Model orientation: the direction that the material is layered to create your object and how it will impact the final look and feel of your object Though it may seem daunting at first, using 3D printing your designs to test and iterate product concepts trims the design to manufacturing timeline...
There is also an option to make the model lay flat or align the face to the build plate by selecting the icons on the left, as shown below. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) The mirror option below rotation allows you to mirror the object in X, Y, or Z axis, depending on the ...
It’s natural for 3D prints made using FDM technology to be produced with some visible layer lines. It’s an inherent result of how FDM printers rely on wide nozzles. But you can set the thickness of the layers to control resolution along the z-axis. However, the nozzle’s size determi...
I have been using a MakerBot Replicator 2 filament 3d printer for over a year. It has run over 500 hours and it is printing better than when I first got it. It took a fair amount of adjusting and tweaking to make that happen. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) based 3D Printers use spo...
Take a deep dive into the world of design for additive manufacturing. Within this guide, you’ll learn the modeling tips and tricks that we use to maximize our 3D printing output and success. What you will learn Written by the Ultimaker experts who make our printers and test our materials,...
Meshmixer is a free 3D printing software that you can use to edit and prepare designs for 3D printing. The software has a simple, user-friendly interface and is compatible with Windows and MacOS. Even if you use one of the best 3D printers, design flaws can complicate printing and lead...
Ways to make money from 3D printing Sell 3D-printed products Offer on-demand 3D printing services Create 3D-printing-related content Sell your designs Sell products on Shapeways Dropship 3D printers, parts, and materials Offer 3D printing design consultation Use 3D scanners for reverse engineering Se...
Only trouble is, models take ages to make by hand and machines that can make "rapid prototypes" cost a fortune (up to a half million dollars). [1] Hurrah, then for 3D printers, which work a bit like inkjets and build up 3D models layer by layer at up to 10 times the speed and...
Are 3D printers easy to use? This can depend on a lot of factors, but in general 3D printing is one of the most accessible manufacturing processes available. Compared to injection molding or CNC machining, 3D printers are a much easier way to make parts and models, which is why it works...
But if you just want to make objects that are useful around the home, office, shop, or data center, 3D design can be simple and painless. In this edition of DIY-IT's discovery series on 3D printing, we'll look at making our first design in a CAD program and then printing it on ...