Whip Mix Blog

3D Printer Accuracy: Is there Really a Difference Between Printers?

Written by Cory Lambertson | July 11, 2019

3D printers all print. What determines the quality differences between them is primarily the printer’s X,Y accuracy. Whether one or another printer is right for your lab may include other considerations like the throughput (production), speed, footprint, and low cost.

As the exclusive reseller of the popular Asiga 3D Printers, we are often asked to run the same digital file to compare the Asiga’s with other desktop printers. Recently, a large lab customer had the same file printed by us on a printer we’ll call ‘E’. The printed model was scanned and compared to the original digital file to ascertain the level of accuracy. The model and die were scanned separately and defined limits were determined in the comparison software (3DReshaper) to show results within +- 75 microns. The results are as follows:   

                    

Asiga Pro2 XY Accuracy: 75 microns (Approx. $25K)

Asiga Model: 92.3% accuracy match to digital file        

Asiga Die: 88.5% accuracy match to digital file

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘E’ XY Accuracy: 50 microns (Approx. $100K)

‘E’ Model: 88.7% accuracy match to digital file

‘E’ Die: 90.3% accuracy match to digital file

 

 

 

 

 

 

SO, is there really much of a difference in 3D printer accuracy? The Asiga 3D Printer series has taken the dental laboratory industry by storm due to its accuracy, high detail, production capability and affordability. Do your homework before you buy, so your lab will be able to consistently produce the very best products possible.