Home maker
3D PRINTERS FOR THE HOME ARE FINALLY STARTING TO ARRIVE... AND AT AFFORDABLE PRICES
NOT so long ago the idea of printing something in 3D would have seemed like science fiction – the kind of thing they do in films set far into the future.
Now, of course, they have 3D printers in schools and children learn how to design and make actual real-world objects using them.
High prices have more or less kept them out of the home, though – but that is beginning to change.
It’s still a business in its infancy, but is getting better and more accessible all the time. If you want to get in on the ground floor, here are three relatively inexpensive printers to get you started.
You can make more or less any shaped object you can think of with these printers, out of a variety of different materials. There’s even one that looks and feels like wood.
Your only limits are in size, of course, and your imagination.
Ankermake M5 3D Printer
They say: Ankermake is an allnew 3D printing brand by Anker. We’re excited to launch our debut 3D printer designed to make printing easy for you.
We say: Anker is well-known as the maker of charging devices for phones and tablets, but is moving into 3D printing because it thinks it can make a device that is better than what is already available. The company has just launched this device on Kickstarter and is hoping to raise almost £40k to make it a reality.
Its chief USP is speed – it claims to be around five times faster than comparable models on the market. It’s certainly true that 3D printing is a slow and painstaking affair, and if the claims about the speed of the Ankermate M5 are true, the machine could be a gamechanger.
Cost: From £460 at kickstarter.com
Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ 3D printer
They say: We have upgraded the MK3S with a brand new SUPERPINDA probe for improved first layer calibration, added high-quality bearings and various useful design tweaks to make the printer easier to assemble and maintain.
We say: The Prusa i3 is the Rolls Royce of 3D printing in this list, as the price suggests. What you get for that is ultra reliability and precision printing. The Prusa supports a wide range of materials, and is a border-line pro machine.
You can use it for fun projects, of course, but it is equally at home churning out prototype shapes for commercial use.
Even though it’s got top specs, it runs almost silently.
Cost: £899 at prusa3d.com
Ender-3 S1 Pro
They say: The Ender 3 S1 Pro is a new and improved version of the very successful Ender 3. The S1-pro is a very affordable printer with everything you could wish for at this price point.
We say: The Ender-3 S1 Pro is the cheapest machine suggested here, but don’t let that fool you. A recent update to the original model added a new printing nozzle that can operate at higher temperatures than before, resulting in added versatility. You can print a wider variety of materials with this device, making for a significant jump in versatility.
Cost: £390 at creality3d.shop