finding faster ways to develop prints with light as a source.

DLP and SLA are already being used to make jewellery and dental endproduct appliances along with many other objects. While print fragility and speed are still issues, many industries have taken a shine to light curable raises and UV based methods of printing.

The FLSUN S DLP printer has a build volume of 4.2 x 2.6 x 7.8 inches (108 x 68 x 200 mm) which is pretty big compared to other budget resin printers. It has an easy bed leveling system and also a built-in slicer.

The Markforged Mark Two is a revolutionary 3D printer that has the ability to strengthen your designs by adding fiber composite material during a print. Print light weight objects with the strength of aluminum.

The Mark Two is equipped with two printheads. While one prints with nylon, the other continuously adds fiber composite material to reinforce your print. The Mark Two is the first and only 3D printer capable of printing with High Temperature Fiberglass, as well as kevlar, regular fiberglass, and carbon fiber.

The retail prices of SLS 3D printers are dropping fast. Having released the highly successful Form 1 and Form 2 SLA printers, Formlabs is now diversifying into the SLS territory. The Fuse 1 is an exciting addition to their portfolio. While there are many new noteworthy aspects of the printer, the price is certainly the main attraction.

Aside from the economic advantages, the Fuse 1 also positions itself as a complete SLS solution. It features a benchtop SLS printer, post-processing capabilities and print management software. Additionally, it remains compact because it doesn’t require specialised gases or specialty equipment. This will allow users to set it up without any special print environments or safe rooms.

This 3D printer is part of Desktop Metals’ Studio System (3D printer + furnace + debinder). It utilizes a Microwave Enhanced Sintering technique. This technique enables you to merge metals and alloys to create structures with a wide range of materials. Amongst available materials are: steel, titanium, aluminum and copper.

There are no requirements for third party equipment or special facilities—just power and an internet connection.