THE NEW AGE OF 3D PRINTING

EVERYTHING YOU CAN (& CAN’T) PRINT WITH TODAY’S 3D PRINTERS

- RAVI BOTH

Several years ago I tried my hand at 3D printing with a small Monoprice Mini Select printer making little trinkets, miniatures, and handy tools, and while I had a blast, I found that after a while, I had to do a lot more tinkering than actually printing. Once my first printer started falling apart, I left the scene with no plans to come back.

When I heard about the Bambulab A1 3D Printer ($559), I was intrigued by their ability to work straight out of the box with minimal tinkering. I received their A1 printer a few weeks before Halloween, and I’ve been blown away with the progress the 3D printing world has made. We can now buy a 3D printer and everything just works!

A QUICK PRIMER ON FDM-STYLE 3D PRINTING

There are many ways people print 3D-style objects, each with their own pros and cons. FDM printing uses plastic filament by feeding it through the machine and melting it in layers. This allows for quick and affordable objects with minimal post processing, without the need for toxic chemicals. The downside is that they tend to lack strength as the layer lines are often weak. This is the most common and accessible method of 3D printing and the one I will be talking about today.

MULTI COLOR PRINTING

Previously, I could only print in one color. Now, with my Bambulab AI printer, its Automatic Material System (AMS) allows multi color 3D prints by switching back and forth between colors during a print. It also means you can use it as an automatic filament replacement if a spool you’re printing with runs out. Bambulab may not be the first to come up with this system, but they have definitely made the process easy.

BAMBULAB’S MAKERWORLD