Makerbot is the largest 3D printing company in the world. The Makerbot Replicator Z18 is the largest Makerbot 3D printer. It can print 1 foot by 1foot by 1.5 feet. The best part is that it delivers great quality prints!
The new Makerbot mini can deliver great quality prints, but it can malfunction very easily. They have to print with rafts, and rafts are hard to take off. The raft is where the object prints on.
Just in case you’re wondering, you an say rep or replicator, and, no, the 2X is not a new model. This printer’s extruder preheats to 230˚ Celsius, somewhat hotter than your oven at home. It has a glass top to trap the heat because it needs a heated bed (you will soon know what bed means).
The Makerbot Replicator 2 is Makerbot’s best-selling printer. It has 1 extruder. An extruder is a piece of a 3D printer where the plastic is melted. This printer is out of stock, so you can go to places that have them, like some libraries. The Makerbot Replicator 2 is one of the first Makerbot 3D printer. The Makerbot Replicator 2 provides great quality prints.
We have already talked about four of the five Makerbot 3D printers. This is the fifth. The printer is just plain old replicator. It is the second largest Makerbot 3D printer. There is more Makerbot 3D printing products that you’ll find in this article.So far, we’ve only talked about Makerbot 3D printers. We’ve talked about the Makerbot Replicator Z18, the Makerbot Replicator Mini, the Makerbot Replicator 2X, the Makerbot Replicator 2, and the Makerbot Replicator. Now, we’re going to take things to a whole new level. Flashforge is another 3D printing company. All Flashforge printers combine the best of the Makerbot Replicator Minis and the best of the Makerbot Replicator 2’s. One of the best parts is that they’re much cheaper. The lowest priced Flashforge printer is $700. It includes a roll of filament, 1 SD card, a 3 month warranty, and the printer itself (duh). The Flashforge Creator II printer is big, heavy, but provides great quality prints. It is the cheapest Flashforge printer. A Flashforge printer any of them, uses Cura, or Makerbot, computer programs. You can use Google Sketch Up to design. This printer is very similar to the Flashforge Creator II. The only difference between the two is the amount of extruders. That difference allows the printer to print in two colors. You could print a watermelon; green and red. You could print a traffic cone; orange and black. You could print a pumpkin; orange and black. Think of the millions of possibilities with just one Flashforge Creator I. Filament is the substance 3D printing uses to make the print. If you walk into a room with active 3D printers, you will smell corn (the corn is used in the filament). PLA filament is used for beginners. It does not need a heated bed, or build plate. A bed is where the object prints on. PLA is only long strands of plastic, but it is very valuable. ABS filament is the best for the pros. It works best with Makerbot Replicator 2X and all Flashforge printers. ABS filament only works with a heated bed, or build plate. NO! Do not touch the build plate. Let me just say that a 3D printer can reach temperatures of over 500 degrees Fahrenheit. THATS VERY VERY VERY VERY HOT! You might have heard the word “extruder” before, and you are going to hear it again. In 3D printing, an extruder is a part that melts the filament and extrudes it. At the bottom of the extruder is a part called the nozzle. That is where the filament extrude from. An extruder is one of the most important parts of the 3D printer. Unlike the single extruder, the Makerbot Dual Extruder (for Makerbot Rep 2X) doesn’t have one extruder, but it has TWO of them. This allows someone to 3D print a traffic cone, a watermelon, or a notebook. And that’s only 3 out of the millions of possibilities. Now it is time to move away from the 3D printers. Now we are going to the 3D scanners. A 3D scanner, like the Makerbot Digitizer, can do the job. It holds a slowly-spinning disc which rotates as a camera points at it and a laser shoots at it. You can go to http://www.makerbot.com to learn more.
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