[DLynn]

DLynn on December 14, 2014 at 8:17 pm · in reply to: Power consumption #1756

@michael101 Someone has done the calculations. Loughborough University in the UK did a study that compared 3D printing to injection molding and discovered that 3D printers that use heat or laser to melt plastic consumed 50 to 100 times more electrical energy than injection molding. That may sound like a lot (it is!) but there are benefits that might balance out your energy use, depending on the quantity of object your produce. For example, 3D printing is a much more efficient user of raw materials, only using materials when they are needed, which might lower your overall cost by eliminating material waste.

We found a few other numbers you might be interested in. A recent maker tested his own 3D printer for energy usage and this is what he came up with:

Cooling fans: 15.7 watts
Stepper Motor Power: A combined total of nearly 3 watts
Heatbed Power: 129.5 watts
Hotend power: 28.3 watts

Overall the 3D printer was calculated to use the following energy:
Average 105 watts
Minimum 37.7 watts
Maximum 169.6 watts

These numbers will be different depending on the 3D printer you are using and what components you have installed, but hopefully it gives you a rough idea. Check out Clint Freeman’s post about his personal energy usage if you want some more details. How Much Power Does a 3D Printer Use.

[DLynn]

DLynn on December 14, 2014 at 8:00 pm · in reply to: Print Quality #1755

@angela There are a variety of factors that affect print quality with 3D printing. The quality of filament, filament diameter and type (PLA or ABS), how hot the internal temperature of the 3D printer gets in order to melt the plastic filament, the size of the 3D printing nozzle which lays the melted plastic and the speed at which the print takes place. Each of these elements influence the overall quality of the print and can affect how detailed of an object you are able to create.

At this time, there is no comparable quantifier, like DPI, that applies to 3D printing outcomes. Most professionals are interested in accuracy, stability, and surface texture as they measure what is called “total replication” or how closely a 3D printed object resembles the intended print.