17

I'm looking for a prosumer FDM 3D printer. I have the following requirements, in order of importance:

  1. 2+ printing nozzles
  2. <= 40 micron layer height.
  3. Capable of printing in all commonly available plastics & support materials, e.g. PLA, ABS, PVA, HIPS, Laywood, TPU etcetera.
  4. Capable of printing high-temperature materials such as Polycarbonate, PET & Nylon
  5. Not dependent on proprietary consumables supplies - able to use generic 1.75 or 3mm filament.
  6. Large print volume - 200mm+ in at least one dimension.
  7. Capable of running from an Australian 240V power socket.
  8. Enclosed cabinet.
  9. Capable of operation with open-source software.
  10. Low cost:- must be below $10,000 AUD, preferably below $5,000 AUD.
  11. Australian supplier.

I'm aware that there is probably no machine that meets all these criteria, so preference will be given to recommendations that address the criteria in top-to-bottom order.

Improve this question
4
  • wow.. that is quit a list of requirements, I am not sure that you can have all in one printer . maybe you could order the requirements by preference of importance ? btw - why do you need 2+ printing nozzles ? there are accessories to feed up to 7 different filaments in one nozzle ..also, the 240v power should not be a real requirement, you can always use a transformer - but since the last requirement is an Aussie supplier - I guess that is a given .
    – Obmerk Kronen
    Oct 6, 2015 at 16:16
  • @ObmerkKronen, As I stated, I don't expect that all of the requirements can be fulfilled. The most important ones are at the top. I need two nozzles so that I can print with one plastic, and add soluble support material with the other. A multiple feed single nozzle is only of use for CMYKW-type colour printing (which I don't need), and were such to be used with e.g. PC and PVA, there would be temperature issues, and even with similar temperature materials such as ABS and PVA, the need to purge the nozzle before each change of material would exist, wasting a lot of filament.
    – Monty Wild
    Oct 6, 2015 at 23:10
  • 1
    I was referring to external accessories like this one for example - but others exists . It can even print conductive materials embedded to create simple pcb mockups. anyhow, Maybe the Raide N-series could answer some if not most requierments
    – Obmerk Kronen
    Oct 7, 2015 at 15:28
  • @ObmerkKronen, the Raise 3D printers appear to be almost exactly what I'm looking for. It's a pity that they're pre-kickstarter, and don't have prices yet, let alone a purchaseable product. Still, as I'm likely a while away from making a purchase, this is a potential option, pending a successful launch of course. You might want to make this into an answer.
    – Monty Wild
    Oct 7, 2015 at 23:25

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5

I gave Obmerk Kronen plenty of time to post his own answer based on his comment, and even prompted him to do so, but he never did...

So: any of the three models of printer made by https://www.raise3d.com/.

  1. 2+ printing nozzles - An available option, so Yes.
  2. <= 40 micron layer height. - 10 micron layer height, so Yes.
  3. Capable of printing in all commonly available plastics & support materials, e.g. PLA, ABS, PVA, HIPS, Laywood, TPU etcetera. - Yes.
  4. Capable of printing high-temperature materials such as Polycarbonate, PET & Nylon - Yes.
  5. Not dependent on proprietary consumables supplies - able to use generic 1.75 or 3mm filament. - Can use generic 1.75mm filament, so Yes
  6. Large print volume - 200mm+ in at least one dimension. - Smallest printer is 8x8x8 inch (8 inch = 203mm), largest 12"x12"x24" (305x305x610 mm), so Yes
  7. Capable of running from an Australian 240V power socket. - Accepts 110-250v, 50/60Hz, so Yes.
  8. Enclosed cabinet. - Yes
  9. Capable of operation with open-source software - Proprietary slicer supplied, but also accepts gcode, so Yes
  10. Low cost:- must be below $10,000 AUD, preferably below $5,000 AUD. - The largest, most expensive model (N2 Plus) is US$3499 from the manufacturer, which is currently around A$4840, and their smallest (which meets all the other specifications above) is advertised on an Australian retailer's site for A$2950, so Yes
  11. Australian supplier. - Advertised on https://www.3dprintergear.com.au/, but not available yet/preorder so Probably Yes.
Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.