A good 3D printer is a godsend piece of equipment for any dedicated architect. It remarkably saves time in the initial stages when an architect needs to create and design. This is because there is a lot of testing out of concepts and the process requires multiple interactions.
The best 3D printer for architects enables faster printing of those models. The process took weeks or months before the invention of the 3D printer. These exceptional devices can perform these tasks in a couple of hours. They will deliver detailed and intricate structures. Yet, they are amazingly cost-effective.
Top Pick
Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Pro
- Print Volume: 220 x 220 x 250mm
- Speed: 180 mm/s
- Frame Design: 40*40 Y axis
- Layer Resolution: 0.1 – 0.4mm
List Of 3D Printer For Architects
7. Official Creality Open Source CR-10
8. FlashForge 3D Printer Creator Pro
Comparison Chart For Top 3D Printers For Architects
IMAGE | NAME & Details | DETAILS | |
---|---|---|---|
Creality Ender 3 Pro |
| Check The Price | |
ELEGOO Mars UV Photocuring |
| Check The Price | |
Creality Ender 3 |
| Check The Price | |
Creality Ender 3 Pro |
| Check The Price | |
ANYCUBIC Photon |
| Check The Price | |
Monoprice Mini Delta |
| Check The Price | |
Official Creality Open Source CR-10 |
| Check The Price | |
FlashForge 3D Printer Creator Pro |
| Check The Price | |
Monoprice Maker Select 3D v2 |
| Check The Price | |
ANYCUBIC Photon UV LCD 3D |
| Check The Price |
Best 3D Printer For Architects Reviews
1. Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer | Best 3d Printer For Architectural models
The Comgrow Creality Ender 3D Printer takes the lead in this review. It is a popular printer that comes at a great price. Most architects love it for its hackability and printing value. Thus, if those are some of the qualities you are looking for in a printer then this device deserves a second look.
The Ender 3 Pro is comparatively compact. Yet, it guarantees a remarkable print size and has great saving space. The Creality Ender provides long-lasting printing experience, thanks to the extra hot cutting protection.
The semi-assembled printer features a removable surface plate that helps to ensure consistent temperatures all over the build surface. It also allows for easy removal of models after cooling. More convenience comes with the printer’s ability to resume printing after a power outage.
2. ELEGOO Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer | Best 3d Printer For Terrain
Are you looking for an extraordinary printing experience? The ELEGOO Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer comes with smart and convenient features to deliver a printing experience that you will cherish. The incorporated 3.5” color touchscreen makes this printer one of the easiest to use.
The company uses an improved CHITUBOX Slicing Software which makes the ELEGOO Mars printer fast and efficient. It also allows you to hollow out your designs before slicing. You end up saving on resin during photocuring processes.
The device allows better printing with high precision and enhanced resolution. The 2560×1440 HD masking LCD enables accurate printing with a remarkable XY axis resolution. More importantly, it features a steel ball structure that allows you to initiate printing in less than 5 minutes.
3. Comgrow Creality Ender 3 3D Printer | Cheap 3D Printer For Architects
The Comgrow Creality Ender 3 3D Printer is the predecessor of the Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer. It is comparatively cheaper but features amazing elements in quality and performance. Most notably, the printer automatically resumes printing after power lapse. Such a feature is perfectly convenient.
It is a semi-assembled piece of equipment that is incredibly easy to finish up and install. Most of the parts are already assembled. Therefore, the entire kit should take you about 2 hours to finish up the assembly process. Besides, it comes with 20 nuts that fasten various parts.
The Ender 3 3D features an advanced extruder technology that helps to bid extrusion and risks that are related to plugging. The V-shape design also enables a smooth and noiseless operation. Finally, this device takes just 5 minutes to heat up to the required 110.
4. Dremel DigiLab 3D45 | Best 3d Printer For Model Making
Dremel is a brand known for reliability and excellent 3D prints. The DigiLab 3D45 is one of the best 3D printers for architects.
It comes with a direct drive, metal-hot end that allows the machine to warm up to about 280°C. As such, this device will print ABS and nylon seamlessly.
In addition, the build volume is 10 x 6.0 x 6.7in, allowing you to print big enough architectural models. The DigiLab 3D45 is also known for its superb filament recognizing technology that enables it to auto-update the build plate and extruder temperatures as needed.
This novel technology also adjusts printing speed in relation to the filament in use. Finally, this machine auto-calibrates and prints models accurately with a semi-auto leveling technology.
5. ANYCUBIC Photon UV LCD 3D Printer | Industrial Grade 3D Printer For Architects
Are you looking for an easy to use industrial-grade 3D printer for architects? Well, the ANYCUBIC Photon UV LCD 3D Printer fits the bill perfectly. It features a relatively easy to use software with just 4 settings. It is, therefore, easy to set up, level and adjust.
Printers are about print resolution and the ANYCUBIC Photon does not disappoint. It features amazing resolution which delivers more accurate, more detailed, and smoother prints. You will also like the print quality that it delivers on miniature models.
It is an industrial-grade printer that every architect will want to have. It features a perfect satin finish with flawless chamfers, curves, and bevels. Also, all the red knobs and blue bits are anodized.
6. Monoprice Mini Delta
Architects who need high precision will surely love this 3D printer. The Monoprice Mini Delta offers high-level accuracy and detailing not found in many conventional 3D printers. This is possible because its 20-micron fine layer resolutions ensure smooth outputs while emphasizing tiny details.
The extruder on this machine is crafted from metal. This, in combination with a heated print bed, means a device that can print almost all kinds of filament material there is. This includes premium materials like metal, wood, and PTE. As such, with the Monoprice Mini Delta, you can create models with any material of choice to showcase professional realism.
From experience, a leaky or rough 3D printer will produce outputs marred by errors and wrong proportions. You won’t experience this with the Monoprice Mini Delta. It comes with an anti-jam feeder that ensures seamless filament feeding with zero clogs. In addition, this machine comes with an open-frame design and cools off quickly.
7. Official Creality Open Source CR-10
Official Creality Open Source CR-10 is a highly rated product. And from the reviews, the customer service is doing an excellent job answering customer inquiries in their quest to get their 3D machine up and running.
Technically, this device has almost all the features you will ever need in a 3D printer. It is also easy to work with for both experts and beginners. In addition, this machine is compact and reliable, suitable for creating any kind of 3D model, no matter how complex.
Setting up this machine is easy. With the manual and customer service, getting started is straightforward. Even a novice can set up and print a 3D model using this machine. As such, it is also an excellent gift for students cutting their teeth in the world of tech.
The quality of prints is outstanding. There is no need to reprint a model for superior quality, as you will get top-quality results anytime you output your designs. The Official Creality Open Source CR-10 is an all-rounder with excellent prints and advanced features. You can’t go wrong with it.
8. FlashForge 3D Printer Creator Pro
Next on the best 3D Printer for architects is the FlashForge Creator Pro. With an aviation-grade aluminum plate and a thickness of 6.5-millimeter, this 3D printer generates uniform heat. It delivers quality results, irrespective of the filament you use. With no iota of doubt, this 3D printer is one of the best that can output models in dual filaments and dual colors.
The FlashForge 3D Printer comes with a proprietary nozzle design that ensures smooth and seamless printing operation. It is suitable for printing to scale and miniature models. Featuring a LED light and completely enclosed acrylic, it locks in heat. But allows a clear view of the prints up to an angle of 45-degree.
With a metallic frame, this printer is stable and rugged. The LCD screen and integrated button board make printing easy and seamless. Everyone seems to like this product, from novice to expert, as it makes creating 3D models a piece of cake.
9. Monoprice Maker Select 3D v2
This is a budget-friendly 3D printer suitable for both novice and professional users. It has fairly advanced features that support many printing materials, a large printing space, and an easy-to-use operating interface.
Most conventional budget 3D printers always come with a small print area. This is done most of the time to beat the cost down. However, this is not so in the Monoprice Maker Select 3D v2. With a print area of 200 x 200 x 180 mm, you have more than enough space to print all kinds of models.
In addition, this printer comes with a heated aluminum build plate. This is especially important when crafting models using exotic materials that need to be cooled slowly. It is also necessary so that prints do not stick to a steady base. A feature you will find handy when printing large models with no support base.
The Monoprice Maker Select 3D v2 allows users to print on any material of choice. Unlike most budget-friendly 3D printers that can only print using a PLA. This ability to utilize a wide range of materials gives it a hedge, making it useful in many applications.
10. ANYCUBIC Photon UV LCD 3D Assembled Innovation
One glance at this 3D printer, and one thing immediately stands out – a UV light-curing LCD. It is an intuitive touchscreen that is easy to use. The build volume of the ANYCUBIC Photon is 130 mm x 82 mm x 165 mm, and connectivity is via USB.
This 3D printer utilizes only one printing material – UV resin. It works with its native app, the “Workshop ANYCUBIC Photon.” As the machine crafts your model, you can observe it from start to finish via a transparent cover. The cover is designed to block 99.95% of the ultraviolet rays from coming outside. The machine can also be set to auto-print with the cover open.
Printing on this machine is done predominantly by the stepper motor and the Z-axis rail structure. The rail structure is stable and has little risk of shift during printing operations. The ANYCUBIC Photon UV LCD 3D Assembled Innovation is suitable for printing small models and comes with slicer software that carries instructions succinctly to the printer.
Buyer’s Guide
Since the market has hundreds of 3D printing machines, choosing the right one is a difficult task. The following tips should act as your ultimate buying guide when shopping for the best 3D printer for architects:
1. Build Volume
There are no two ways about this. While we have an array of factors to consider, none is as vital as build volume. 3D printers build up models. And, these models should better off come in a single piece. So, what is the maximum size of the models that you intend to print?
An essential specification that nearly every printing tool comes with is the build volume. Larger build volumes will print bigger models and vice versa. If your architectural assignments include sophisticated apartments and government buildings, then you must consider a printer with a large build volume.
2. Build Speed
Well, speed is a critical component of productivity. And, in the case of 3D architectural designs and printing, print speed becomes essential for both low volume and high volume enterprises. How long will your printer take to complete one basic 3D model? That’s often the big question.
3D printing is an intricate process. It involves a laborious designing process as well as actual model printing. You don’t want to use a printing machine that lags for hours to print a single model. However, don’t put more focus on speed at the expense of print quality.
3. Print Quality
Architects use 3D models to showcase what they intend to actualize on the construction site. Don’t you, therefore, think that the model should look its best? Indeed, only detailed models will attract sponsors, contractors, and other stakeholders.
Consider a printing device that guarantees the most fantastic quality. This would be a serious challenge, mainly if you are a new entrant into the world of 3D printing. The critical determinants of 3D print quality are the layer resolution and build finish. Smaller layer resolutions guarantee better results.
4. Device Compatibility
3D printers, like ordinary office printing devices, do not operate on their own. Instead, they require a connection to a PC, USB, or any other media device. These office equipment are the source of the designs that you intend to print with them.
Again, as with most printers, some models are not compatible with other operating systems. Look out for a model that works well with the operating system of the model that you intend to link it to.
The trick is to stay on top of the game. Consider choosing a model that is compatible with as many operating systems as possible. That cushions you from a disaster if you decide to change a device.
Final Word
A professional architect must relish the beauty of design and the combination of vision to create provable working structures. But every idea starts with the imagination and must be interpreted to clients. Translating an idea to friends is anarduous task.What about translating it to clients? It must be more difficult.
Using the best 3D printer for architect allows you to create a tangible model in no time. Therefore, every architect desires to create a physical object that their clients can hold and admire. You got to do this w3ith the right 3D printer for an architect. Choose what you think is most appropriate for you.