If you are out looking for a 3D printer on budget and don't know where to start, then this post might help you narrow down your choices.
As this is not where i would write about all my findings and comparisons before i took the plunge, i would only put details about the printer which i bought. That was the "Ender 3" from creality (you guessed its, yep it's chinese). There is also a "Ender 3 Pro" which comes at a fraction of cost higher then the "ender 3" and at the end of the article i'll let you know why i didn't go for it.
Why a 3D printer ?
For me, it meant owning a new technology and trying out the applications and if i put it simply "for the fun of learning something new". For you it can be related to your business or the field of study, especially if you an engineer and do a lot of DIY.
For DIY'ers, its a great piece of technology that lets you print the parts and pieces which is greatly needed for all DIY projects. From full fleged drone casings to small pieces like screws, nuts and bolts. I've printed wrenches though i could have just gone out and bought one, but the joy of creating one on your own is far more greater pleasure.
For business where you need to prototype or design a lot, this can be a great addtion to you R&D department. Architectural agencies, jewelry designers, IT hardware fabricators etc, has numerous applications that can be done with a 3D Printer.
Why a DIY 3D printer and what does it mean ?
My sole purpose to buy one was to learn a new technology trend and what better way then to do it all by myself. If you are not afraid of tinkering and assembling, then this is not as herculean as it sounds. Skills needed are similar to assembling furniture pieces you buy from Ikea (personally i found that being more daunting).
It's the process that you go through during assembling which makes you learn all the terminologies and various parts that goes into building the 3D printer. It took all of 2-3 hrs to build the Ender 3 and you can find numerous blogs and video on You Tube detailing the same.
What can it do ?
New to 3D printing ? Well there are a lot of technologies out there used for 3D printing and i would not go in details. What we are talking about is FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) method which uses a filament of plastic, which is fed to the printer and melted at around 200 degrees and then deposited over the print surface layer on layer to achieve the final print.
The filament (1.75 mm plastic wire) that can be used in the Ender 3 are of various types and some of the common ones are:
PLA - Most common and cheapest of the lot. This is enough for all your common printing needs. Costs about Rs 1000/- per kilogram and is easily available through amazon.
ABS - As the name suggests and you would have heard before, this filament is good for printing things which can withstand harsh conditions and is very durable.
PETG - Again some of you might have heard this term and its basically used to produce foodgrade containers, bottles etc. So if you are printing something that you would use in your kitchen or to hold food then this is what is recommended.
TPU - Flexible plastics used for making phone cases etc. Used where there is a a need of flexible and stretchable plastic.
How much does it cost ?
3D printers are not that abundantly available in Indian markets as they are not a mainstream gadget or appliance. Ender 3 is an entry level 3D printer costing anywhere between 16k to 20k INR depending on the distributor or seller you buy it from.
You must be thinking that its not that costly. Ender 3 is a DIY printer mostly build on open source running an open source firmware and software. You have to configure and optimize your settings yourself to achieve the smooth looking prints. So the cost is only to manufacture the hardware components used and thats why the cheap price tag.
The other printers like the Flashforge are affordable as well starting from 30k and going upwards into lakhs but meant for people who are not interested in DIY, just like buying an inkjet printer, put in the inks (filaments) and start printing. Then there are other ahead of the curve with all the technology possible out there inbuilt and are state of the art. For Eg. the Ultimaker which starts at a couple of lakh and goes upwards.
What are the choices in Indian market today and where can i buy ?
Ender 3 is widely available from many online seller on amazon India. Though i sourced it from a distributor in mumbai. Only point i'll make here is don't get into the gimmicks of some distributors selling an upgraded ender 3 etc. It's all the same and sourced directly from china. Its the same box that it will get delivered in and would take the same time with same components as delivered by Creality.
You can also go in for Ender 3 Pro, which is about 5k more then the ender 3, but i personally would advise against it. The only upgrade that worth it is the removable magnetic bed and an upgraded power supply. I would rather take that 5k and upgrade the bed to a borosilicate glass bed and connecting octopi (i'll get to all this in other articles). So Ender Pro is not worth the upgrade according to me.
Do i need it ?
Well, if you've read the article above then i guess you have already reached to a conclusion. I would say if you've that spare 20k lying around and are bit of a DIY guy like me, then go ahead and you'll not be disappointed. Though you friends and family would go crazy with you wanting to print everything from a comb to a phone case all by yourself.
Final words....
Do let me know below if you've any other question or queries regarding the purchase or any technical query about the printer and I'll answer when i can..