In this episode, we discuss the proposal to use “virtual fibers” to strengthen FDM 3D printed parts that work by adding tiny holes to your model! We also go through whether you actually need to buy a slicer or if the free and open-source ones are now just as good – and finally, Tom twist’s Stefan’s brain with continuous belt 3D printers and why they can’t use a vertical Z-axis.

RepRap Ltd. article on “Virtual Fibres”

Stefan’s PC parts

Tom’s PC parts

The post Virtual 3D Printed Fibers and what Slicer to use! appeared first on The Meltzone.

Stefan talks with Tom about his visit to TCT Formnext 2018. They discuss two recently released papers on potentially harmful emissions of 3D printers. They further debate if it is worth buying a cheap printer and then investing a lot of time on upgrading it or if it is more efficient to buy a decently working one right away. Finally, they answer viewer questions regarding grinding up plastic scraps for recycling and the usefulness of infinite z-belt printers.

### SHOW NOTES ###

News article on 3D printer emissions

DIY3DTECH YouTube channel

Air quality monitor (aff)

Creality Ender 3 (aff)

Original Prusa Mk3 (aff)

Filastruder Kit

The post Harmful 3D printer emissions & TCT Formnext 2018 appeared first on The Meltzone.

Tom and Stefan talk about their experiences in annealing PLA prints and discuss the recent change in Fusion 360’s pricing model. Recently a paper on a so called “3D printer fingerpint” was released that claims to be able to track prints back the printer they were made on, with stunning accuracy, so they talk about how realistic this could be and what the implications of such a method might be. Tom recently came back home from his roadtrip all over Europe where he filmed bits for his RepRap documentary and talks about the new high temperature products he has seen at E3Ds headquarter. Finally Stefan recently built his DIY filament extruder and talks about his first experience in making his own filament at home.

Proto Pasta HTPLA
Formfutura Volcano PLA
NanoDiamond PLA
Fusion 360 pricing update
3D printer fingerprints at All3DP, Buffalo University
E3D high temperature products
Filastruder

The post 3D Printer Fingerprints & DIY Filament Making appeared first on The Meltzone.

Tom, Richard Horne (RichRap) and Sanjay Mortimer (E3D) discuss who 3D printer kits are for and when you should self-source instead, as well as what FDM materials are being developed, which ones are already available and where they each fit in!

The post Kit or self-sourced printer and picking the perfect filament for the job! (With RichRap and Sanjay from E3D) appeared first on The Meltzone.

Tom explains the drama that has been going on with MWRRF 2019 and discusses with Stefan the advantages and disadvantages of bowden and direct extruders used in 3D printers. Tom also got himself a new FLIR thermal camera and talks about its applications in 3D printing. They finally discuss the question when FDM printing will become obsolete.

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### SHOW NOTES ###

The post MRRF 2019 controversy, Bowden VS Direct Extruders and Thermal Cameras appeared first on The Meltzone.

In their first Podcast episode Tom and Stefan talk about current projects, Prusa’s recently announced SL1 resin printer and discuss whether they would prefer a much faster or a much bigger 3D printer. They also answer community questions about lasers, warped beds and cheap V6 knockoffs from China.

The post Larger or faster printers and the Prusa SL1! appeared first on The Meltzone.