The most popular 3D printers (2023)

FAQs

What is the most popular 3D printer? ›

Anycubic Kobra Go

There are several options for a low-cost FDM printer, but the Anycubic Kobra Go takes the top spot for us. The Kobra Go is a solid choice if you are on a budget and want to take your first steps into the world of 3D printing.

Polylactic acid, more commonly known as PLA, is the most widely used 3D filament because it is so easy to print.

Today, research and development surpassed prototyping as the most popular 3D printing application and every other use case has dramatically increased.

In 2013 a Texas company, Solid Concepts, demonstrated a 3D printed version of an M1911 pistol made of metal, using an industrial 3D printer. In 2014, a New Zealand company, Oceania Defence, demonstrated 3D printed titanium suppressors that are 50% lighter than conventional ones. The Grizzly is a 3D printed .

The three most established types of 3D printers for plastics parts are stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), and fused deposition modeling (FDM).

Plastic is still the most popular material used for 3D printing. As the 3D-printing market value increases, the list of what materials can be used also grows. Raw materials such as metal, graphite, and carbon fiber are commonly used for 3D printing, though at-home use is mostly limited to PLA for now.

ABS. ABS filament is the most commonly used 3D printing plastics. It is used in the bodywork of cars, appliances, and mobile phone cases. It is a thermoplastic which contains a base of elastomers based on polybutadiene, making it more flexible, and resistant to shocks.

Who benefits from 3D printers? ›

ENGINEERING. Engineers can use 3D printing to design or make prototypes. Moreover, the materials for 3D printing are stronger and more resistant so you can print parts that are fully functionable.

The target market is hobbyists and home users looking to create spare parts, customized items, toys and decorative objects. The printing process is usually slow; a complex design can take several hours to print and often requires user oversight.

3D printing will be bigger, faster and cheaper.

The key for the new generation of printers, especially industrial-grade solutions, will be the ability to handle a greater range of advanced materials. This opens the door for businesses to benefit from additive manufacturing in areas where they previously could not.

3D printing allows for the design and print of more complex designs than traditional manufacturing processes. More traditional processes have design restrictions which no longer apply with the use of 3D printing.

“It's been used by every 3D printing company to calibrate their printers, including HP when they presented their new fusion-jet printing technology.” And: ”The elephant turns 5 today. It is probably the most 3D printed thing in the world, and definitely one of the most downloaded object ever.

Titanium, steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper, cobalt chrome, titanium, tungsten and nickel-based alloys are all available in powdered form for 3D printing, as are precious metals like gold, platinum, palladium and silver.

3D Printer Types: There are three main types of 3D printers, Fusion Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography and Stereo Laser Sintering (SLS).

Ghost guns are unregulated firearms that anyone — including minors and prohibited purchasers — can buy and build without a background check. Ghost guns are unserialized and untraceable firearms that can be bought online and assembled at home.

3D-printed homes are revolutionizing the construction industry by making home builds faster, cheaper and more sustainable. In less than 24 hours, 3D printers can print the foundation and walls for a small home at a fraction of the cost of typical construction.

What 3D printer is easy to use? ›

The Creality Ender 3 V2 is now the Top Pick, with the Voxelab Aquila coming in fresh to the piece as the Budget Pick. If you don't mind spending substantially more, the Original Prusa MK3S+ is your printer, providing a truly excellent beginner 3D printing experience.

It's a technology that enables you to print physical objects from digital designs. This means that you can take any 3D model or design and create a physical copy of it using a 3D printer. There are all sorts of things you can make with a 3D printer, anything from simple plastic objects, to complex metal pieces.

Although there are many different printers available, only nine basic types of 3D printing technology currently exist: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA), Digital Light Processing (DLP), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Electron Beam Melting (EMB), Laminated Object ...

Material jetting is the most accurate 3D printing process. Material jetting has a dimensional tolerance of ± 0.1% and a lower limit of ± 0.05 mm. Heat is not used in the material jetting process, so warping and shrinking problems are unlikely to occur.

Thanks to the use of Forust and Desktop Metal's innovative wood 3D printing technology, Cocoon was developed using an innovative process that is able to reduce timber waste. The final part is thus not only eco-friendly, but fully degradable.

Polycarbonate (PC) delivers high tensile strength along with high impact and heat resistance. It's widely seen as one of the strongest 3D printing filaments.

Most Entry Level and Hobbyist 3D printers are priced from $300 – $500, while some can be as expensive as $1500. The higher-end 3D printers, such as Enthusiast 3D printers and Professional 3D printers are priced anywhere from $1,500 – $20,000, depending on the printer's capabilities.

Selective Laser Melting (SLM)

SLM machines use high powered lasers to fuse metal layers into parts. After a print, an operator removes the part (or parts) from the powder bed, cuts the part away from the build plate, and post processes the part.

What is the most profitable thing to make with a 3D printer? ›

Cosplay props, planters, and miniatures are some of the biggest sellers. The popularity depends on which platform you are selling on. For example, on Etsy, the main customer base is looking for pretty, trendy things. Beautiful planters, jewelry, and the like will be most popular.

TL;DR : The main advantages of 3D printing are: reducing costs, less waste, reduce time, get an competitive advantage, reduce errors, confidentiality, production on demand.

Complexity – 3D printing provides an intricate production process simply not repeatable by humans. Specific parts in certain industries such as the aerospace sector are repeatedly showing the complexity this technique offers. Efficiency – It can reduce or even eliminate tool production costs and labour.

As we mentioned above, you can sell 3D prints from any unique digital 3D model that doesn't infringe on another party's IP if the original artist gives you express permission.

Etsy is one of the biggest marketplace for 3D printing. A lot of 3D printing hobbyists and even professional gravitate towards Etsy because of its large audience who are into handcrafted stuff.

36 Further, that analysis estimates that a total of more than 140,000 industrial 3D printers and 2 million consumer 3D printers have been sold worldwide.

Critical 3D Printing Problems and Solutions

Today, however, challenges seem to vary: the cost of pre- and post-processing, the limited selection of materials and technology limitations are the biggest 3D printing challenges of 2021.

Using 3D printers and associated software is still too complex for the uninitiated, who prefer to continue using traditional production methods. 3D printing has qualities that are highly sought after by industry (complexity of patterns, strength of materials)... but much less so by individuals.

But the truth is not all 3D models will sell. It's a hard pill to swallow, especially after hours of sacrificed production time. It's important that we focus on which 3D models will sell and which won't. In short, we found that the 3D model categories that sell best are animals, cars, space, science and medical.

Top Pick: Anycubic Kobra

The Anycubic Kobra is a capable 3D printer offering some top-drawer features for very little money, making it the perfect entry point for anyone looking to get into 3D printing.

What is the best type of 3D printing? ›

SLA parts have the highest resolution and accuracy, the clearest details, and the smoothest surface finish of all plastic 3D printing technologies, but the main benefit of SLA lies in its versatility.

If you have a knack for 3D modeling, there's a good chance you can make money from selling your designs. The key is to find a niche market and create designs that people are willing to pay for. Once you've built up a portfolio of designs, you can start promoting your work and making sales.

The straightforward answer is Yes! You can undoubtedly make money with a 3D printer or operating in the 3D printing industry in 2023. How much money you ask? Well, that will depend on your level of knowledge and expertise in technology, as well as how much time you devote to this side hustle.

Most Entry Level and Hobbyist 3D printers are priced from $300 – $500, while some can be as expensive as $1500. The higher-end 3D printers, such as Enthusiast 3D printers and Professional 3D printers are priced anywhere from $1,500 – $20,000, depending on the printer's capabilities.

Low-cost 3D printer prices start from $100 to $400. Then hobbyist 3D printers will set you back by up to $1,000. The next level of enthusiast and professional 3D printer prices range between $1,000 to $10,000.

While there are trade-offs with budget 3D printers, you can still get excellent quality prints from cheaper 3D printers, and these machines are definitely worth considering. The Creality brand has been a leader in the industry for producing low cost 3D printers that can still produce great results.