The Tech

Fused Deposition Modeling printers use spools of plastic filament. It utilizes a build plate that can be heated and a system of rails, rollers, belts, and/or threaded rods to move a hotend around in the X,Y, and Z axis. the hotend is heated and the filament is fed through as it moves and lays a layer of plastic onto the build plate, then it will move up a small amount and lay out the next layer, thus the part is built a layer at a time until completed, bottom to top.

• Lower level of detail and visble layer lines but more durable prints(0.2mm-0.36mm layers)

• Large selection of colors

• Larger sized prints available

• multiple options of materials including PLA, PLA+, TPU, and PolyCarbonate

• lower cost of material but longer print times.

• Ideal for: Larger models, can holders, organizers, props, brackets

Masked StereoLithography Apparatus printers used a liquid resin that is sensitive to a specific wavelength of UV light(405nm) the built plate is lowered into the vat of resin leaving a small layer between the plate and the clear bottom. Underneath the vat is a high quality LCD screen and a powerful UV light at the bottom. an image is displayed on the screen which darkens some pixels and leaves others clear, then the light is turned on for a few seconds. Light passes through the clear sections, curing the resin in the vat and is blocked by the dark pixels. this creates one layer, the plate is lifted so liquid resin and refill the gap, the plate lowers and the next layer is printed, from top to bottom as the print will hang upside down from the build plate.

• Significantly higher level of detail(0.01mm-0.05mm layers)

• Great for paintable miniatures

• Can print much smaller and more delicate objects

• Ideal for: Small models, DnD minis, Chess sets, detailed busts