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Printer Options

Find the right 3D printer for your job.

Compare Printers

FDM (Makerbot) 3D printing is offered at the NExT Lab, not the Fab Lab.
HP Jet Fusion
Resin
Powder
FDM (NExt Lab)

Outcome Examples

Printer Parameters

​Title
​Title
Pros
  • Strong & flexible, great for end use and delicate parts
  • Full colour printing for vibrant models
  • Great value for printing many parts as cost based on overall print height
Cons
  • Cost by height can mean small prints can be expensive
  • Thin and flat parts may warp
  • Base material is blue-ish white
  • Surface finish rough
  • Small parts may get lost during post-processing
Print Material
HP 3D High Reusability CB PA 12 (Thermoplastic)
Build Area
332 W x 190 D x 248 H (mm)
Supports Needed
No
Resolution
Fine detail and high dimensional accuracy
Surface Finish
Textured
Colour
Full colour, Black or White
Strength
Engineering grade parts
Cost
$$$ Please email us your geometry as closed polysurfaces for an estimation, as this printing option is quite expensive.

Outcome Examples

Printer Parameters

​Title
​Title
Pros
  • Wide variety of materials including clear + coloured resins, and engineering materials
  • Smoothest surface finish - can print down to 0.025mm layer height
  • Able to print tight tollerance parts due to high resolution of printer
  • Great for small, intricate parts
Cons
  • Printing method requires support material
  • Smaller print volume than other printers
  • Resin is relatively expensive compared to other technologies
Print Material
Resin
Build Area
145 W x 145 D x 185 H (mm)
Supports Needed
Yes
Resolution
High level of detail and accuracy
Surface Finish
Smooth
Colour
Black, White or Clear*
Strength
Durable
Cost
$ ($0.30 x Print Volume (cm3))

Outcome Examples

Printer Parameters

Title
​Title
Pros
  • Powder based printing. No support material to remove
  • Full colour printing for vibrant models
  • Most colour accurate 3D printer we have
Cons
  • Price is per cm3, which gets expensive quickly
  • Gypsum material is brittle, only suitable for display models
  • Surface finish is rought
  • Minimum part thickness of 2mm. Ideally 3mm.
  • Not suitable for thin geometry. Cannot span more than 4x material thickness (i.e. a 2mm thick part can only span 8mm)
Print Material
Gypsum Powder
Build Area
210 W x 340 D x 200 H (mm)
Supports Needed
Yes
Resolution
High level of detail
Surface Finish
Textured
Colour
Full Colour or White (off-white after curing)
Strength
Can be fragile, recommended use as presentation models only
Cost
$$ (Print Volume (cm3) x $0.60)

Outcome Example FDM vs Resin

Pros & Cons

Title
​Title
Pros
  • Fastest option
  • Cheapest option
  • Many colours to choose from
Cons
  • Low resolution
  • Layers evident
  • Supports can be difficult to remove
Print Material
PLA (Polylactic Acid)
Build Area
Replicator+ : 295 W x 195 D x 165 H (mm)
Replicator Z18 : 300 W x 305mm D x 457mm H (mm)
Supports Needed
Yes
Resolution
Low level of detail
Surface Finish
Textured, layers evident
Colour
Full Colour or White (off-white after curing)
Strength
Durable
Cost
$ ($0.15 per gram)

Download 3D Printing Template file here:

Fablab_3Dprint_template.3dm
125KB
Binary
3D Printing Template
Once you have chosen the right printer for your job, you can use the Quick Start Guide to prepare and submit your file:
3D Printing - Previous
3D Printing Explained
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HP Jet Fusion Guide
Last modified 7d ago