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Afinia Wins Make Magazine 3D Printer Buyer’s Guide Competition

November 15, 2012

Our Afinia H-Series 3D Printer won the 2012 Make Magazine 3D Printer Buyer’s Guide competition. Out of 15 3D printers that were reviewed, we won Best Overall Experience, Easiest Setup, and tied in the Easiest To Use category.

Make Magazine’s editors called our H-Series, “[A] Clear winner” and “Easy to use, with feature-rich software and impressive print quality.”

During the 11/5/12 Google Hang Out, Gareth Branwyn, Make Magazine’s Editorial Director, illustrated the unique precision of the Afinia H-Series 3D Printer. At 19:00 he held up a print of Cushwa’s “Owl Statue” and talked about noticing that there was actually a nostril hole in the owl’s beak. Gareth remarked, “No other printer [other than the Afinia H-Series] was able to render the hole.”

Another example of the printing precision of the Afinia H-Series was referenced by showing an example of J_Hodgie’s “Nautilus Gears With Modified Bar”. At 20:51 in the same video, Gareth pointed out, “Very few of the printers were able to print out all of the pins.” In addition, the Afinia H-Series was only one of two printers to successfully complete the “Torture Test”, created by Cliff Biffle, one of the Make Magazine testers.

Learn more about our incredible 3D printer.

Afinia Introduces Value-Line ABS Filament for 3D Printers

August 22, 2012

Value-Line is an economic alternative supply for 3D printing that features consistent performance in multiple colors.

Afinia, a division of Microboards Technology LLC, a leader in specialized printing solutions for 3D printing and rapid prototyping introduces its Value-Line of ABS Filament for 3D printers on Afinia.com and Amazon.com. Value-Line is an economic alternative supply for 3D printing that features consistent performance in multiple colors.

“The explosion of 3D printers in the market has created an enormous demand for alternative supplies that are cost-effective and reliable” said Aaron Pratt, Afinia’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We feel that the industry will benefit from having a supplier with filament that is dependable and competitively priced.”

Currently 14 different colors are available, ranging from white to black. Red, blue, green, orange, pink, and silver are among the most popular. Two new glow-in-the-dark filaments (green and blue) have also been introduced.

The Value-Line filament prices start at $31.99 per (Kg) or under $15 per pound, and is available on Afinia.com or through Amazon.com.

The filament is designed to work with Afinia’s H-Series 3D Printers, but works equally as well in many of the other desktop 3D printers on the market. The filament is an industry standard 1.75mm and is delivered on a 2.2 lbs. (1 Kg) reel. “In testing, we assessed the qualities of many suppliers of filament. What we found was a significant variation in diameters and melting points, which lead to inconsistent feeding and melting during the extrusion process. Since Afinia’s stated mission is to commercialize 3D printing for the everyday consumer, standardizing the supplies was a top priority,” said Pratt.

Afinia’s reputation for reliability extends beyond its supplies. The H-Series 3D Printer has rapidly earned a reputation for being the first finished product in the desktop 3D printing space. It is fully functioning, out of the box, managed with a single software interface, and backed by the best technical support available. “Previous to the H-Series, users were forced to compromise in one or several aspects of their 3D printing experience. Equipment came partially or wholly unassembled; printing was initiated by running a cluster of open-source software pieces, online technical support was slow and unresponsive, and phone support was nonexistent,” said Pratt.

About Afinia

Afinia, a division of Microboards Technology LLC, is a leader in specialized printing solutions. Our twenty-year history includes leadership in CD/DVD disc duplication and labeling. Our most recent launch builds on our mechanical and electrical expertise by offering the H-Series of 3D Printers. Afinia H-Series 3D Printer is the affordable, portable, “Out of the Box 3D Printing Experience”. The Afinia H-Series 3D printer uses inexpensive, high-quality plastic filament to create 3D models. Custom-designed 3D printing software is easily installed and ready to use. The H-Series is ideal for engineers, educators, and hobbyists. For more information please call 888.215.3966 or visit www.afinia.com.

All trademarks are owned by their respective companies.

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Afinia Launches H-Series 3D Printer

July 26, 2012

The Afinia H-Series 3D Printer provides a true “Out of the Box 3D Printing Experience”

Afinia, a division of Microboards Technology LLC, a leader in specialized printing solutions for 3D printing and rapid prototyping has officially launched its H-Series 3D Printer.

The Afinia H-Series 3D Printer provides a true “Out of the Box 3D Printing Experience” as the 3D Printer comes fully assembled, with easy to install software for both the PC and Mac. The printer is both portable and affordable at a low cost of $1499. The Afinia H-Series can prototype a part or model that is up to 5 inches cubed in dimension.

The custom designed 3D Printing Software features an easy-to-use interface for laying out, orienting, duplicating, and scaling your designs. Simply use the included utility to calibrate the printhead height, and within minutes you are printing. The software imports .stl files, and allows the output to be customized in terms of the amount of support material and “raft” (base support) printed. Breakaway support material created in the printing process is simple to remove, and tools for aiding the breakaway are included. Design files can be created using a variety of online softwares, professional software packages such as SolidWorks ™, or by downloading from the extensive online community for free.

The Afinia H-Series 3D printer uses inexpensive, high-quality plastic filament offered in a wide array of colors including: natural (white), black, red, yellow, glow blue and glow green. The portable H-Series 3D Printer weighs less than 11lbs making it easy to transport. Additionally, the H-Series can print in a standalone mode. Simply choose your .stl file, printing parameters, and hit print. You will then be free to disconnect your computer from the printer at any time.

About Afinia

All trademarks are owned by their respective companies.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Read below to learn the answers to common questions. If you need more help, please Contact our support team, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Click to reveal the answer: view answer

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How big can the Afinia H-Series 3D Printer print? view answer

The H800 has a build envelope of 10 inches wide by 8 inches deep by 8 inches high, while the H400 has a build envelope of 4.7 inches cubed.

What is the cost of printing? view answer

A single reel contains 1.5 lbs (.7kg) of filament. The amount you print per lb/kg varies with the amount of raft and support material required, but it averages out to $.02-$.05 per cubic centimeter, or $.33-.82 per cubic inch. The easiest way to calculate the cost of the material that will be used for your model is to use the print preview option under the 3D Print menu. This will calculate the total weight of material used, including the raft and any support material. Then, use this formula: Cost to Print = Weight of Model x (Cost of Spool / Full Spool Weight)

Does it come with supplies? view answer

Yes. It comes with a starter spool, 1.1 lbs (.5kg) of filament and platform adhesive. It also comes with a set of work gloves and hand tools. The hand tools include: woodcut knife, screws, scraper, pliers, brush, nozzle wrench, hex wrench, and tweezers.

How fast is it? view answer

That depends, of course, on size. The choice of resolution, support material, and raft influence speed greatly. The included print software provides a time estimate before you begin printing.

What resolution does it print to? view answer

The plastic filament can be extruded at a variety of layer thicknesses, depending on what combination of print quality and speed is required. The H400 printer can print from 0.15 mm (about .006 in) up to 0.35 mm, while the H800 prints from 0.10 mm (about .005 in) to 0.40 mm.

Do I need 3D software? view answer

Afinia provides a 3D software that will lay out the model in the printing area, scale it, or duplicate it. The model needs to be designed and/or modified in a CAD program like SolidWorks, AutoCad or SketchUp Pro and then imported to our software as an “STL” file.

What kind of plastic filament is used? view answer

ABS and PLA plastic filament is used on the AFINIA H-Series 3D Printer.

Do you have to calculate the support material in your model? view answer

No. The 3D software lets you select the angle to which you would like to have support material, and it automatically places the material for any angle that exceeds it. There is a simple visual tool in the driver (it shows a bowl with varying sloped sides) to help you set it. You can also set whether or not to have the model print with a “raft”, or base piece.

Is the support material easily removed? view answer

Yes, the support material is the same plastic as the model. The support material is attached to the model at “pinpoints” so that it easily tears away.

How hard is it to set up? view answer

It’s very simple and comes with a step-by-step setup manual. Loading the software, plugging in a USB cable, and importing an STL file are explained thoroughly in the manual. When you first use the machine, use the Auto Platform Level Calibration and Auto Nozzle Height Detection to easily prepare for printing. For more information on the setup process, download the manual, or watch the setup video.

If I don’t know how to design, can I get files to print? view answer

Yes, there is a large community of designers sharing thousands of STL files online. STL files can be downloaded to your computer and imported to the AFINIA 3D Software for printing.

What colors of filament are available for printing? view answer

Currently, Afinia offers natural, black, red, blue, glow blue, yellow, green, glow green, silver, pink, white, and gold, along with several specialty filaments. You can see all available filaments in our store.

Can I print in multiple colors? view answer

To have more than one color in a single object, you must change out the filament during the printing process. This can easily be done by pausing the print in the software, and then using the utility to back out the existing filament and initiate the extrusion of the new filament.

Can I use anyone’s filament? view answer

Afinia supplied filaments have been tested and conformed with the H-Series 3D Printer’s specifications. Although other filaments may be used, it is not recommended as some filaments work poorly or can cause damage to the extruder head and machine.

How hot is the machine? view answer

The extruder nozzle (printhead) heats to 260 degrees Celsius. The platform is heated as well, but not as hot, to aid in depositing and removing the base layers.

What’s the difference between Premium and Value Line filament? view answer

The Premium filament has been designed specifically to the specifications of the H-Series 3D printer, the most important being the 260 degree Celsius extrusion temperature. The Value-Line filament has an extrusion temperature range between 210 and 250 degrees Celsius. This range allows for broad support among a number of different 3D printers on the market. For more information, and detailed differences, check out our filaments page.