3D printers convert digital designs into small, plastic 3D objects. What 3D object is made completely relies on the user’s design skills and needs. If you need a prototype or replacement part making, you might consider investing in one of these handy machines.
Most of these printers solely use plastic when melting solids into the 3D objects they will become. However, some of the more advanced models can handle all sorts of materials such as chocolate or clay.
Here’s a list of some of the best and most creative 3D printers on the market.
Choc Edge’s Choc Creator
Choc Edge’s Choc Creator 3D printer does exactly what it says; it creates chocolate. The world’s first chocolate printer has plenty of fancy features that should grab the attention of chocolate connoisseurs, entrepreneurs and tech hobbyists alike.
The printer accepts STL and G-code files, the files being uploaded to the machine via a regular USB connection. This easy method means designs get sent to the printer straight away so it can start creating as soon as possible.
Intricate designs can be achieved thanks to the printer’s high precision printing nozzle. The nozzle can print 0.5mm to 1.5mm tracks depending on the chosen setting. Chocolate of any color can be filled into the printing head, meaning you can design colorful and detailed chocolate objects that would fit right at home in the most sophisticated chocolate producer’s shop window.
Cubify CubePro
The Cubify Cube Pro has to feature on this list because you can print files via WiFi. In other words, your 3D object can be created via wireless printing. Its aesthetics are good too; its sleek, minimalistic design and cuboid shape makes it look not too dissimilar from a futuristic mini fridge.
Depending on which version of the CubePro you choose, print sizes range from 7 x 10 x 9 inches to 10 x 10 x 9 inches. The latter is larger than the average 3D printer print size. The printer is alsl one of the heaviest on the market, weighing in at around 80 lbs. You will definitely need a significant amount of spare room to accommodate the CubePro.
Whilst a printer bed is included, a heated bed will be required for anyone wanting to print with ABS rather than PLA. The Cube Pro can only work using filament manufactured by Cubify but it makes up for this slight irritant by excelling at multi-color printing. Along with its wireless printing and large print sizes, the CubePro’s excellent multi-color printing options make it one of the best 3D printers out there.
MakerBot Replicator Mini
MakerBot have a whole range of 3D printers and scanners but the one that makes this list is pretty much here because of the amount it does and its modest price tag. This is a 3D printer for people to take home rather than use at work. Whether you regard it as the one of the most expensive big kid toys you might ever wish to buy or something that would be useful in creating missing Lego pieces and the like, the MakerBot Replicator Mini is designed for home-use.
MakerBot wisely cottoned on to the fact that few of us have 3D design knowledge. Hence, the creation of PrintShop. PrintShop is a space where you can design your own objects, albeit in a more simplistic way than what is required for other 3D printers, and one that doubles as an online shop where one can download designs.
There is a reason the word “mini” appears in the product’s title and that is because it can only print objects up to 3.9 inches square and 4.9 inches tall. For shrunk-down prototypes, small parts and toys, the MakerBot Replicator Mini could come in handy.
