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Make Massive Prints On A Big 3D Printer

Posted on by Airwolf 3D
20
Oct

Here at Airwolf 3D we love using a large 3D printer. No more having to print a large-size object in several parts and assemble them. Not with the AXIOM 20. This ultra-tall, big 3D printer makes it so easy to print flawlessly in over 40 different materials, including high-temperature, industrial-grade polycarbonate and polypropylene. It was designed to meet the rigorous demands of the automotive market, manufacturing industries and creative industries as well.

Using a Big 3D Printer to Make Movie Props

With the AXIOM 20’s 12.5″ x 12″ x 20″ build chamber at our disposal, we wanted to 3D print something big, but intricate at the same time. We decided to 3D print props because they have become more and more specialized due in large part to realism as well as to the rise of theatre-in-the-round, where few sets are used and the simple prop becomes as important of a design element as costumes and the lighting. With the new Alien: Covenant film that came out earlier this year, we thought it would be a great time to pay homage to H.R. Giger (part of the special effects team for design work on the film Alien) — plus, we came across an amazing design on Thingiverse by Ideaform3D: Alien Head.

Settings using APEX: 3D Printing Software

Make on a Big 3D PrinterAPEX makes it so easy to create beautiful 3D prints (best of all, APEX is free and we recommend that all Airwolf 3D customers begin using the software (learn more about APEX here). To start the print using APEX, we followed these simple steps:

  1. Opened APEX and selected an Airwolf 3D printer.
  2. Loaded the model file.
  3. Chose simple Quickprint settings (Filament, Print Quality, Print Support & Platform Adhesion)
  4. Saved the GCode and voilà, ready to print!

Print Time, Size, Filament & 3D Printer

This Alien Head took around 69 hours to finish. The dimensions chosen for this 3D print were 12.5” x 4” x 6″ (perfect for our large 3D printer). We decided to use ABS filament because it is durable, and ideal for post-processing techniques. The AXIOM 20 was absolutely the best option for printing this project. It can easily run for 50 to 80 hours at a time, making it the toughest, most precise industrial large 3D printer in it’s class.

Related Content:
Readers of this content have also enjoyed reading 6 Things You Should Know About 3D Printing Large ABS Parts

This white paper reviews the technical requirements for large format additive manufacturing of parts in acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material with fused deposition modeling equipment.  Read the white paper to learn:
- Heat requirement
- Power requirements
- The math behind nozzle size

Download Guide 3D PRINTING LARGE ABS PARTS