The American Manufacturers of FDM 3D Printers Under $5000

Even as additive manufacturing continues to expand worldwide, it is undeniable that the largest market for 3D printing is the United States. Indeed, the country regularly tops the list for not just the largest installed base of 3D printers in the world, but in the number of 3D printer manufacturers. We have already told you about the manufacturers of metal 3D solutions, but now we want to turn to polymers. More specifically, given the large number of manufacturers of polymer 3D printers in the USA, in this listing we take a closer look at all the American manufacturers offering desktop 3D FDM printers, focusing on those that cost less than $5000. Stay tuned for the next in the series, looking more closely at composites and more industrial solutions.

MakerBot

MakerBot was one of the first 3D printer manufacturers to come out of the RepRap project in 2009. Since MakerBot and Ultimaker merged to become UltiMaker last year, questions have arisen about what would become of each specific brand. Well, that has been answered in the case of MakerBot as the company has been rebranded to become “the only 3D printing ecosystem dedicated to education.” The Sketch series from the company are both under $2500 with two options available, the standard and large. As the name suggests, the Sketch Large 3D printer enables the printing of larger classroom projects with a build volume of 220mm x 200mm x 250mm (8.66in x 7.87in x 9.84in). It also costs more at a starting price of 2,399, compared to $1299 for the base model. The printers also come with software that will “make 3D printing in the classroom easier than ever before” as educators can access lesson plans and create personalized curricula for their students.

Image Credits: MakerBot

Airwolf 3D

Founded in 2012, Airwolf 3D is a California-based company specializing in large-format FDM printers for industrial, professional and educational use. The company features two lines of printers, EVO and AXIOM, both of which possess multiple models of varying sizes, single and dual extrusion with direct drive, and specific desktop models for education. One of the company’s newest releases is the EVO 2X, designed for commercial use with an enormous 24” x 12” x 22” build volume. In addition to 3D printers, Airwolf 3D also produces its own line of filaments. One of its most prominent offerings is its own patent-pending, water-soluble support material, HydroFill, which is compatible with ABS, PLA and nylon, and is made of environmentally friendly material. They also produce their own high-quality ABS filament in-house (including MG94) and polycarbonate in addition to their own Wolfbite adhesion solution, available for ABS, PC, PLA and nylon. Their website features a wide range of easily accessible aid materials as well, from troubleshooting tutorials to user manuals and how-to guides for each machine.