Printer Recommendations For Functional Prototyping?

Hello 3D Print Community.

I am looking to get a 3D printer for prototyping automotive parts. Would like a printer that could print PLA / ABS. Other types of material would be great to have also. Lastly, it would be great to have a printer that has a lot of customizable parts, aftermarket store, and strong community.

Because I am looking for a build section of 300x300x300mm as a minimum, I have come across the below printers so far and hoping others can weigh in on this decision.

Creality CR-10 V3
300x300x400mm
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYVD2C1

Anet A8 Plus 3D
300x300x350mm
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MVVNXH4

I am using a converted TronXY X5SA 500 Pro for this effort. It is a large coreXY printer with a 500x500x600 build volume. I have multiple printers and I have the ability to design and print my own upgrade and custom parts. Which is great practice for the rapid prototyping. And when I think I need a better designed part I just draw that up instead of hoping someone else might have designed exactly what I need or accept a compromise from the list of things I can find. To be efficient prototyping with the FDM printers you should have a small form factor printer that is just reliable and works. In past years I had a Monoprice select mini printer for this with just a 120x120x120 build volume. But most parts I made for the bigger printers always fit nicely on the build plate. Currently I have this job filled by my old Geeetech i3 Pro B I have upgraded a bunch: GEEETech i3 32bit Rework (3dprintboard.com) .

And if you want to see my Tronxy X5SA 500 Pro and how I have reworked that on it's initial assembly that thread is right here: My First CoreXY (3dprintboard.com) .

If you take this path then overcoming the failures of any printer design shrinks and you can see these robots for what they are. A build volume and your skills. Get the printer with the build volume and shape you like. Then identify the good parts. Stay away from knockoffs. These printers all suck because they are made from the cheapest parts money can buy. So to replace the knockoff parts with knockoff parts just wastes your time. Going down this path will put you on a better footing for rapid prototyping. And likewise if this scares or intimidates you what does that say about you prototyping auto parts or anything else? Just a thought, there. Good luck.

And a final thought on the build volume. If you need actual 300x300x300 you should look for 400x400x400. When we print at the edges of our bed sometimes we get the lifting and we cant print the brim and sometimes, SOMETIMES we don't even get the actual advertised build volume out of the printer once it is assembled. If you have to build max dimensions it is important to be able to. But we shouldn't plan our printer size on building the max build volume regularly. It can only make us struggle more for the good quality and bed adhesion. What you want to print should comfortably fit on build plate. And nozzle diameter and layer heights should increase with printer size.

Thanks for the reply.

I am liking the size of the Tronxy printer you mentioned and how you can build whatever parts for it as well.

What do you think the largest build size I could get would be without spending thousands? Right now this Tronxy is $900.

Tronxy X5SA-500 Pro
https://www.tronxy3d.com/products/x5...39473088364722

Well the TronXY X5sa 400 can be had for less. In the price range of the links you provided. I am not saying at all that TronXY is the best printer or what you should go after but I do think if you are looking to print big things you should consider a printer with a stationary bed or a bed that only raises or lowers but does not induce inertia. This is a fundamental choice that will limit your ability to print large things within any kind of a reasonable time frame. The more weight gets on the moving bed to more things need to slow down as the build height increases and the weight we are slinging back and forth gets further and further above the build plate. With a coreXY style printer we only need to brace the frame and do not have to worry so much about what or how much is on the build plate.

With small lightweight pieces this doesn't matter so much and so for a smaller build volume printer to make small parts with an i3 style cartesian robot would do just fine. But for making the bigger parts what about this: Tronxy X5SA-400 PRO New Version with TR Sensor+Lattice Glass Plate – Tronxy 3D Printers Official Store .

And then later on you can figure out how to turn it into the Voron 2.4 or the VZbot or make it your own as I did. But that is down the road and after you have 2 printers up and going. But again the self replicating feature of these printers is a great place to practice and hone prototyping skills with a 3d printer.

This Tronxy printer has a 600mm print bed which is pretty sweet.

Tronxy X5SA-600 Large Direct Drive 3D Printer 600*600*600mm
https://www.tronxy3d.com/collections...-600-600-600mm

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Originally Posted by AutoWiz

And then later on you can figure out how to turn it into the Voron 2.4 or the VZbot or make it your own as I did. But that is down the road and after you have 2 printers up and going. But again the self replicating feature of these printers is a great place to practice and hone prototyping skills with a 3d printer.

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Not familiar with Voron or VZBot printers. Only looking to get one printer.

The X5SA 500 Pro I have will not fit through a doorway assembled the way it comes. However if we make some careful mods to only let things grow outside the frame on the sides and nothing in front or back at all then we can barely make the 500 clear a doorway. The 600 will require frame disassembly to be moved just from one room to another. This is what has stopped me from chasing the 600. We go through extensive calibration processes to make our printers run real sweet and to disassemble them means to start over with the calibrations. But then I rent and do not own a home with a garage. So that matters to me.

Voron and VZbot are printers you can either build from scratch or convert your existing coreXY to. Voron 2.4 is an incredible 3d printer and you can turn your TronXY into one. Here is a video on the Voron 2.4: My new favorite 3D Printer! The Voron 2.4 Build Experience - YouTube

Thanks for the info. The Voron 2.4 seems to be very interesting. Is there any info on if a new version is on its way?


I came across this site below that breaks down some of the 3D printer components and I found that useful.


https://www.drdflo.com/pages/Guides/...inter/FFF.html