Testing 3D printers is an in-depth process. Printers often don’t use the same materials or even the same process for creating models. I test SLA, 3D printers that use resin and light to print, and FDM, printers that melt plastic onto a plate. Each has a unique methodology. The core qualifications I look for include:
- Hardware quality
- Easy setup
- Included software
- Appearance and accuracy of prints
- Repairability
- Corporate and Community Support
An important test print, depicting the (now old) CNET logo, is used to assess how a printer bridges gaps, creates accurate shapes, and handles overhangs. There are even small towers that can be used to measure how well the 3D printer handles temperature ranges.
When testing speed, we slice the model using the standard slicer that comes with the machine with the default settings. We then compare how long the print actually takes to complete with the completion time indicated on the slicer. 3D printers often use different slicers, and these slicers can vary greatly in the completion time they assume.
We then use PrusaSlicer to determine how much material to use for the print and divide that number by the actual print time to get a more accurate number for the speed in millimeters per second (mm/s) the printer can run at.
Each building board should heat up to a certain temperature, so we use the InfiRay thermal imaging camera for Android to see how well they work. We set the build plate to 60 degrees Celsius – the most commonly used temperature for build plates – waited 5 minutes for the temperature to stabilize, then measured it in six different locations. We then averaged the temperature to see how close the 3D printer came to the specified temperature.
Testing resin requires different criteria, so I use Ameralabs’ standard test: printing a small resin model that looks like a small city. This helps determine how accurate the printer is, how it handles small parts, and how well UV exposure works in different places on the model.
In addition, many more test prints are performed on each printer with different 3D models to test the durability of the parts and determine how well the device copes with different shapes.
For the other criteria, I evaluated the company on how well it responds to customer support requests and how easy it is to order spare parts and install them yourself. Kits (printers that come only half assembled) are judged on how time-consuming and difficult the assembly is and how clear the instructions are.
