AMR Software
AMR Data Centers

New Paper From CADD Edge Tries to Take the Confusion Out of Picking the Right 3D Printer Speed

Share this Article

StratasysLogoOne thing that most 3D printer manufacturers like to brag about is printer speed; the speed of a printer actually varies a lot more than manufacturers tend to describe. More than one company has claimed to offer the “fastest printer in its class,” but those claims may only be true when it comes to certain printing applications. A printer may be able to print a large part at record speed, but that same printer might also be slower than most when printing especially small parts. Stratasys reseller CADD Edge discovered this during a recent speed test they performed on several of their printers.

caddThe study, which CADD Edge has documented in a white paper entitled “3D Printer SPEED Comparison,” pitted several Stratasys printers, both high end and entry level, against each other for the purpose of creating a guide for customers wanting to get a realistic idea of the printer speeds they can expect when purchasing a particular model. The paper, which can be downloaded here, gives a detailed look at how print speeds compare on different applications. For example, which is the fastest printer for printing a single part, as opposed to the fastest for printing, say, twenty parts?

Printer-Speed-Whitepaper-Cover“Our speed comparison methodology was designed to give a rough idea of printer speed comparisons—not a comprehensive study—and so we deliberately chose a single part that would be printed on all the Stratasys printers using a standard material for each technology (FDM and PolyJet),” says Juan Carlos Gandiaga, application engineer for CADD Edge. “We did test printing for a single part build and then printing 5, 10 and 20 parts at once…the span of speed varies greatly across the line of printers we sell, but there’s a lot more to this story than the ‘fastest’ printer.”

For example, Gandiaga continues, one of their top-performing printers blew all of the other printers out of the water with speeds five to twenty times the speeds of entry level printers; however, that same printer was exceptionally slow when printing a very small part. This may be frustrating to consumers who want their printers to be fast no matter what they’re printing, but that’s a great reason for publishing a paper of this sort. Buying a 3D printer is a huge investment, with a dizzying array of factors to consider before purchasing, and so it’s helpful to have a guide that breaks features down into the best performers for specific applications.

Stratasys printers tested in the study included:

FDM Printers:

  • Mojo
  • uPrint SE Plus
  • Dimension
  • Fortus 250mc
  • Fortus 380/450/900mc (results for these three printers were identical)

PolyJet Printers:

  • Objet30 Prime
  • Objet Eden260VS
  • Objet260 Connex3
  • Objet350 Connex3
  • Objet500 Connex3
  • Objet1000 Plus

onepart
In general, FDM printers were twice as fast as PolyJet printers when printing a single part. PolyJets, however, became much faster when asked to print multiple parts at one time. No single printer stood out above all others as being the overall fastest or best. It’s an interesting study, and one that should be tremendously helpful for those considering purchasing a 3D printer. Usually, when buying a 3D printer, the customer has some general idea of what types of things they’ll be using it for, so a study like this one should help interested buyers to narrow their choices down to the printer that meets their specific needs. Even if you’re not in the market for a new printer right now, it’s still worth taking a look at; the download is free and contains a lot of information that’s very helpful in terms of better understanding printer speed and the many factors that go into it. Discuss in the 3D Printer Speeds forum over at 3DPB.com.



Share this Article


Recent News

Caracol’s Robotic LFAM Used to Fabricate 3D Printed Installation for Milan Design Week

3D Printing News Briefs, April 19, 2025: Material Extrusion Standard, Metal Powder, & More



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

Fictiv Sold to Japan’s MISUMI for $350 Million

MISUMI (TSE: 9962) is acquiring Fictiv for $350 million. The Japanese manufacturer, known for supplying factory automation components like shafts, bearings, and fasteners, wants to combine its global production and...

Japan Unveils World’s First 3D Printed Train Station

Japan is now home to what we believe is the world’s first train station built with 3D printing technology. Located in Arida City, just south of Osaka, the new Hatsushima...

3D Printing News Briefs, April 16, 2025: AM Award Winners, Cold Spray, Drones, & More

We’ve got some more news from last week’s RAPID+TCT to kick off today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, and then moving on to some interesting pieces of military AM news. Read...

Meltio’s Wire-Laser Metal AM Joins South Korea’s Defense Arsenal

Spanish multinational Meltio announced that South Korea’s Marine Corps Logistics Group has just become the first military unit in the country to roll out robot-based metal 3D printers powered by...