looking for a good 3d printer

[AlexDoran]

1/256 microstepping sounds totally pointless. Even 1/32 sounds too much to my ears. I run my CNC with 1/10 microstepping and I think that's more than enough for both speed and smoothness.

As far as I know, there is no ball screw with 16mm pitch, unless it is very large in diameter. Even 10mm pitch is normally 20-25mm in diameter and is very heavy. Nothing you can run with NEMA17 motors, which are common in 3D printers. My CNC is using 1605 ball screws, which means it is 16mm in diameter and has 5mm pitch.

I think if I build a 3D printer I will use dual ball screws (probably 1004) on the Z with one NEMA23 and belt connecting the two screws. For X and Y I will use direct belt drive.

I'm sorry but you could not be further from the truth, 1/256 microstepping is widely used in the 3D Printing sector, mostly for improved quality and almost silent operation (Mainly with Delta Printers), you think people want to listen to their printer go for 40 hours when its in the next room, making a noise when you're trying to sleep? The needs for a 3D Printer are totally separate from a Router regardless of how similar they actually are.

Well my printer uses a SFU1616 ballscrew on both the X & Y and a SFU1204 on the Z Axis, the X Axis is driven by a 1/32 microstepped Nema17, DRV8825 driver.



A belt is fine for most applications, but if you printing engineering plastics where the Bed Temperature needs to be 120c+ you will soon see they stretch and deform from the heat, screws are also far more robust.

Thanks

Alex