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Fused deposition modelling is used in a wide range of industries - medical, design, engineering, and architectural, where it is an ideal tool for creating 3D architectural models to build up cityscapes. It's curious that despite the prevalence of realistically rendered 3D digital models, the physical model still figures strongly, even though they are usually monochrome, especially wih cityscapes.

The lower price levels make it possible to overcome one of the constraints of 3D printing - the length of time that it takes to produce a single model. In fact some universities in America have created 3D printing production lines - innovation centres, run by one operator, and fed by the laptops of students, together with scanners to encourage and service student's creative activities.

MAKERBOT
One of the 3D printer ranges that is doing well at the moment, with models starting at just under £1000, is MakerBot, a Brooklyn-based company that was acquired by Stratasys in 2013. They have half a dozen printers in their line-up, from the MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact, which makes up for its size and price with its long name, to the Replicator Z18 3D printer, which has the biggest build volume.

The Replicator Mini Compact brings 3D printing to the home office and workshop, and provides an easy to use and versatile way of producing 3D physical models from 3D digital models. It's a small unit, weighing no more than 10kg, and can produce models up to 100 x 100 x 125mm, using PLA filament as the modelling material. Models are built up in 0.2mm steps, i.e. the filament is applied in 0.2mm thick layers.

There is quite a leap, then, to the next model, the Replicator 2 3D Printer, which can build models up to 285mm x 153mm x 155mm with an improved resolution of 0.1mmm using both PLA filament and flexible filament. Aimed at the professional designer, it's 100 micron resolution and 410 cubic inch build volume enable it to be used to build larger and more accurate 3D models.

Looking to the future, the Replicator 2X Experimental 3D printer comes with two extruders, and is optimised for traditional thermoplastic ABS material, or dissolvable filament. It has a maximum model size of 246 x 152 x 155mm and the same resolution or micron size as the previous model. MakerBot say that the printer is optimised for future 3D printing, and it will be interesting to see how they support it going forward, the current range being ‘fifth generation’ printers.

The biggest model maker of them all is the Replicator Z18, which can be used to build massive 305 x 305 x 457mm models using PLA filament. The Z18 is designed to be used for hands on and technically adept users, and integrates with the MakerBot 3D EcoSystem of hardware and software materials and accessories.

Powered by the user-friendly app and Cloud enabled MakerBOT OS enables the Z18 to be remotely activated and monitored. The Z18 is also the largest of the lot, weighing in at 52 kilos, and with dimensions of 650 x 719 x 1060mm, definitely not a desktop machine.

The final machine in the line-up is the Replicator Desktop 3D printer. Designed to be used for making professional quality prototypes for the home office, classroom, design office or architectural practice, the Replicator Desktop can build models up to 252 x 199 x 150mm in size, has the same 0.1mm accuracy and uses PLA filament as the modelling material.

MAKERBOT TECHNICAL
When they first appeared, MakerBot printers were considered a novelty, turning out thousands of toys and action figures. This year, however, they have concentrated on making the printers more useful by introducing new ABS and PLA composite filaments made with wood, metal and stone - by integrating metal shavings, stone chippings and, I presume, sawdust with the plastic material, to produce quite accurate reproductions of the original material. Sufficient iron, for example, can actually enable magnetic models to be produced.

MakerBot printers use both ABS and PLA thermoplastics, a material that becomes soft and mouldable when heated and returns to a solid when cooled. This is a process that can be repeated time and time again, which is why they are in widespread use on a daily basis.

For them to be suitable for 3D printing, though, they must pass three further tests. It must be possible to extrude it into a plastic filament, taking the pile of plastic pellets and turning them into a uniformly dense, bubble free, consistently sized round rod. This then has to go through a second extrusion and trace-binding during the 3D printing process, giving visually pleasing and physically accurate parts. Finally, and of principal importance, its properties must match its intended application in terms of strength, durability, gloss and so on.

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