[Swansea Hackspace] Proposal for new 3D Printer

[Peter Barnes]

All,

As the owner/builder of two 3D printers (both still in development) I agree
with Alex that the Original Prusa i3 MK3
<https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-printers/180-original-prusa-i3-mk3-kit.html#/7-color-black_and_orange/42-spring_steel_sheet-double_sided_textured_powder_coated_spring_steel_sheet>
would be a fantastic choice.

For those who are not familiar, I would recommend watching the review from
GreatScott, https://youtu.be/a6elq83OVWQ

My main reasoning behind recommending this printer, despite the higher
price tag than you would expect from similar sized printers are as follows:

   - *Reliability *- the MK3 is packed full of sensors and features that
   make it the most reliable hobbyist 3D printer available. This would greatly
   reduce downtime at the hackspace. Some of the reliability features are as
   follows: power loss protection (can recover print after power loss);
   filament sensor (detects stuck filament, end of filament) and skipped step
   detection (prevents skipped steps ruining print)


   - *Speed and Sound* - the Trinamic stepper drivers, construction and
   feature-set of this printer allows it to print much faster but also much
   quieter than your average printer. This will allow members to get through
   their prints quicker without turning the electronics area into a factory!


   - *"Tool not a Project"* - the resounding conclusion that the attendees
   of the AGM came to was that the hackspace is after a 3D printer that can be
   used as a tool, not as a project. In simple terms this means that we want a
   piece of equipment that will run reliably, for a long time, with little
   maintenance, and be easy to use by any of our members following a short
   induction course. I believe that the Prusa MK3 hits those points more than
   any other hobbyist 3D printer that exists, and would continue to do so for
   years to come.


I am also in favour of Alex's suggestion that the directors should consider
changing the "rules" of 3d printing in the hackspace once convinced that
the printer is safe and reliable.


Regards,

Peter Barnes

On Sat, Mar 3, 2018 at 4:25 PM, Alex Duffield <alexmduffield at gmail.com>
wrote:

> As the owner of 3 printers I can whole heartedly recommend the prusa mk3,
> I would be happy to bring mine along on Monday if you want to see how it
> works and how reliable it is, the only other one I've used that was
> reliable was the CR10 but its main advantage (the massive build volume) is
> lost on the limited time to print. I also can spearhead the construction of
> the mk3 (which solo took me 6 hours so should be able to get down to 3 with
> multiple people working on different axies) as I have done it before, might
> I also recommend that since there is no known report of a prusa causing a
> fire or even charring a connection that we could look at increasing the
> print time and/or allowing to print unattended given its amazing
> reliability? Just a thought
>
> On 3 Mar 2018 4:18 p.m., "Justin Mitchell" <justin at swansea.hackspace.org.
> uk> wrote:
>
> At the AGM it was reported that we have increasing amounts of problems
> with the 3D printers that we already have, they are increasingly
> showing signs of age and wear, and are frequently in a state of
> disrepair.
>
> It was suggested that we should invest in a new higher quality printer,
> one which will be reliable and require minimal maintenance, something
> which we can more suitably call a tool rather than it being someones
> project or work in progress, one which we can point to as the one that
> 'just works'
>
> So, any suggestions ?
>
>
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