CNC machines that can cut metal are much more expensive than 3D printers, even small weaker ones with limited materials are not cheaper for the same part quality. On top of that, computer aided machining software is a bit funkier than 3D printing slicers, as far as I understand they require a lot more work to make sure tool paths are viable and suitable tools are used.
There’s also a huge ecosystem of amateur but helpful nerds for 3D printing, machining is a bit more hardcore. Laser cutters can do very little depth (at our budget anyway) so it’s mostly for flat pieces or foldable nets
bang on here. 3d printing allows you to create objects that you would otherwise need a 4 axis CNC to make. If you dont need the strength of metal then 3D printing offers a cheap way to rapid prototype and then create a final design. You can leave a 3d printer running without supervision, not so much with a CNC machine. 3D printers have helped revolutionise a lot of stuff including this hobby and offer materials just as robust as resin plastics.
@Lee_Wright@mr.shiteside Thanks for the explanation! I have now read several articles about the main types of printing, and this made it even clearer why it is so popular. But another question immediately arises. If I want to make a super beautiful model of several colors, then how can I make it on a 3D printer? As I understand it, not all printers can print in several colors at once. Or am I wrong again?
If you want to make specific colours in specific parts of a model - something like a model of a person with brown hair, blue shirt, and grey pants then you need to either make it in separate parts or get a very complicated machine. You can use a splicer that takes multiple input materials, communicates with the rest of the printer, and cuts the right material in at the right time. Or you can get a machine with multiple extenders, hot ends, and nozzles each with a different material. Both options are expensive and complicated, you’re better off splitting it into different components and designing a way to attach them afterwards
If you just want something to look multicoloured but you don’t care where the colours go, you can use a normal printer and this type of filament
Edit: this stuff probably belongs in the general 3D printing discussion thread
@mr.shiteside Understood. Thank you. Then the last question. How practical is it to use a 3D printer with two extruders? I found this article and at the end it says that with a dual extruder you can make two-color elements. But I thought, how practical is it? After all, there are projects with a large number of colors. And if there are two extruders, then this does not double the printing speed. Or not? This moment is completely incomprehensible to me.
I have a dual extruder printer and it doesn’t double the speed as only one is used at a time. It allows you to have two filaments primed and ready to go at the same time. It allows you to print in two colours for example or print only the support material out of a dissolvable material loaded in your second extruder so you can make crazy internal geometries etc. It actually slows the print process down as you need to print a prime tower in addition to your model - this allows the printer to perform prime and nozzle wipe every time it switches extruders
And heres a good example of using dual extruders to print PVA supports (which are water soluble) This print will be submerged in water afterwards and the support material will melt away leaving the model left behind
It’s unusual to have a design that requires multiple sections to be different colours, that also can’t allow for post-processing or assembly of separate parts. Most toys for kids that have different colours are simply done in sections and clipped or glued together or just painted after moulding one piece.
From an engineering point of view there are rarely parts that require different materials, mostly because designers don’t expect to have that option so that’s not how designs are conceptualised. Another way of saying it is that multi-material processes don’t solve lots of traditional problems, but they do allow you to think in a different way that generates new approaches or types of solutions. The main example I can think of (outside of the supports Lee mentioned because that gives you cool new geometries and that’s universally quite useful) is embedding flexible components into a design that’s otherwise either rigid or very hard or very chemical resistant or etc etc
In esk8 you are right but looking at the wider engineering possibilities its actually useful. Some filaments like Nylon have horrendous supports to remove as the material is just so tough so printing a soluble or breakaway material is advantageous in these examples. its also useful for when you require a good surface on the underside of something and supports cant give you a nice finish. Its an expensive way to do it though. The Ultimaker PVA is super expensive (£80-£100 for 750g) and needs to be kept nicely as its super hydroscopic
Water soluble supports , I think it the dual has to be worth the upgrade for that alone - sounds silly but 2 type of material didn’t occur to me just colours lol
Yeah I edited just after the post because I kind of neglected supports. I was thinking largely of parts where separate materials or colours are integral to the part, and comparisons to other manufacturing processes. For example you can’t feasibly injection mould a soft water tight seal onto a plastic bottle before so they need to be two assemblies. Didn’t really think about multi material FDM vs regular FDM and how important supports are, just about MM FDM vs moulding or subtractive manufacturing or whatever
Yeah totally. 3D printing has its limitations which is why in 2020 I bought a CNC machine. Having both opens up a lot of possibilities for makers. I love having both tools and rarely use the dual extruder features as like you say its just easier and cheaper to design the requirement out of the part
Oh man I’m so glad I’ve fought the urge so far, like there’s absolutely no justification for me to have one while I’m a student messing around in my bedroom but I waaant
