3D PRINTING
I have a very advanced knowledge of 3D printing. I have two hobby printers at home, and have experience with three other types of machines.
3D printing allows me to bring ideas into the physical world without needing access to industrial processes. I like modding and improving my printers and trying new creative techniques.
ENDER 3
This was my first printer. It is an FDM style printer, using extruded hot plastic to form complex geometry in layers. Even though this is a very cheap hobby printer, it still produces quality parts. I use it for structural prints where strength is more important than aesthetic detail.
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Mods:
Raspberry Pi for Octoprint: I added a raspberry pi server onto the printer so that I could upload files over my local network, be able to monitor my print with a camera in real time, and to make use of many plugins to optimize my printing process.
New Motherboard: After the original motherboard broke, I opted to replace it with a more powerful MKS Gen 1.4 board. Because this isn't a common board, I used the pinout diagrams to wire it up, and custom edited Marlin firmware for the new board. The pink enclosure on the bottom left houses the new, larger board.
Aluminum Extruder: I replaced the plastic extruder with an aluminum one to reduce wear and friction in the filament path.
ANYCUBIC PHOTON
This printer uses photosensitive resin to create models, a technique called DLP. This process creates extremely high detail parts, perfect for miniatures, jewelry, and smooth parts.
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In comparison to the Ender, this printer has limitations in size, cost, and maintenance.
The print area is considerably smaller, although more expensive resin printers have similar volumes.
Resin also costs more than plastic used in FDM printing. FDM parts are printed only with a few shells and a small amount of infill, while resin may need to be printed solid or with complex drainage holes and shelled interior.
Resin prints need to be washed in alcohol and cured under UV light after printing, and the materials used may be toxic.
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Overall, this printer needs more consideration to the process used to print, but it creates beautiful and detailed prints that are great for hobbies and gifts.
PRINTERS I'VE WORKED WITH
3D printers I don't own, but am familiar with and know how to use their respective printing systems.
FORMLABS FORM 2
The Form 2 is a stereolithography printer using photosensitive resin. It's part of the Formlabs system, comprising of engineering-grade materials and well-designed consumable parts. This system also minimizes the risks of resin printing by keeping resin safely contained at every step of printing and post-processing.
MARKFORGED MARK TWO
The Mark 2 is an FDM printer that also prints with continuous carbon fiber reinforcement. This printer is able to create parts that are as strong as aluminum in some directions. They provide an easy-to-use web interface to slice models and select where to place reinforcement.
MAKERBOT REPLICATOR Z18
The Z18 is an FDM printer with an extra tall build area. It also has a fully enclosed heated build chamber so it can print with materials needing a consistent ambient temperature such as ABS. Overall, I do not recommend this printer since it lacks many features within the proprietary slicer to create consistently beautiful, accurate parts.