1 Topic by Heartlander

  • Heartlander
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Topic: Looking at Laser sintering printers. Recommendations?

If you've seen  part produced on a high end printer you know the quality can be impressive. Even without polishing, they look like injection molded with a light sand finish. Smooth, accurate and strong.

And, since there are things a 3D printer can do that you can't do with injection molding (intricate forms that bend around, down in, up and back around) a high end printer is an attractive platform if you are trying to take products to market.

Unfortunately those parts are expensive to produce. Not  problem if you are working for the govt or huge corp but if you are cost conscious, like for consumer products, the math doesn't really work.

I like my Solidoodle 3 and will keep it for quick inexpensive prototyping but am starting to consider a low end (if there is such a thing) powder or resin laser printer.

Does anyone have any recommendations on machines? Random thoughts?

Robox printer, HICTOP (Prusa i3 variant) Model 3DP17 printer, ELEK 2.5W laser engraver, AutoDesk 123D Design, Windows 10

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2 Reply by Heartlander (edited by Heartlander 2015-12-22 17:11:20)

  • Heartlander
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Re: Looking at Laser sintering printers. Recommendations?

OR, or... an SLA (StereoLith) machine with superb print quality.

Robox printer, HICTOP (Prusa i3 variant) Model 3DP17 printer, ELEK 2.5W laser engraver, AutoDesk 123D Design, Windows 10

Heartlander's Website

3 Reply by Heartlander

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Re: Looking at Laser sintering printers. Recommendations?

and,uh... To be perfectly clear, I'm looking at dropping maybe $5-7k. And I'm guessing there is no sintering machine out there that cheap, but hey, gotta ask.

Robox printer, HICTOP (Prusa i3 variant) Model 3DP17 printer, ELEK 2.5W laser engraver, AutoDesk 123D Design, Windows 10

Heartlander's Website

4 Reply by elmoret

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Re: Looking at Laser sintering printers. Recommendations?

There is no sintering machine that cheap. Add one or two zeros to your budget first.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

5 Reply by Heartlander

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Re: Looking at Laser sintering printers. Recommendations?

If this one keeps rolling, it is $5k

http://3dprint.com/12944/sintratec-sls- … ter-cheap/

Robox printer, HICTOP (Prusa i3 variant) Model 3DP17 printer, ELEK 2.5W laser engraver, AutoDesk 123D Design, Windows 10

Heartlander's Website

6 Reply by elmoret

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Re: Looking at Laser sintering printers. Recommendations?

Yes, I've been following them for a few years now. You can't purchase one yet so it doesn't make the cut. That one is also limited to black powder due to its diode power, and a build area of 4" X 4" x 4". Finaly, there hasn't been much posted in the way of third party reviews, nor is there much of a community yet in case things go wrong.

I see you edited your post to include SLA. Best options there are the littleRP and the Form 1 series.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

7 Reply by pirvan (edited by pirvan 2015-12-22 20:57:21)

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Re: Looking at Laser sintering printers. Recommendations?

AT the last Bay Area Maker Faire, there was a guy that was showing prototype SLS printer that he claimed would go for about 4K once they were ready.  The advantage was that it was 8"x8" build area, and it would print any nylon because it used a CO2 laser.

The name of the printer was PolyForge.

I don't know if they got anywhere, I'll have to look it up.

Update:
Here is an article on it.  Looks like the target price is actually somewhere between 10 and 20K, not 4K like I remembered:
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20150515- … esses.html

To print or, 3D print, that is the question...
SD3 printer w/too many mods,  Printrbot Simple Maker Ed.,  FormLabs Form 1+
AnyCubic Photon, Shining 3D EinScan-S & Atlas 3D scanners...
...and too much time on my hands.