Want to switch from printing images and photos to printing 3D objects in ABS, but don’t have the right tool for it? Have you heard of 3D printing technologies and want to try printing things? You can discover the best 3D printers for ABS in this article and choose the model you need now.
Since 2006, it has been possible to print objects in 3 dimensions thanks to special printers which are not only used in the professional field but which can also be purchased for home or private use.
The operation of these 3D printers is not very complicated. Their principle of operation is the same as with paper printers. Some 3D printers even have a special function to assemble several small parts into a single object. Some of the key features we considered during our selection process are the OS and software compatibility, filament diameter and compatibility, layer resolution, and thickness, build volume, nozzle diameter, position precision, and printing technology. These are mainly all you need to watch out for in an abs plastic for 3D printer with good value for money. Don’t have time to read the entire review? Then take a look at the selected products in the comparison table below:
The FlashForge Creator Pro is an easy to use and secure desktop 3D printer thanks to its fully enclosed printing enclosure. Its print volume of 227 x 148 x 150 mm and its double extrusion system allows it to print high-quality 3D parts of a substantial format. It offers durability, versatility, and performance at a low price.
The FlashForge Creator Pro guarantees reliability thanks to its metal frame, aluminum plate, and friction-reducing Teflon tube. The ease of use as well as the results that can be obtained make Flashforge Pro an ideal solution for starting in 3D printing. Delivered ready to use, you can print a multitude of parts using different materials, 15 minutes after unpacking the machine.
The Flashforge Creator Pro is compatible with classic materials: ABS, HIPS, PLA, Wood, and metal composites. The configuration of printing on the Flashforge Creator is simple and intuitive from the FlashPrint software.
It is possible to import STL or OBJ files to Flashforge Pro using a USB cable or an SD card. The Flashforge Creator Pro 3D printer has 2 print heads (extruders) for printing soluble HIPS supports to successfully print complex parts. The printer has a door and a removable cover allowing better temperature stability during printing to reduce the warping rate.
This closed system also makes it possible to secure access to the heating elements (nozzle, plate). The FlashForge Creator Pro is also equipped with a hot plate up to a temperature of 120°C. This plate makes it possible in particular to successfully print ABS or loaded filaments. This 6.5mm thick aluminum tray ensures a flat and smooth surface.
What we liked: The Flashforge Creator Pro is an affordable 3D printing solution. With a build volume of 227 x 148 x 150mm, the Flashforge Creator Pro allows you to make 3D prints of a beautiful volume.
What could be better: Cannot print PVA, Nylon, PC. Otherwise, other filaments are printable materials.
Without a doubt, this is a great option when you are looking to have a high-quality 3D printer because it has great quality when it comes to obtaining all your designs. It is made with a rigid frame that reduces its vibrations. This offers great precision, thus achieving high-quality models effortlessly.
It is compatible with almost all types of filament such as PLA, ABS, HIPS, Wood, among others. Also, it offers a useful touch screen. It incorporates safety systems to stop in case the filament breaks or runs out. This will help you have a very safe work environment.
This ANYcubic Mega S 3D printer uses CURA software to convert your files to gcode format (a format that is required so that the printer can read the file). It has a structure similar to Prusa but is equipped with better stability and a metallic frame. This makes it one of the best low-cost 3D printers on the market,
The printer is not fully assembled so it will take you a few minutes to assemble it. However, it is very easy to setup. It has an end of material sensor so your prints will not be damaged due to lack of material.
It has a special heating bed for printing materials like ABS. The extruder is designed to be able to print flexible materials. There is an adhesion surface for impressions and easy removal. It has a pretty good safety system to keep the filament feed running. The machine offers the ability to resume when power is interrupted and has a printing area of 210x210x205mm.
What we liked: We like the user-friendly touch screen. The abs 3d printer is intuitive and easy to use. The metallic structure also gives stability and rigidity, allowing them to have quality prints.
What could be better: Some users complain that the printer arrives in poor quality packaging that can mistreat the printer components.
QIDI has a special place in the world of 3D printing. This manufacturer who designs its printers is playing the turnkey card, whether for discovery, educational or professional models. The QIDI TECH X-ONE2 is once again a ready-to-use 3D printer intended for beginners for family use or in an educational environment. The particularity of QIDI is to offer devices without any assembly required. An in-house software suite (QIDIPRINT) as well as user documentation which, for example, explains printing problems, is provided which is extremely rare.
The manufacturer also offers a real filament spool and a leveling sheet. The QIDI QIDI TECH X-ONE2 is designed to be easy and reliable to use. This is thanks to its touch interface on its 3.5-inch touch screen which even displays a 3D representation of the file to be printed. There’s also the magnetic plate which facilitates the removal of the model from the printer and its detachment. Leveling is also easy with stability over time.
QIDI 3D printers operate in a closed cabinet that keeps the temperature under control. This box is also a guarantee of protection for the user if he is still inexperienced.
The print head is monobloc which limits extrusion problems on flexible filaments with an excellent ventilation system.
What we liked: What we like about the QIDI TECH X-ONE2 is the reliability. It is rare to miss a print even on ABS, materials which require a high temperature of plate and nozzle. It’s our choice of the best ABS 3d printer for beginners.
What could be better: The only point to consider as a limit of the QIDI TECH X-ONE is the possible print size. This 3D printer targets 3D models up to 145 x 145 x 145mm. However, with the target of this 3D printer, which we recall as discovery/educational, this should not be a real constraint.
3D Delta printers are increasingly demanded by users thanks to the good results they offer. One of the latest to come to the family has been this FLSUN Delta 3D, a model that has a load of interesting options. It is a Delta 3D printer with a metal frame and it comes almost assembled. A beginner can have it assembled in less than an hour, while someone with a minimum of experience can assemble it in 20 minutes.
Starting to print with it is very easy, especially because it has an automatic calibration function. It has a very good print volume. The diameter is 260 mm. while the height in the Z-axis reaches 370 mm.
The FLSUN Delta 3D incorporates a 0.4mm nozzle and prints 1.75mm filaments. Thanks to the heated bed and a nozzle capable of reaching 260ºC, it is capable of printing different materials, specifically, it offers good results with PLA, ABS, or HIPS filament.
The maximum layer resolution is 50 microns, the positioning accuracy on the XY axis is 0.01mm and the Z-axis is 0.0035mm. For its part, the printing speed ranges between 30 and 300 mm/second. The FLSUN Delta 3D is compatible with the most popular 3D printer programs. The 3d printer abs plastic machine works with the typical STL or OBJ file formats. It’s a delta style 3D printer with a considerable volume to prin. It is fast, reliable, with more than enough quality, and with a series of quite useful extras, such as WiFi printing. It’s a delta printer for those who want something more moderate in size.
What we liked: Some of its most interesting features are the inclusion of a color touch screen and the possibility of printing via WiFi. Two interesting features for a model at such a low price.
What could be better: Quite slow compared to other deltas when printing at full layer resolution. It cannot be said that it is a plug and play 3D printer, but almost.
The wide array of models on the market leaves modelers and beginners confused about how to buy and even use them. This is why in this article, we will see an in-depth analysis on the purchase of the machines that use abs 3d printer filament for printing.
ABS is the flagship material of Lego bricks, also widely used in car bodywork, household appliances, and in many cowling applications. The ABS plastic, that is to say, the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and its printer, is the most widely used in the plastic industry. It belongs to the family of thermoplastics or thermal plastics. It has a base of elastomers based on polybutadiene which makes it more flexible and resistant to impacts.
ABS has a printing temperature between 230°C and 260°C and can withstand very low (-20°C) and very high (80°C) temperatures. In addition to its good strength, this material provides a polished surface, is reusable, and can be welded by chemical processes (using acetone). However, it is not biodegradable and shrinks on contact with air, which is why the print bed is heated to prevent parts from peeling.
ABS 3D printers are mainly used in the melt deposition technique (FDM) and, therefore, it is available with most home printers.
We have seen some of the best models of 3D ABS printers as well as their target users. But what should you look out for when buying a 3D printer? In this subsection, we will see some criteria to consider before buying one.
With a 3D printer, many things can be made, from keyrings and pen holders to figures and spare parts. But if you plan to make very filigree creations, you should think about the printing technology of the model. Both FDM and SLA printers achieve high print quality, but stereolithography can handle fine details and structures better. But working with SLA devices also results in more effort – both in post-processing of the printed objects and in cleaning and maintaining the printer. The surcharge for an SLA printer must also be worth it to the user.
FDM printers are cheaper, require little cleaning, and print simple shapes very well.
Only complex creations don’t always come out well.
The software is another point to take into account especially because it will allow you to prepare your model for printing in the shortest possible time. For this reason, it will be essential that you choose a printer that is compatible with software that allows rapid optimization when making your 3D prints.
It is always good to evaluate the software that comes with this type of printer because that way you will get better results. Many printers come with their own software, which allows you to have great quality in your prints. For this reason, evaluating the software to choose well will be basic so that you can achieve good results.
There are a large number of materials that you can choose from, so you should make sure to choose the one that best suits your needs. Most of the pieces are printed in PLA or ABS filament. This is a material that offers great resistance and that will always result in great quality.
However, you should keep in mind that some printers only work with the filament sold by the brand, which is why you should keep this in mind before buying. It is also important to note that printers that use resin offer excellent results. But resin is sometimes more expensive than filaments, so it is important to consider the cost when selecting a model.
With large models, the print volume can be up to 4 liters, with compact devices often only 2 liters. The objects cannot be too big, as the width and depth are around 15 centimeters and the height is well below 20 centimeters. There is more space on the pressure plate of FDM devices; even compact devices offer 20 centimeters of space in all directions. With a large FDM variant, objects with a width and depth of 30 × 30 centimeters can be printed without any problems. Only the pressure height is usually limited to just under 20 centimeters.
Since an FDM printer gets the filament from a spool, the print volume for smaller devices is just under 8 to 10 liters. Large models can process up to 20 liters of plastic.
The layer resolution also differs from model to model. FLSUN Mini Delta 3D Printer, for example, has a resolution of 0.2-0.3 mm. Meanwhile, the FLASHFORGE PRO has a layer resolution of 100-500 microns.
These are fundamental aspects to take into account especially since a very noisy printer will not be a good option for spaces where silence is needed. In general, it will be good to choose a model that has a noise level of 50dB or lower so that you can get good results.
On the other hand, the faster the printing speed, the faster you can print all your models. You must evaluate the printing speed because depending on this you can have a better performance in the printing of all your 3D models. Remember that this is measured in mm/s, and at a higher speed, it will be more advisable.
When printing with liquid plastic, the temperature has to be right. This is important for the lower layers, as these are decisive for the success of the printing process. A large number of FDM printers, therefore, have a heated print bed. If this is missing, which is only the case with a few models on the market, only PLA plastic can be used for printing.
SLA printers work differently from a technical point of view; a heated printing plate is not necessary here. With FDM printers, the printing table must be calibrated before printing, i.e. the ideal distance between the printing nozzle and the printing bed can be set. This can be done manually, but an automatic table calibration function is simpler. This is usually only installed in more expensive models.
The ability of a 3D printer to make predictions about the printing time and the required printing material can be helpful. Almost all three-dimensional printers now have this function.
Depending on the quality of the print you are looking for, you will have to choose a printer that is more or less accurate. In any case, precision is a determining aspect when choosing your printer since Cartesians tend to have a smaller impression that can be 0.20mm.
However, you should keep in mind that resin printers can have a much higher print quality. This is because these can have a precision of up to 47 microns, which will allow you to have good results in all your models.
Despite all the technical advances in recent years, 3D printing still takes time. A test cube with an edge length of 2 centimeters, the simplest object shape, can be printed by fast devices for private use in just under half an hour. On average, however, it takes twice as long. SLA printers generally take longer than FDM printers, as the object then has to be cleaned and irradiated with UV light for curing.
A fixation on speed does not make much sense anyway, since the susceptibility to errors increases with the speed of 3D printing. It is therefore more practical when a 3D printer has two extruders.
A good example of this is the FLASHFORGE PRO. While this does not result in faster speeds, users can use two different types of printing materials at the same time. In this way, an object can be printed in two colors or the second extruder can be filled with water-soluble material for the support structures.
The dimensions of a 3D printer depends on its construction. Expensive 3D printers are often built in the form of a box. With SLA devices this is the case anyway, since the printing must take place under a cover protected from UV light. With FDM printers like the ANYCUBIC Mega S 3D Printer and the QIDI Technology X-one2, the box design has the advantage that the thermoplastic coils are safely housed in the housing. Compact devices, therefore, measure only 40 × 40 × 40 centimeters, but many models are larger. Inexpensive devices work with an open pressure plate, a frame for the extruder, and the material spool at the tip of the device. These 3D printers have a small base measuring around 50 × 50 centimeters but are up to 80 centimeters high. The most massive 3D printers on the market weigh around 20 kilograms, while compact versions weigh around half.
The price range for 3D printers is very wide. On the one hand, there are inexpensive devices in the lower price range with a price below $400, which are primarily aimed at creative young users. For prices in the mid-three-digit range, on the other hand, there is a model that delivers satisfactory quality, but usually only has a small printing space. Anyone who wants to own a 3D printer for semi-professional use should be prepared to pay a price in the higher three-digit range that is due in the upper price range.
Some manufacturers build in some features such as the V-slot and a POM impeller that ensure noiseless and long-lasting driving. V-shaped wheels are said to make the movement steady and almost noiseless. In general, it will be good to choose a model that has a noise level of 50dB or lower so that you can get good results.
Modern 3D printing has a clearly formulated goal: It wants to move away from the image that only trained engineers or ambitious nerds can do something with a three-dimensional printer. Accordingly, the providers are also aligning their current offerings on the printer market and sometimes offer an abs 3d printer kit for $400 or even less.
Our Editor’s Choice is the FlashForge Pro. The FlashForge Creator Pro guarantees reliability thanks to its metal frame, aluminum plate, and friction-reducing Teflon tube. The ease of use as well as the results that can be obtained make Flashforge Pro an ideal solution for starting in 3D printing in ABS. It is therefore our overall best 3D printer for ABS.
The Anycubic Mega S 3D has the best value in this review. The machine is compatible with almost all types of filament such as PLA, ABS, HIPS, Wood, among others. Also, it offers a useful touch screen. It incorporates safety systems to stop in case the filament breaks or runs out.
Our Budget Pick is the QIDI Technology X-one2. The machine is a ready-to-use 3D printer intended for beginners for family use or in an educational environment. The particularity of QIDI is to offer devices without any assembly required.
