Best 3D printers of CES 2014
3D printers have their own space at CES and a popular one it is too judging by the crowds. Currently 3D printers for your home cost around £1000 or more, and those tipping in below this magic figure tend to look rather crude. Thankfully, CES 2014 has brought with it the announcements of two new entry-level models, edging affordable 3D printing closer to reality.
There are Kickstarter-initiated newbies to the 3D printing scene on show too, as well as, wait for it… chocolate printers – though no sign of Charlie or Willy Wonka just yet!
Best 3D printers – Cube
Now in its third generation the new 3D Systems Cube, due to launch in spring/summer this year for under £1,000, is an impressive bit of 3D printing kit. It somes with dual printing jets, meaning you can load and print with up two colours of plastic at a time.
It can print with PLA plastic or ABS, and a new print head comes with each roll of new plastic you buy – so you don’t have to worry about little bits of plastic building up in the print head and causing problems over time. It can print in layers just 75 microns deep, which is narrower than a sheet of paper.
3D Systems claim the new Cube is two times faster than other printers and with some 3D print jobs known to take hours, even on small-sized 3D printers like the ones for home use, this could be a real boon.
Best 3D printers – Makerbot Replicator Mini
Makerbot is already a household name in 3D printing, even if it’s not actually in your household yet. The prospect of owning a Makerbot just got a little more real though with the introduction of the Makerbot Replicator Mini and at £900 its Makerbot’s most affordable model yet.
With minimal set-up required, this smaller model can print designs from plastic filament, one colour at a time, up to 10x10x12.5cm in size. However, with the low price and dual colour abilities of the new 3D Systems Cube, the Replicator Mini risks being quickly usurped.
Makerbot also announced a new Makerbot Replicator, now in its fifth generation (due for launch in February, priced at $2,899) and the significantly bigger and pricier Replicator Z18.
Best 3D printers – Form 1
Using an entirely different method of printing, the Formlabs Form 1 3D printer uses stereolithography technology - here a laser is traced over a bath of light sensitive resin, hardening it in thin layers to produce your print. Using this method gives you a much more detailed print and layers can be formed at just 25 microns thick.
The Form 1 was a Kickstarter campaign last year that has happily reached fruition. 3D prints can be formed up to 12.5×12.5×16.5cm in size. It’s a good looking design that can produced quite detailed and intricate prints, but it’s not cheap at $3,299 (around £2,000).
Best 3D printers – ChefJet
Sweet heaven, the one we’ve surely all been waiting for, the 3D Systems ChefJet is a countertop 3D printer for confectionary. It can print a range of recipes including sugar, chocolate or candy (with one added flavour) and comes with it’s own Digital Cookbook.
The ChefJet can only print in one sweet colour, however if you’ve space in the kitchen, the hefty ChefJet Pro can print in multiple colours. Worth chucking your washing machine out to make way for, we reckon. Both the ChefJet and ChefJet Pro are due for release in the second half of 2014.
Best 3D printers – Sense
OK, not a 3D printer, but the Sense 3D scanner from 3D Systems could have you printing mini-mees in no time and is well worth a mention. This handheld 3D scanner can be used to scan an area three metres square – but not smaller than 30 centimetres.
View the 360-degree image of your scanned object – or scanned selfie – on the screen and use the supplied software tools to fix any blips, fill in gaps and remove blemishes before printing. The Sense 3D scanner is retailing at $399 – so around £250.
See the Sense 3D scanner in action.
What is a 3D printer?
3D printers print in 3 dimensions, so rather than printing images on a flat piece of paper they print 3D objects and shapes using plastic, metal or even wood and food.
The most advanced and versatile 3D printers are used in industry, but home 3D printers - that print in plastic - are small enough to sit on your desk top.
How does 3D printing work?
The object you want to print has to be designed first. Pre-designed 3D prints are available to download from websites so you can get printing straight away. The list of designs is extensive but if there is something you want to print and it isn't available you can also create your own designs on a computer using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.
You don't have to buy expensive software for this either. Free CAD software like Google Sketchup can be used to model your own creations. You just have to remember that prints will be produced from the bottom up and tailor your design accordingly.
Designs are sent to the 3D printer - a box-like structure with a print head on a gantry at the top. The material that the printer prints with - usually a type of plastic - is fed into the print head where it is heated.
The print head then darts forward and back, left and right to 'draw' the molten polymer thread onto a printing table - like ink flowing from a pen. The heated plastic gradually drops down forming a 3D print in layers. The process can take several hours.
What can I make with a 3D printer?
Pretty much anything from phone cases and art to jewellery and door knobs.
There are limitations with a home 3D printer though. Entry-level models can only print in one colour at a time and you can only print as big as the space within the printer allows.
The choice of materials available to print with at home is also limited, so don't expect to be printing off load-bearing spare parts for your bike just yet. Most printing materials aren't waterproof nor are they particularly durable.
What is a 3D printer good for?
In industry, the big benefit of 3D printing is the speed at which prototypes can be produced in 3-dimensional form, adapted or redesigned and then printed again.
Home users may find themselves printing novelties like figurines from 3D print websites to start with, but the real benefit comes in the ability to create your own prototypes and see your own designs become reality. Aside from the initial outlay on the printer, prints themselves can be quite cheap to produce in terms of material costs for the plastic.
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