We consider a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to carry. A lower weight is also an advantage for home appliances, as it makes transportation easier, and for many other types of products.
Printers based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) use a thermoplastic filament, which is heated to its melting point and then extruded through a nozzle, layer by layer, to create the object. One of the main advantages of printers based on FDM is that they work with a wide range of materials.
Printers based on stereolithography (SLA) use a tank of liquid photopolymer resin and a high-powered light source, which is used to harden the material in the tank, one cross section at a time, until the object is created. Printers based on SLA usually have high printing speeds and can produce objects with a smooth finish.
Printers based on selective laser sintering (SLS) use a powerful laser to heat and fuse plastic, metal or ceramic powder particles together, layer-by-layer, to form a solid model. The main advantage of SLS printing is that it can produce objects with complex geometries, using a wide variety of materials.
A heated build platform helps keep the lowest levels of a print warm as the higher layers are printed. This allows the overall print to cool more evenly.
The 1.75mm filament diameter is gradually overtaking the previous 3mm standard. The 1.75mm filament feeds into the printer with greater ease and allows for more detail in the printing process.
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0.4mm
The smaller the nozzle, the more detailed the final product can be. However, when speed of printing is of greater importance than detail, a larger nozzle may be preferable.
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1
More extruder heads allow you to use different colors and different types of material at the same time. A second extruder is also required to build PVA/PLA support structures around items as they are printed.
Polylactic acid (PLA) is popular in 3D printing as it cools and sets quickly. Unlike ABS plastic, it is biodegradable and therefore better for the environment. It can be used to build support structures for other printouts, as it can then be dissolved leaving no marks.
Similar to regular 2D printers, this type of 3D printer mixes different colors between cartridges. This process allows the printer to reproduce the color spectrum, therefore allowing you to print in almost any color.
The printer is able to print in High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS). HIPS is similar to ABS plastic, but uses different solvents (limonene rather than acetone). HIPS is easy to paint and glue.
Polyvinyl Acetate is another form of plastic used in 3d printing similar to ABS. It can be used to build support structures for other prints, as it can then be dissolved leaving no marks.
The printer is able to print in paper. 3D printing in paper involves an additive process whereby a laser cuts each layer of paper into the correct shape to create the final model. Paper 3D printed objects have a similar consistency to wood.
The printer is able to print in wood. This typically involves printing using a mixture of wood particles and a binding agent, which dries as solid wood.
The thinner each print layer is, the more detailed you can make your designs. Layer thickness is often also referred to as resolution and is measured in microns (µm).
The device has a standard memory slot (such as an SD or micro SD card slot) that enables you to extend the built-in internal storage with affordable memory modules, or easily retrieve data, such as photographs, from the memory card.
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RJ-45 ports are used for LAN (Local Area Network) connections. With more ports you can achieve increased bandwidth across a LAN, or connect to multiple networks. It also has the added benefit of not losing connection to the network if one fails.