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5 must-have 3D printer upgrades in 2022

5 must-have 3D printer upgrades in 2022

3D printing is an exciting venture you will love to get into. It allows you to give life to your imagination and make whatever you desire with your creativity. If you own a 3D printer and wish to have a more beautiful design, you may want to consider going for a printer upgrade. It allows you to do more with your printer, and you can make more beautiful prints. Upgrade also helps ease printing stress; thus, you can get a lot done within reasonable time. There are many available upgrades for 3D printer, any of which you can choose. Below are the five must-have 3D printer upgrades.

5 must-have 3D printer upgrades

Spool Holders

Many 3D printers come with spool holders, but if your printer doesn’t come with one, purchasing a suitable one is not a bad idea. This will make your printing journey easier and more convenient. Also, in some cases, spool holders that come with printers usually don’t do the job excellently as required. In such an instance, going for another spool holder will be a good idea. A good spool holder will help to improve your workflow and accommodate more spool sizes. It’ll also help you relocate your filament to a spot where it’ll be easily accessible and protect them from moisture.
There are a couple of spool holder brands in the market that you can purchase, but before you opt for any of them, you should first consider some essential factors. Some of these factors include:
Versatility: It should be able to accommodate different spool sizes. That way, you won’t have to purchase different spool holders for different spool sizes. There are universal spool holders that can hold all spool sizes.
Ease of use: Does the spool holder make reaching your filament easier? How easy is it to install? Can it improve your printer’s user experience? These are questions you should answer before choosing a spool holder for your printer upgrade.
Protection against moisture: Your spool holder must have a suitable moisture protection property. It should keep moisture away from your filament and prevent it from degrading.
There are a couple of spool holders you can get in the market for your 3D printing upgrades; some of the best available options include:

Polybox Edition II:

Polybox Edition II

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This brand comes with a thermo-hygrometer that allows you to monitor your filaments inside the box. It has a large desiccant bag that helps to keep its humidity regulated by absorbing the moisture inside the box. The desiccant type used by this spool holder is silica gel. This brand is suitable for hygroscopic materials like PolySmooth, PVA, or Nylon. You can keep two 1kg spools in this spool holder at the same time. It works with both 1.75mm and 2.85mm filament diameters.

What I Like About This Brand

  • It can hold two 1kg spools simultaneously
  • Keeps the filament moisture-free

What I Don’t Like About This Brand

  • It may not work with thicker or large diameter spools

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Universal Auto-Rewind: 

Universal Auto-Rewind

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This is another beautiful spool holder that you can purchase. It is easy to use and helps to prevent your filament from being tangled. It comes with a unique 3D printed spring that helps to get the rewinding work done. It also has a feature that allows you to readjust the spool to suit your needs.

What I Like About This Brand

  • Has a 3D printed spring for rewinding
  • Helps to prevent tangling

What I Don’t Like About This Brand

  • The spring is fragile and can break anytime

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Heated Build Plates

Many 3D printers don’t come with heated build plates. While build plates may not be essential for printing, it makes printing easier when it is available. Without a heated build plate, the cooling of your plastic will be slow. Even when they’re available, some printers come with silicone type heaters, which may not get the job done as excellently as you want. If you have a terrible print bed, your print may begin to warp, and that may eventually damage the print’s beauty. This is why investing in plate heaters as part of your 3D printer upgrade is a good thing. To avoid having a failed print that warped off the build plate, you should consider going for any of the following heated build plates you’ll find in the market:

Creality Heated Bed Build Surface:

Creality Heated Bed Build Surface

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This is a tempered Glass Plate compatible with Ender 3/Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer. It has different temperature settings for different filaments. You also don’t need tools to remove or install this model; thus, it is easy to install and remove. It comes with clips that are used to fix the glass plate on the hotbed.

What I Like About This Brand

  • Easy to install and remove
  • It is fancy

What I Don’t Like About This Brand

  • Only compatible with a few selected printers

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Polypropylene: 

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This is a common build plate you can purchase. It provides users with good adhesion that makes your print more stable during the printing process. When you use Polypropylene, you don’t need an additional adhesive, and they’re highly affordable. It is also durable and provide a smooth finish at the bottom of your prints.

What I Like About This Model

  • Affordable
  • Smooth, almost glass-like finish on the bottoms of prints

What I Don’t Like About This Model

  • The surface of the sheets gets scratched easily

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Dual Extruders

This is another excellent 3D printer upgrade you should go for once you already master how to use the single head printer. With dual extruder printers, you can give your prints a more creative touch. Using dual extruders means you won’t have to keep changing colors while printing. You can set the two colors you want once and for all and sit back to watch the lovely design get printed.
Not all printers are compatible with dual extruders. Thus, to use a dual extruder, you have to upgrade to printers that support such features.
There are a couple of options to choose from when it comes to dual extruder printers, and some of the best choices include:

Geeetech A10M

Geeetech A10M

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This is one of the most affordable dual extruder printers you’ll find. Unlike other cheap printers with poor qualities, Geeetech A10M has many fantastic quality features, and it is durable. It comes with two different extruders plus a single hot end. With this, you can blend two colors or lay them down in succession to each other. That way, you can obtain new shades and hues. It has a build space of 220 x 220 x 260 mm, allowing you to make larger 3D designs. Geeetech A10M is compact and comes fully assembled. Hence, you can start printing right away after purchasing. 

What I Like About This Brand

  • Affordable
  • Durable
  • It comes fully assembled
  • Equipped with a 360-degree ventilation fan system
  • Quiet and smooth printing

What I Don’t Like About This Model

  • Unprotected print bed

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ZMorph VX 

ZMorph VX

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This beautiful 3D printer is equipped with a dual extruder. It can be used for laser engraving and thick paste extruding. Like the Geeetech A10M model, this brand also features one hot end coupled with two extruders.
What I Like About This Model

  • It comes with one year warranty
  • Multi-color printing

What I Don’t Like About This Model

  • It doesn’t look classic

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Enclosures

Leaving your printer opened without any covering is not good enough. Imagine dust from the surrounding getting into the printer. That may affect the printer in the long run, and it can result in a total breakdown. An enclosure can help you in this regard. It’ll help to keep your printer safe from dust and also protect your hot end and prints. It’ll also protect your children from touching the moving parts of the printer during operation. The enclosure is an excellent printer upgrade you should consider.
Some of the best enclosures you can get for your 3D printer include:

Box3D 3D Printer Enclosure

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If you like to be in total control of your printing climate, you should get a Box3D 3D printer enclosure. Besides protecting your printer, another fantastic feature of this printer is that it extracts fumes and reduces printer noises. It comes with an opening on the back that makes connecting the printer to the power supply easier. The opening also allows for easy filament insertion. It has a transparent door that allows easy access to your 3D printer. It has an inner dimension of 500mm x 560mm x 580mm, and suitable for many printers. Some of the 3D printers compatible with Box3D 3D printer enclosures include Ultimaker 2, 2+, 3, Flasforge Creator Pro, Original Prusa MK2 and MK3, Makerbot Replicator 2 / 2X33, and Lulzbot Mini.
What I Like About This Brand

  • It comes fully assembled
  • It has an opening that makes power supply connection and filament insertion easier
  • Compatible with multiple printers
  • Reduces printer noises

What I Don’t Like About This Model

  • It is expensive

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Aaaspark 3D Printer Enclosure

Aaaspark 3D Printer Enclosure

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This 3D Printer tent is compatible with most assembled desktop 3D Printers. You can get it for less than $94. It is cheaper than most enclosures you’ll find in the market. It is dust-proof and has a noise reduction feature. You need no glue to assemble this 3D printer enclosure, and it is also easy to disassemble. Unlike most enclosures, if you use Aaaspark 3D Printer Enclosure, you don’t have to drill, cut, or modify your printer. It is safe and provides quick and easy installation. The overall size of this enclosure is 27.5”x29.5” x35.4”, and it is compatible with any 3D printer the same size or smaller.
What I Like About This Model

  • Cheap
  • It is dust-proof and has a noise reduction feature
  • Easy to assemble and disassemble

What I Don’t Like About This Model

  • Not suitable for extra-large printers

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Fans

If you’re considering a cheaper upgrade for 3D printer, this is the right direction to look. Fans are affordable, and they’re good options to consider to make your 3D printer last longer and produce better quality prints. Most printers come with a single fan, and that may affect your print’s quality. One side of your prints may begin to warp due to unbalanced temperature. In that case, adding a second fan or a better fan will contribute significantly to your print quality and also make your hot end last for an extended period.

5015 Brushless Cooling Fan

5015 Brushless Cooling Fan

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One of the best fans you can purchase is the 5015 Brushless Cooling Fan. It is a 4PCS 3D Printer Blower with a dimension of 50x50x15mm. You can get it for less than $8. This fan is made of high-quality plastics with high-end bearings; it is lightweight and durable. If you choose this cooling fan, you don’t have to worry because it is designed to withstand continuous days of working at high speeds. It operates at a speed of 5700±10%RPM, and it makes 25dBA noise, lower than the noise of many other cooling fans.
What I Like About This Model

  • Budget-friendly
  • Makes less noise
  • Lightweight and durable
  • Ability to work for days at high speed without hassle

What I Don’t Like About This Model

  • It comes with a short wire, which makes it challenging to connect with 3D printers.

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THE VERDICT

There are several upgrades for 3D printer you can choose, but you don’t need to go for all. Not only is it not economical, but it is unnecessary. To know which upgrade is most suitable for you, check your printer and look for what you lack. The enclosure is a good option you may want to consider. It protects your printer and your new prints from external influence. A quality enclosure like Box3D 3D printer enclosure is compatible with most printers, comes fully assembled, and gives you total control of your printing climate. 

CONCLUSION

Take the time to study your printer and your previous prints. Identify the challenges you faced and the ones you are still facing. Now, choose a suitable printer upgrade. Such upgrades should be one that provides the right solution to your printing challenges.

Previous article How to Fix Under Extrusion- What Causes Under Extrusion on Your 3d Prints and How to Fix Them

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