This was a Christmas present for my husband, but it has been a lot of fun for both of us. The quality of the prints is very good, definitely good enough for small things and sturdy enough to give most things to our toddler. I’m glad we waiting a couple years for the technology to mature, but this printer is pretty user friendly. The setup for the printer once we received it was pretty simple. The only things that needed tweaking from shipping were the platform leveling, and entering the values from the included calibration print file after we printed it. So far most of what we’ve done is print other peoples’ designs from Thingiverse, but we also make some cool stuff in SketchUp. You need a free plugin to export the files from sketchup to the afinia software, and I had to check the “unsolid model” in print preference so it didn’t do weird things with overlaps, but overall it wasn’t too hard. If I could add one feature, it would be a bigger build platform, but the flip side is that it’s a pretty small thing to fit on your desk, which is nice. Dualstrusion (to print in two colors a once) and faster production would be nice, but not a must have. The lack of an integrated display is no biggie for us, since we just leave it cabled to the computer and get the status from the software.
Reviewed by: Ellen Weaver from Denver, CO. on 1/10/2013
Search Results for: software
Testimonial: Kal Kaletsch: “Very Impressed!”
So far, I’m very pleased with the unit. It worked as I expected it would. Easy to use and good print quality. The software is better than expected. I like the way it builds its own base below the actual print. My 10 year old daughter imported a cat into sketchup. We exported it into an STL, using a free plugin and it printed perfectly, without any tweaking. I’m looking forward to using it for more serious jobs.
Reviewed by: Kai Kaletsch from Saskatoon, Canada. on 1/13/2013
Testimonial: Thomas Bender: Mechanical Engineer
I am a Mechanical Engineer with 23 years of product development experience. I have worked at several fortune 100 companies and have used several different kinds/brands of expensive 3d printers. The AFINIA H479 3D printer works very well and the output is comparible to machines I have used. I was very surprised and amazed at how the printer and software handled a small helical gear (1.25″ dia. X 0.375″ tall X 48 teeth.) Printed gear was functional. Start up kit was complete and set-up straight forward. Software occasionally hangs up when sending a print job from the PC to the printer, but a reset of the printer resolves the issue. I would like to see some software enhancements that will provide you control over the fixed wall thickness of 1.5mm. I would also like to see the software “solid” function provide a more refined internal print matrix to achieve improved part density. This is a great product for the money.
Reviewed by: Thomas Bender from Madison Wisconsin. on 1/19/2013
Testimonial: Jerry Craig: Teacher
Very satisfied with Afinia 3D printer. Software works well. Machine does a good job making models. Accuracy is excellent based on this printing technology. Setup took a bit of time getting the platform level and printing height set. Have made many models for engineering school and old car restoration. Best to withdraw filament after a printing job. Have had filament stick and had to drill out nozzle.
Reviewed by: Jerry Craig from St. Louis Missouri. on 2/10/2013
The Promise of 3D Printers
by Aaron H. Pratt, VP Marketing – Microboards Technology/Afinia
Almost exactly one year ago, we made the decision to enter the fray of 3D printing. What we saw then, and what we see now, was a disruptive technology, positioned to change business, that was beginning to make its way into the desktop market. Technologically speaking, we knew we were a late entrant. 3D printing, sometimes called Additive manufacturing, had been around for 30 years in one form or another. But marketwise, we saw a window of opportunity. Suddenly, garage tinkerers and back-room hobbyists were beginning to produce a product that met the economic requirements and piqued the interest of a much broader market than before. Given our expertise in commercializing new technology products in the B2B space, we decided to help the industry take a step past the tinker toy stage and offer a finished, supported device to users who were ready to try 3D printing but would need something that worked out of the box. And Afinia was born. [Read more…]