I originally started this thread on which printer to buy: link.
I had a lot of helpful responses. I am leaning toward the Lulzbot TAZ 5, but I was curious about the benefits/drawbacks of having an open 3D printer vs having an enclosed one (like the Ultimaker).
Also I am wondering if anyone knows of any Lulzbot enclosure makers or good forums on how to build a custom enclosure for an open printer.
I have a FlashForge creator pro, which is enclosed. As I understand it an enclosure makes printing ABS a lot easier by reducing cold drafts and helping raise the ambient temperature a little all in an effort to reduce warping.
1 Like
The reason to enclose a 3D printer are many: Contain any fumes, lower the noise it produces, and reduce the temperature fluctuations around the the part being printed. However the draw back of these added features is that number one it costs more and number two it adds complexity meaning more points of failure and also makes it harder to fix - i.e. instead of just reaching in and fixing or turning something you have to disassemble the enclosure first. It is hard to find a consumer level printer that has an actual enclosure that will provide a substantial benefit when it comes to keeping a steady temperature as most of them including the flash forge pro and the Ultimaker have an open top so that the filament can be fed in. Since heated air rises this means that it is constantly leaving the top. What it does do however is help prevent drafts from cooling the part and possibly warping it as in the case of ABS which can be a problem. Additionally the sides are usually just thin plexiglass which has minimal insulation value. Putting the printer in a complete enclosure (just google TAZ5 Enclosure - the majority are DIY jobs - just a box so you could easily figure one out) can work but the risk you run here is that the electronics will overheat as you are putting everything in the environment that is going to get heated (though this doesn’t seem to big of a deal or at least nobody admits it). If you go up to a professional grade 3D Printer this is one of the features they have. Basically the printer is a giant oven that is insulated as well as heated and keeps the ambient air temperature surrounding the part at a constant temperature - and you pay for that feature in spades. If simply enclosing a 3D printer made a significant difference in print quality all companies would spend the extra $100 dollars to do it. That being said if you plan on putting your printer directly under the air conditioning vent in your office, or next to the window that is always open even in the winter and you live in Wisconsin then an enclosure is worth considering. On the whole I would start off with whichever printer you decide on and then if you run into problems that enclosing it will fix then design the enclosure around that problem.
I have a Taz 5 without the enclosure. The biggest issue is temperature stability. However, I do a test print before I print real high quality items and verify how the environment affects the print. My Taz is in the garage where I have, for the last week dealt with big swings in temperatures, but had great prints. The Taz is quiet and really the only plastic that smells is ABS. I don’t recommend an enclosure, my opinion.
I do recommend the Taz 5 as it prints beautifully. I am using Simplify 3D software which provides every fine adjustment and control. However, I think Cura and Matter Control are very good slicers too.
A few comments:
1) An enclosed printer is a must when working with either a) large printed parts and b) high temperature materials like ABS and Polycarbonate to mitigate warping and to get great layer adhesion
2) Almost all of the consumer printers out there worth a lick are not enclosed. You mention the ultimaker, but its not actually enclosed. It looks enclosed, but the front and top are open so heat escapes.
3) You should look at the Fusion3 F400-S (http://www.fusion3design.com). Its in the same price range as the Ultimaker and Taz but is fully enclosed and has a much larger print area.
