Using a Desktop 3D printer in Architecture

[uncluesteve 0]

Hello, I am looking for stories of how you or architectural firm you work for/with use desk top 3D printers. I am trying to justify getting a 3D printer for our office in Phoenix Arizona and I have read a lot of stuff about the great things that 3D printers can do but there are also limitation to the desktop printers like the speed and the layering of the material on the finished model. I would love to hear about your experiences and how clients on work colleagues have perceived these limitations.

Thanks

[Labern 774]

I don't use my printer I that field but you are able to get filaments like lay-brick that have a textured finish that help hide the layering of the material. It does make it look really nice.

If you download cura then you can import one of your drawings and it will tell you how long the print will take.

If you use laybrick then you could have a .2 layer height but still have a good appearance. This will speed up the print time.

There are also aftermarket nozzles you can get that lay more plastic a lot faster but this reduces fine details. They can be found Here

Once you get your head around how the printers work then you can make adjustments to your designs to also speed up the print process.