3D printers are revolutionizing the world and are more and more accessible by the general public. Additive manufacturing is not a technology of the future: it’s already used in different industrial sectors. Using 3D printing allows you to learn about the technology, boost your curiosity and transfer a virtual project to the real world. A 3D printer works similar to a regular printer; however, it prints objects in three dimensions. Imagine the classic printer (2D) that prints sheets of paper with text or images. If you superimpose several sheets, you get a third dimension - this is the idea of how the 3D printer works. 3D printing has existed since the early 1970s, and it enables creating diverse objects which can be used for different purposes. There are different types of 3D printers, and thus, several printing methods exist. A common point between all of them is that every 3D printer creates layer by layer of a particular material to build an object. The differences lie in the way how these layers are put and in the material used for printing. There are, for example, industrial printers which use a selective laser sintering method, or stereolithography which allows printing with ultraviolet rays.
3D printers
3D printer - Creality Ender-3 V3 SE
Another model of the famous Ender-3 3D printer from Creality, offering a working area of 220 x 220 x 250 mm . The printer is easy to use and will work well as a learning...3D printer - Flashforge Adventure 4
FDM 3D printer from the Adventurer product line, produced by Flashforge. The device has a fully closed working area with dimensions of 220 x 200 x 250 mm , which allows you to...3D Printer - Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ - set for self-assembly
Original 3D printer made by a well-known company Prusa , is designed to print elements with dimensions: 250 x 210 x 210 mm. Prusa MK3 has an upgraded extruder, a lot of...- On sale!
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3D printer - Creality Ender-5 Plus
3D printer by Creality. The device uses incremental FFF/FDM technology. Ender-5 Plus offers a very large workspace . It allows to print elements with maximum size of 350...- On sale!
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3D printer - Creality Ender-3 V3 KE
Creality Ender-3 V3 KE is an affordable 3D printer perfect for both beginners and experienced users. It is operated via a touch screen with a user-friendly interface. Its...3D Printer - Original Prusa MINI+ - kit for simplified assembly
Original 3D printer by a renowned manufacturer, Prusa. The device uses FFF/FDM incremental technology. In Prusa MINI+ a modern 32-bit motherboard with Trinamic 2209...3D Printer - Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ - assembled
Original 3D printer made by a well-known company Prusa , designed to print elements with dimensions: 250 x 210 x 210 mm. Prusa MK3 has an upgraded extruder, IR filament sensor...- On sale!
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Snapmaker 3D Printer v2.0 3in1 model A350T - laser module, CNC, 3D printing in enclosure
A set which includes Snapmaker A350T version 2.0 multifunction device and a chamber designed to increase safety while working with Snapmaker. The device is made entirely of...3D Printer - Creality Sermoon D1
3D printer using incremental FFF/FDM technology to create prints, which consists in melting thermoplastic material and applying successive layers of print in this way. Sermoon...- On sale!
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3D Printer - Creality CR-10 Smart Pro
CR-10 Smart Pro is an extended version of the CR-10 Smart printer manufactured by a well-known company Creality. The printer has a workspace of 300 x 300 x 400 mm . It is also...- Reduced price
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3D printer - Original Prusa MK4 - set for self-assembly
3D printer from the Czech company Prusa, known among 3D printing enthusiasts. The device is based on a 32-bit motherboard and supports Input Shaper and Pressure Advance...3D printer - Original Prusa MK4 - assembled
3D printer from the Czech company Prusa, known among 3D printing enthusiasts. The device is based on a 32-bit motherboard and supports Input Shaper and Pressure Advance...- Reduced price
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3D Printer - Flashforge Adventurer 5M Pro
Adventurer 5M Pro is the perfect companion for professionals and beginners alike, enabling you to turn your creative ideas into reality and unleash your full potential. It has...3D printer - Anycubic Photon M3 Max
Photon M3 Max is a 3D printer with a large field, the dimensions of which are as much as 298 x 164 x 300 mm . The device forms prints from light-curing resin at a speed of up...3D printer - Creality Halot-Mage
The Halot-Mage resin 3D printer from Creality is equipped with a 10.3-inch LCD display, which gives it an extremely large working area of 228 x 128 x 230 mm . Halot-Mage...3D Printer - Flashforge Creator 3 Pro - IDEX dual-extruder
3D printer with IDEX system, which is based on the use of two independent extruders. It allows you to form two 3D models at the same time in one of three available modes:...3D printer - Anycubic Photon Mono 2
3D printer from Anycubic, using light-curing resin to form prints. The dimensions of the working area of the Photon Mono 2 printer are 143 x 89 x 165 mm , and the maximum...3D Printer - Zortrax M200 Plus
3D printer made by Zortrax prints elements in size: 20 0 x 20 0 x 18 0 mm. Zortrax M200 Plus was enclosed in a sealed working chamber. Thanks to the touchscreen display...- Reduced price
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3D printer - Creality Halot-Mage Pro
Resin 3D printer from Creality equipped with a monochrome LCD display with a diagonal of 10.3 " and a high resolution of 8K . The characteristic feature of Halot-Mage Pro is...- Reduced price
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See also
How does 3D printer work?
3D printing is not new, but it’s now becoming more accessible to everyday consumers. This innovative technology can fulfil very specific needs of clients because of responsiveness and adaptability it offers. With a 3D printer, you can create personalized objects. That’s why this device is essential for the professional world.
3D printing allows you to make all the objects you want in 3 dimensions. To do it, it’s necessary to have the 3D model of the desired object (written in STL file for example) so that the printer knows what to print. Once the file containing the model is sent to your 3D printer, the second step is to insert the filament into the printers head (called an extruder). This filament is heated and used as a material to create a series of horizontal layers. A 3D printing is, therefore, a sequence of hundreds of (very) thin layers of material.
What can you print with a 3D printer?
The possibilities of 3D printing are amazing and almost endless. No form is impossible, and this production technique opens the way of creation that would be difficult to achieve with traditional production methods. Nowadays, 3D printing is used in art, food, automotive, aeronautic, film, education, fashion, and many more sectors! So, what can you print with a 3D printer? The answer is everything. The only two limits are the size of the printer and the imagination of its user. 3D prints can range from microscopic objects (nano 3D) to enormous, several meters ones (one day it will be possible to print entire house). By using basic materials such as sand or stone, in future people will be able to explore new universes and create habitats in space by using what is available on asteroids or elsewhere. Nowadays, scientists use 3D models to repair coral reefs and other elements of the ecosystem. What is more, different pieces of furniture such as a headboard or a coffee table can now be made according to the owners’ favourite theme.
What can you make with a “home” 3D printer?
Having such a device provides you with a possibility to create small plastic objects, hardly larger than 10 cm. However, if you choose a professional machine, you can create larger items using various materials (ceramic, cement, resins, metals). Of course, professional 3D printers are also more durable.
Robot construction
Thanks to robotics and automation, our world is becoming a highly interactive and self-controlling environment. Numerous factories are now entirely monitored and operated from a distance. With 3D printers, it is now possible to design and manufacture a small series of personalized robots adapted to the fields in which mass production is not economically profitable. 3D machines are also able to build complex parts of specific products.
Different printing materials
3D printers can use various materials in different colours to create objects (PLA, ABS, HIPS, Nylon, wood, copper, epoxy and many more). Some 3D printers require the use of a proprietary filament, but most machines are compatible with various filaments, making it possible to choose cheaper products. The majority of 3D printers use filament with a diameter of 1.75mm, however, some of them melt filament with a diameter of 2.85mm. It is recommended to keep the filament in room temperature, protected from light (you can store it in a box) and avoid humidity.