Richard Barton

Today I will tell you how to choose a 3D printer and what parameters are important to pay attention to when buying.

What features should you evaluate in a 3D printer?

So many 3D printers and so many selling points for each 3D printer. How can you know which one is best for you? Here’s a list of details you should keep in mind before you choose a 3D printer. These are the things that will affect your final decision.

How to choose a 3D printer, you need to think about what it will be used for:

1) Speed

Influences how fast the 3D Printer can make your model. This is measured in mm/s. Sometimes 3D printers can take longer than expected to make some parts. Fortunately, you can change the printing speed of the 3D printer. The maximum speed of a 3D printer ranges from 50 mm/s to 150 mm/s, and sometimes even more. The difference between the slowest and fastest 3D printer is significant. 100 mm / s instead of 40 mm/s is hours of time saved. Faster 3D Printers are more expensive, but you get what you pay for. If you have extra money to spend, buy a faster one! Keep in mind that speeds above 150 mm/s tend to reduce quality.

2) Quality

Affects the thickness of the layer. High quality = smooth parts. 3D Printer Quality refers to the highest resolution at which a 3D printer can print. Resolution is measured in microns. Microns are very small units of measurement. A micrometer is 0.00004 inch or a millionth of a meter. The lower the highest resolution, the better the print quality and precision. A 3D printer with a resolution of 25 microns (0.025 mm) will provide a very high quality print. A resolution of 150 microns (0.15 mm) is a lower quality print, while 100 microns is average quality. Budget 3D Printers will usually have a maximum resolution of at least 100 microns. This is usually fine unless you are creating product prototypes or tight moving parts. However, keep in mind that print quality also depends on the material used and the printing technology of the printer you choose (see below). For example, a part printed using SLA will be higher quality than a part printed using FDM.

3) The printing platform

The object you are 3D printing is made on a printing platform. A good printing platform will ensure that the printed object sticks to it during printing and comes off easily after printing. The printing platform is where the filament is placed and is supposed to form a uniform object. Like the print head, the print platform affects overall performance. The printing platform can be heated or unheated, it depends on the type of filament used and the manufacturer’s instructions. A 3D printer with only a non-heated platform is safer and applies to PLA and other materials that don’t require a heated surface, but it limits the use of other filaments. With a heated print platform, you can print with more materials including ABS, ASA, PC and HIPS. The printing platform comes in a variety of configurations. Some are magnetic, allowing for easy maintenance and quick removal of completed prints. The material of the printing platform is also a factor. An aluminum printing platform heats up faster and won’t break when accidentally bumped. A glass printing platform offers a flat surface, is easier to clean, and is not prone to warping.

4) Print dimensions and volume

Something that most beginners forget to evaluate is the volume of the printer. There are 3D printers designed for desktop computers and also there are larger printers designed for more professional use. The larger the volume the larger models can be made. Most hobbyists choose 3D Printers small enough to fit on desktop computers. Of course, a larger print volume usually comes with larger printer dimensions, so make sure you have enough room if you plan on making large prints. Also, printers vary with respect to the frame: it can be open or closed. A closed frame will reduce the sound and smell from some fibers like ABS and is safer if you have children or pets.

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5) Connection

This is related to ease of use. You need a way to transfer the 3D model to the 3D printer. This can be done through WiFi, USB, SD card and other methods. When choosing a 3D printer, consider the connection options available at the beginning. Some can connect via USB and SD card or one of those listed. There are also 3D Printers that can connect via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The connection options may affect where the 3D Printer is placed. A 3D Printer that has SD card transfer (through a built-in interface) can be placed virtually anywhere in the room. In contrast, a 3D Printer that connects via USB will need to be placed close to the computer, resulting in a more crowded desktop.

6) Number of print heads and their type

Some 3D printers have more than one print nozzle. This allows multiple materials to be printed simultaneously. The configuration and quality of the entire printhead affects print quality, print speed, and material compatibility. The printhead is divided into two sections, each designed for a specific task: cold end and hot end.

The cold end (extruder) pulls the filament from the spool and pushes it to the hot end (hotend), which melts the filament and deposits it on the print bed to form a uniform object. The configuration and quality of the entire printhead affect print quality, print speed and material compatibility.

Extruder: with the cold end, you need to check the filament feeder system, which occurs in a direct drive configuration or a Bowden configuration. In the former, the cold end is on top of the hotend, which means the print head has more mass to carry, affecting print speed. In the latter, the cold end is separate. It is mounted somewhere on the frame, making the hotend move faster. While a direct drive is most recommended for flexible materials, an optimized Bowden can also get the job done.

Hotend: with a hotend, there are several things to consider, the most important of which is the maximum operating temperature. Some materials require very high temperatures that can only be achieved with an all-metal hotend. The hotend carries a nozzle, a small hole at the end that extrudes the molten filament and deposits it on the print bed. It comes in various diameters, with 0.4 millimeters being the default diameter for most 3D printers.

The nozzle diameter affects both print speed and print quality. With a smaller nozzle, the 3D Printer can produce smoother and more detailed 3D models, but at the expense of print speed. With a larger nozzle, the opposite is true. On the other hand, the material of the nozzle affects the compatibility of the material. A brass nozzle, which is standard, is good enough for most basic materials and a few composites. But for high abrasion materials, such as metal filled fibers and carbon fiber reinforced fibers, a hardened steel nozzle is recommended.

You can modify the print heads to achieve the desired results. With enough tinkering, a cheap 3d printer can transform into a 3D printer that can print at high resolution and use a wide range of materials.

Dual extruders: some 3D printers are equipped with dual extruders, allowing you to print in two colors without changing the filament mid-print and print more complex 3D models using soluble auxiliary materials such as PVA.

Dual extruder 3D printers come in two variants: Dual Extruder with a single print head equipped with dual nozzles, and Dual Extruder with a pair of print heads that move independently of each other. With independent dual extruders, you can print two of the same 3D models at a faster rate, increasing productivity.

While Dual Extruder 3D Printers may seem tempting, they are not recommended for beginners due to their learning curve and more demanding maintenance. If you feel like a dual extruder setup, you can always upgrade your single 3D printer in the future.

7) Filament size and type

Consumer 3D Printers use either 1.75mm or 3mm filament, with the former being more widely used due to its availability and ease of use. Unless you install the proper hardware, you cannot use 3-millimeter filaments on a 3D printer designed by default for 1.75-millimeter filaments, and vice versa. Choose a product configured for the size of filament you want to print out of the box.

How to choose a 3D printer – Other Additional Features

When it comes to features, not all 3D printers come with extra features. Some are loaded with convenient features that make them better to use. Others are more limited and don’t have more than one or two features but really stand out. Here are some of the features available in 3D printers.

Automatic platform leveling

3D printers equipped with an automatic leveling system are much easier to handle during pre-print setup. With this system, no intensive manual labor is required to get the printing platform perfectly leveled. Just start the system and the 3D printer takes care of the rest. If your 3D printer doesn’t have an auto leveling system, you can always add one in the future, but it would require some tinkering.

Remember that Wi-Fi connectivity is not a reliable indicator of product quality, so don’t be taken in by companies that make their 3D Printer better just because it offers Wi-Fi connectivity.

Assisted platform leveling system (semi-automatic)

An assisted platform leveling system (semi-automatic) differs from a fully automatic bed leveling system in that it analyzes the actual condition of the platform and makes suggestions. The 3D printer automatically scans the print platform and then tells you exactly how to manually adjust the screws under the print bed, with instructions displayed on the built-in interface.

Filament Sensor

With a filament sensor, the 3D Printer will be able to detect and automatically pause printing when there is no filament, giving you the opportunity to load a new spool before resuming printing. Many 3D printers come with a filament sensor out of the box, although some companies do not mention this in their marketing materials.

Power Loss Recovery

With this feature, the 3D Printer will be able to resume the printing process after a sudden power outage. Like the filament sensor, this feature is especially useful when printing large, high-resolution 3D models that take more than 20 hours to complete.

Wi – Fi connectivity

As mentioned above, some 3D printers can connect via Wi-Fi out of the box. A 3D printer with this feature allows you to start prints and monitor print progress from afar, though not all products offer the same remote options. Some only offer the ability to cancel prints, without actual remote visual monitoring.

On-board camera

An on-board camera allows you to remotely monitor print progress on your computer or mobile device. However, few 3D printers offer an integrated camera. With most 3D printers, you have to manually install one, and this requires you to purchase your own camera and place a bracket for the camera.

Touchscreen interface

Some 3D printers have a touchscreen interface instead of a basic LCD interface with controls. Touchscreens vary in quality. Some offer smooth and lag-free operation, while some require an annoyingly hard press to register each input.

If you are a beginner and want to learn as much as possible, you should get a 3D printer that is inexpensive, easy to use, and offers excellent customer service.

For professionals making large and complex items, a printer with a large print volume and two extruders will be the best fit.

For teachers, it is best to have a 3D printer that is fast, easy and safe.

Printers for manufacturing processes and prototyping would require a higher budget to get good quality and performance.

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• 100% ORIGINAL FACTORY CREALITY ENDER 3 V2
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This 3D printer is famous for being one of the most cost-effective, budget and starter 3D printers that anyone can buy. It is easy to set up, gets a decent maximum resolution, and is safe. For the low cost, problems are rare. I strongly recommend that you check it out because there is not much to lose.

Today I’m going to share my soldering experience. I’ve heard it from my friends million times that some of them would like to start soldering. But they have lots of fear and uncertainty about the process. And what almost of them dislike the most is the unavoidable mess related to soldering. Well, I can’t but agree… However, I always invite them to my working place/soldering area in my workshop to show how different it could be.

I knew that soldering took lots of practice, and that’s why I started very slowly with it, paying attention to everything and taking into consideration any details. But, given the right training and lots hands-on practice, I do it perfectly well right now. And everyone can do the same, believe me.

Today I’m going to answer some questions and share my ways of keeping the tool as clean as possible. Maybe there are better ways and I’m not saying that what I’m doing is the only correct way, but for me it’s a best way giving me the best possible results.

My general rule is, “If you can get the best possible results with the most minimal amount of cleaning up, that is the best technique to use”.

Below are my answers to questions I was asked.

How do you clean surfaces before soldering?

Surface preparation before soldering is called pre-cleaning. And it’s an extremely important part of the soldering process. You might have heard of a flux. It is a good chemical cleaning agent used before and during the soldering process of electronic components into circuit boards. The primary purpose of the flux is to prepare the metal surfaces for soldering: flux is capable of cleaning and removing not only any oxides, but foreign matter such as oil, cutting fluids, grease, paint, and other impurities. In addition, the flux protects the metal surfaces from re-oxidation during the soldering process.

Note: If the aforementioned particles are not removed, they may inhibit proper capillary attraction during heating, and you won’t be able to get a result you need.

There are two ways of cleaning: chemical and mechanical. I use both, of course, depending on the situation.

Chemical cleaning is cleaning using various solvents, alkaline cleaners, acid or so-called pickling baths.

Note: Before cleaning in a pickling bath, make sure it is compatible with the metals used. After bath it is necessary to rinse thoroughly all the parts.

Mechanical cleaning means removal of various heavy deposits with brushes or grinders using abrasive agent.

How do you clean oxidized wires?

It’s a common knowledge that using oxidized wires is very dangerous. Oxidation affects a conductive core of a wire. Moreover, the copper core of the wire changes its color: it turns to black. You might have heard about black copper wire. In other words, it’s an oxidized electrical wire. Change of the color results in changes of the properties and specifications of any electrical wire. There are no guarantees of the former quality (as the oxides are non-conductive, for instance). If you are going to use oxidized wires, just remember that they are very easy to break and difficult to bend. Moreover, joints from oxidized wires are difficult to link together.

In my practice I try to avoid using old wires as much as I can. But sometimes I have to use them, but without oxidation. In order to remove the oxide from the wires I do the following.

• I prepare two solutions: one with table salt and vinegar, and the other one with baking soda. The second solution is used to neutralize the corrosive properties of the first one, and to further clean the wires.
• I place the oxidized parts of the wires in salt and vinegar solution and leave it there for about 2-3 minutes. This time should be enough for a metal to shine. If it is not perfectly clean throughout, leave it in a bit longer.
• Once the wires are shining, I remove them from the salt/vinegar solution and place into the baking soda solution for about 10-15 seconds to neutralize the corrosive properties of the acids.

Try it and I’m sure you will be happy with the results: your wires would be satisfactory clean, ready for soldering and having all their conducting properties again.

How do you clean a soldering gun?

I have almost all variations of standard replaceable soldering iron tips in my arsenal, from conical and chisel types to bevel tips. In theory, each tip is supposed to be used for its specific purpose, however in practice the most common ones that I constantly use are conical and chisel tips. I’m not saying that you should do the same, it’s just a matter of habit and practice.

And doesn’t matter what types of tips you use, they all get oxidized dirty after any soldering and need to be cleaned and taken care of. And here I’m going to share my ways and tips of keeping the tools in a proper and working condition… Go on reading here.

How do you care for a soldering iron?

Thinking about this post, it just crossed my mind that I hadn’t had many soldering irons in my life. Two of them I inherited from my Dad, and not long ago I bought a third one – a super-duper soldering station. But, in truth, most of the time I use Dad’s soldering irons. And I love them! They are in the perfect state, and you might have guessed why. Yes, exactly! They were taken good care of. Of course, the tips are new, but the irons themselves are in a perfect condition, like knew.

The most important is to care for the tip, of course, but I clean the protective tube (cover) of the soldering iron too.

• When hot: I use yellow sponge damp with water to clean the hot protective tube.
• When cold: I use 600 grit (or higher) sandpaper. There’s don’t need to remove metal, just an oxidation.

Note: Make sure the soldering iron is cold and unplugged.

How to clean clothes from solder?

If there are some solder spots on your clothes, use ethyl alcohol with/without a little acetone to clean. Well, it might take a couple of tries the first time. Don’t be afraid to add a bit more if acetone: it will not harm the fabric. Try to avoid water in the mixture! Once you have most of it gone, saturate with detergent and wash.

How to clean table from solder splatters?

Yes, a table might look a bit messy after soldering. As a rule, there are little solder splatters flowed evenly over the working area. However, it isn’t as bad as it looks and it’s easy to clean.

Once dry, any of the solder splatters can be easily removed from the table either with the fingernail or a soft stick. Sometimes I use scrubbing pads for dishes: they also work perfectly well.

Tip: If I need to solder a lot and don’t want to deal with mess after, I put either a big metal tray or an aluminum foil on my working table.

How to clean carpet from solder?

Well, that’s the most unpleasant…Once dried, the only thing I can recommend here is to scrape away the soldering drops from the carpet.

But if the soldering drops are still liquid, try to get rid of them as soon as you can.

• In order to protect your hands, put on a pair of impermeable rubber, nitrile, or thick latex gloves.
• Take a clean paper towel or a white cloth and blot the drops. Make sure you don’t rub the drops. Continue blotting up the remaining of the drops with fresh paper towels or cloths until you totally clean the carpet.
• It’s likely that some stains would remain. In that case you would need a professional help.

Conclusion

I do hope that these tips would help you to understand that it’s not that difficult to take care of your soldering tools, keep them ready to work any time. The more you solder, the more you are getting used to the process. And when you can successfully solder one piece to another, where there’s no excess solder on the surface, it gives you a minimum amount of cleaning to do. It does take practice!

It’s absolutely obvious that nowadays robotics moves forward at a rapid pace. Robots are working not only in the factories all around the world, but they are becoming more familiar in our houses too. At present no one seems impressed by a domestic floor cleaning robot, robotic pool cleaners or a robotic lawn mower.

They are already common household items. And I’m pretty sure that in the foreseeable future we are going to have intelligent refrigerators, robotics irons and digital wardrobes… And it all started with very primitive robots and gradually became more and more complicated.

Experience has shown that learning through play, fun and a lot of positive energy leads to the development of creativity and achievement of excellent results.

I bet that most of the engineers who stood at the origin of the robotics, had been interested in this area since their childhood. And, probably, it all started with the most basic and simple robotics kits.

Why I decided to write how to choose best robot kits?

Not long ago I had a phone call from one of my old buddies. We haven’t seen each other for a while due to the lockdown and, as is often in the case, he called for advice. He wanted to buy something very special for his 10^th birthday nephew, a robotics kit, to be exact. Actually, he felt at a bit of a loss after visiting the shop.

Moreover, he was a little taken aback by the excess of information. He told me that the man at the shop asked all the questions about the age and skills of his nephew, his interests, type of the kit he would like to buy… Just routine questions helping to make the right choice.

However, it was enough for my friend to get confused. He left the store empty-handed and decided to give me a call and get some more information.

Well, I’ll tell you, he did the right thing by calling me. That’s why I decided to write a post how to choose the best robot kit. I do hope that this information would be helpful for some of you.

Let’s get started!

What is a robot kit?

Robot kit is a special construction kit for building different types of robots. Generally, the kit includes motors, structural and mechanical elements, controller board and various sensors.

What to consider when buying a robot kit?

Looking for a very good robot kit can prove difficult. And as with any other stuff, there are several issues to consider before buying it. It’s one thing you purchase it for yourself and another – for someone else. In any case you need to answer several questions related to age, type of the kit, number of components, skill level, personal interests and priorities. Remember? As I have already mentioned, these routine questions made my friend a little confused. But you cannot avoid them, if you would like to buy a proper stuff.

1. Skills Level

One of the most important criteria to consider when buying a robot kit is skills level of a person who is going to use it. It’s obvious that a total newbie in programming and robots’ building should start with beginners’ kits. That’s the best and more logical approach to the process. In case your knowledge and experience in programming and robotics are pretty basic, and don’t have any help, go for the simplest stuff and try to get a general idea of building and programming. Therefore, try to find a kit meeting the following requirements:

• complete package: no extra tools required;
• totally assembled beginner kit (“out-of-box” or “plug-and-play” kits);
• no soldering (if you don’t have any soldering experience).

Users with intermediate and advanced skills should go for more sophisticated programmable robots with real hardware.

2. Age

Just to remind you, age of a person for whom you are buying a kit, is not the most important criterion. Not only kids and teens can have lots of fun building robots, but adults too.  and it’s not forbidden to start with robotics in any age. It means that beginners could be of different ages, including adults-beginners too. For kids’ beginners you can get various robot kits that will serve an introduction to programming in fun and simple way and robotics technologies in general. There are robot kits compatible with LEGO: and here the possibilities are really endless! With actuators and sensors, you can make lots of new things.

Beginner robot kit for adult will be same simple stuff but the end result may look a bit different and be more practical.

3. Type of a kit

All robotic kits can fall into two categories: soldering and non-soldering.

Some hobbyists really enjoy soldering. If you are one of them, go for a soldering robot kit. It means that in order to build a robot you need to solder the components included in the kit.

TIP: Most of the soldering robot kits don’t include any soldering tools. Therefore, it would be better, if you check what goes with the kit before buying it.

The only disadvantage of any soldering robot kit is that you would be able to make only one project only as all the components are soldered and are not designed or intended for re-use.

Non-soldering or solder-free kits include mechanical kits, snap circuits kits, breadboard kits, and coding ones.

Mechanical kits would allow you build many different models using mechanical body parts and motor with electric wires, and more.

With snap circuits kits learning robotics is lots of fun. In order to build a robot, you need to mount the parts on plastic grid and snap them with each other. As a result, you can build radio control/remote control cars with headlights and taillights, or a water tester to determine if a liquid is salt water or not and other fun toys.

There are various DIY robotic kits requiring coding for users of all ages: starting from basic forms of “coding” (using coding cards to create step-by-step path and learning the basics of sequence programming) to Arduino and Raspberry projects, for example. These coding robot kits are great tools that would help to develop problem-solving skills, teach logic, cause and effect.

4. Number of parts/details/components

If you really don’t have a clue about the number of parts (details or components) in the set, with this simple rule you can’t go wrong: the younger the hobbyist, the fewer number of parts in a kit.

TIP: Don’t worry that there are a few components in some of the beginners’ kits! Modern sets are done in a way that you can’t overgrow it. The trick is that most of the kits have the possibility of future upgrade. It means that later on you would be able to buy another kit containing totally compatible parts, allowing you to build more complicated projects with the components you already had.

5. Interests/Personal preferences

We all have our personal interests and preferences, and the same is applicable to the hobbyists. Some of them are not interested neither in inventing something or building robot, however, they prefer to spend hours playing with software and coding. In such a case it’s better to buy fully assembled, so called “out-of-box” or “plug-and-play” kits, and enjoy programming. When looking for any robot kit, these issues should be considered.

6. Remote control, interactivity, mobility and power supply.

When talking about robot kits, I would recommend to look for the robots that come with remote control, mobility, interactivity, and power supply.

Remote control: Robots with remote control are fun and far more to challenging to build and play. Many kits come with a remote control, though a smartphone could be used as a remote: it’s up to a person working with a kit.

Mobility: It’s always more fun when a robot has a certain degree of mobility or even able to move around on wheels.

Interactivity: Robot is one of the best interactive tool one can think of. Probably it’s not that easy for beginners, but depending on the skills level and kit you want to buy, it’s possible to program the robot to recognize basic words and phrases, learn preset commands, etc.

Power supply: Try to find kits with in-built power supply, it’s more convenient and easier to use.

7. Building Platform

Most robot kits support Arduino and are built around that platform, as well as Raspberry Pi.

8. Other issues and tips

If you looking for a gift for a kid interested in robotics, try to find a kit that could be a fun introduction into the world of robotics. It can be a very simple, out-of-box robot, or maybe some cubes that are easily transformed into robots with different behavior, or maybe some small educational robots, a game board with coding tiles.

For an experienced teenager I would recommend more complicated sets. LEGO robot kits, for instance, is a good choice, as it gives a chance to build several different robots and learn how to program them.

For someone with an extremely curios and scientific mind I would suggest to look for advanced robotic kits. Try to find robots that can move around in an unpredictable environment or fulfilling different tasks like gripping an object, etc. If you are interested in programming (MATLAB, C++, C# and Python), go for humanoid robot. If you find a robotic engineer kit with Dynamixel servomotors, you would be able not only to build a robot, but to learn AI, computer vision, face recognition, etc.

Conclusion

In fact, before posting the article here, I have sent it to my friend. He was very pleased   with my “Buyers’ Guide” and said that I provided him with all the necessary information that really helped him to make the right choice. Hopefully, this review would give you some useful information too and you would find your way in the wide range of robotics kits!