Printer Recommendations

Hello. I am looking to start a small business building 3D printed car parts for race cars. I have no experience with 3D printing or CAD, but I have over 40 years of intensive software engineering experience and have worked on several race cars over the years. I have started your 3D printing course and plan to take additional beginner courses in CAD and 3D scanning to develop my skills. My question is: what is the best 3D printer under $5,000 that is easy to use but highly capable of printing automotive parts that need to withstand high stress and heat? I am aiming for a machine suitable for low-volume production with very high quality. I’ve noticed a few Bamboo printers that seem promising, but I’d appreciate recommendations from someone who actually manufactures 3D car parts. What about the following Bamboo models?

* H2D

* H2D Pro

* H2C

* X1C

* X1E

Or is there another manufacturer and models you would recommend?

Jay

Hi Jay,

You'll find the internet has very strong opinions on this topic, usually from people more interested in 3D printing and building 3D printers rather than just using them as a tool to build cars.

The bambu lab printers are undeniably easy to get great results. We have an X1C in our workshop at HPA and it has been awesome. It's very important to us (as it would be for most professional shops) to have something that just works. Bambulab has really changed the game in that respect but i'm sure there's many other great printers that can do the same. Prusa is another great brand. Ultimaker do some good larger scale stuff but probably more expensive.

Any of the printers you've listed are going to be good options. I'd say if you have the budget then the extra print volume of the H2 series is going to be handy for car parts. I haven't tried an H2 but i'd imagine they're as good if not better than the X1 series and that's where i'll be looking for a personal printer.

Thanks Connor for the information. I ordered a Bambu H2D with an AMS 2 Pro and 2 AMS HT. I got some high temp hot ends and a build plate to handle the higher temps. I was kind of surprised after doing some additional reading how "fragile" PAHT-CF is compared to aluminum. Are there any filaments out there that are as strong as metals and as heat-resistant that an H2D can print?

Awesome setup - very jealous

I think with the H2D you should be able to print PPS-CF. I have no experience with it yet, because we can't print it on our X1C but the properties look good.

All that said without using Ultem or something else from the PEEK family, you'll still be fall short of metal properties with a plastic.

Also remember that not all "CF" reinforced filaments are created equal, the cheaper ones especially that use a Milled carbon fibre powder are more for marketing or a cool surface finish - they can add stiffness but often reduce toughness for a more brittle part. Short lengths of carbon is a step up and continuous carbon fibres aligned with the load directions are ideal - check out what markforged are doing!