Factors that Determine 3D Printing Timeframe

Size

Size is a significant determinant of how long it will take to 3D print your project. So, ask yourself these questions; “Is my project big?” “Or is it small?” how big is the size of your project.

Usually, when you want to do something, if it’s a simple or easy task, you’d finish earlier than if the task is bulky or hard. So, if your object is little, the printing time shouldn’t be short, while the printing time will be longer if the object you want to print is small.

It would be best if you considered the volume, footprint, and height. The footprint is the area it occupies on the building area. If it’s wide, it means it will take a long time to 3D print your project. The taller your object is, the longer it will take.

So, examine the size of the object you want to print, then you will know how long it will take to print your project.

Part geometry

If the geometry of your object is complex, it’ll take longer to print your project. It will make the layer of your object will be complicated. It is easier to print an object with just one geometry phase like a square than one with phases broken into different parts.

It will be easier to fill in just one phase, and the time it takes to do this is shorter, compared to if the nozzle has to fill each phase one by one till all are filled. The efficiency of how the machine fills up each phase of the object is also dependent on the 3D printing technology used.

3D printing technology

The time it will take to print a project based on the technology in use is based on the print head. The configuration of the print head is in two parts; paintbrush and paint roller.

Imagine you had to paint a wall with a paintbrush or a paint roller. How long will it take you to paint with either? Which will be a long process? If the print head is configured as a paintbrush, it extrudes materials from a point and runs it over the build tray layer by layer.

For the paint roller configuration, the print head extrudes material from different points simultaneously over the tray layer, back and forth, till the object is formed. So, technically, 3D print machines with print heads configured like a paint roller will print faster than that which its print head is configured like a paintbrush.

Quantity

The number of copies you want to 3D print will determine how long it will take to print your project. If you can print just one copy in an hour, you should know that printing 70 copies will take 70 hours.

Post-processing

Post-processing involves the process it takes to clean up the 3D output. It involves cleaning out excesses, rinsing, and drying the object if need be. The time post-processing takes depends on the size and complexity of the object.

A small and simple object may take less than 10 minutes to clean, while a larger and more complex object may take hours to clean up.

Layer height

Apart from the object’s height, each layer’s height determines how long it will take to 3D print an object. If the object is complex, it may take a longer time for the slicer to slice it layer by layer and the printer to print each layer.

Thinner layers mean that the slicer has to take its time to slice each layer and pay attention to every minute detail of the object. This equals longer slicing and printing time. Objects with thinner layers are usually of good quality.

Infill

The infill density of 3D printing an object can affect its printing duration. Objects with zero infills will print faster than objects with high infill density. The infill density of a vase is different from the infill density of a cube.

That means it will take longer to 3D print a cube due to the details and the nature of the object. It requires more material infill than a vase.

The 3D printer

Another factor is the type of 3D printer used. There are fast 3D printers, like the HP 3D Jet Fusion 5200, Uniz Slash Plus UDP, etc. Since they are tagged as some of the fastest 3D printers, they will print your projects quickly.

At this stage, you want to know the fastest 3D printers you can use to print your projects.

What Are the Fastest 3D Printers?

There are a variety of options you can select from as to which 3D printer is faster, and which suits your needs. Not all 3D printers will suit your need because of their different features, pros, and cons.

These 3D printers are some of the fastest 3D printers:

Delta WASP 20×40 Turbo 2

Delta WASP 20×40 Turbo 2 3D printer is one of the fastest 3D printers which is an improved version of the Delta WASP 20×40 3D printer. It is also quite expensive compared to other budget printers.

Features:

• Printing volume of Ø200mm x h400 mm
• Closed and heated print chamber.
• Configurations: Spitfire Red Extruder setup, Flex Extruder setup, LDM WASP Extruder setup, and ZEN Dual Extruder setup.
• It can print different materials like nylon, ABS, PETG, ASA, PLA, Flex, HIPS, TPU, POLYPROPYLENE, ABS+PC, PA carbon.
• Resurrection system: this printer can recover from a power failure so that you can complete your projects without having to start over in case of power failure.
• Printing connection: you can connect to this printer via USB, SD card, and WiFi when you want to print.
• Fastest 3D printer speed of 500mm/s or even more.

Pros

• It is fast
• It offers a high print temperature.
• It is reliable.
• Dual extruder.
• Third-party filament support.

 Cons

• It can be expensive for 3D printing beginners.
• It is loud.

Uniz Slash Plus

This printer is an updated version of the first release, “Uniz Slash.” This is ten times faster than the previous version.

Features

• Liquid cooling system
• Easy-to-use slicer system
• Compactible file formats are STL, OBJ, AMF, 3MF, UNIZ.
• A printing speed of 1000cm/h
• High-resolution printing
• Automatic calibration
• In-built model repair function
• WiFi connectivity
• Remote monitoring
• It can be operated on a phone on a tablet via the mobile app.

Pros

• High-speed printing.
• It is a desktop printer, so it is suitable for home use.
• Friendly mobile interface.
• High-resolution print results
•  It can be used for multiple applications.

Cons

• 3D printing beginners may find it expensive

HP Multi Jet Fusion 4200 3D Printer

Hp printers have been around for a while, and they are quite popular. Their 3D printer didn’t disappoint as well. This printer has a printing speed of 4500cm/h. It has multiple printing options and can print many objects in a day, depending on the size of the objects.

Features

• It uses fusing and detailing agents.
• It offers a maximum build size of 380 x 284 x 380 mm.
• Closed frame and an LCD touchscreen.
• It offers a layer thickness between 0.07 mm and 0.08 mm.
• High resolution and print quality

Pros

• High-speed printing
•  Helps in minimizing lead time.
• High-resolution outcome

Cons

• Expensive to maintain.
• Works only with PA12
• Material printing is only available in grey colors, which results in extra production costs if you want to coat your objects in a different color.

Massivit 1800

This is a costly 3D machine and is mainly used to print large format models. Therefore, if you want to print large models quickly, Massive 1800 is your go-to 3D printer. It is a massive 3D printer that requires a lot of space.

Features

• A maximum speed of 1000mm per second.
• Has the option of dual extrude set up.
•  It has a print volume of 1.5 m x 1.17 m x 1.8 m.
• It has a proprietary technology called Gel Dispensing Printing (GDP) that is used for offering ultra-fast speed for printing. 

Pros

• Fastest 3D printer
• Suitable for producing marketing, advertising, and visual props.
• Large build volume
• Prints in great resolution and best finishes.
• Easy to handle and user friendly.

Cons

TIPS AND TRICKS

New versions of 3D printers are released from time to time with more updated features and speed. Apart from printing with high-speed 3D printers, you can change the settings of your 3D printer to a faster setting.

One problem with that is that it may not print your project with quality, but there is a solution to that. If you cannot afford fast 3D printers like the ones mentioned above, you can change your printer speed in your printer setting.

3D printers’ speed is measured in millimeters per second, which are in three stages; first speed grouping (40-50mm/s), second speed grouping (80-100mm/s), and third speed grouping (150mm/s and above).

 You can set your 3D printer speed to any of these settings, but once you start noticing a decline in your 3D printing quality, you should reduce your printer speed. The speed of your printer is connected to the quality of your printer output.

Once you have entered your speed setting, your software will tell you how long it will take to print your object.

It is advisable to print with a slower speed so that the outcome will be of high quality. However, if you want to print your projects faster, check the specification of your 3D printer to know the perfect speed setting and the highest speed it can print your project without affecting the qu