Ultimaker对比Makerbot Replicator：好的不是一点点

转自 http://www.3djoy.cn

(参与讨论：http://bbs.3djoy.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=127&extra=page%3D1)

Ultimaker自是由三位来自荷兰的年轻Maker共同开发的。相比较MakerBot，Ultimaker具有更快的速度，更高的性价比，可打印更大的尺寸，同时还是一个开源的3D打印机。本文将对这两台非常流行的3D打印机进行对比，给大家以作参考。

Ultimaker

Ultimaker的3位开发者于两年前在Utrecht的Fab Lab相遇。Fab Lab是MIT的Center forBits and Atom，是全世界推动数字化制作的著名实验室之一。 在去年召开的Botacon（机器人与近似机器人的创意聚会）大会上，Ultimaker首次露面便受到了极大的好评。援引至《Make》杂志上的一句话：“这是对3D打印机的一大改进！”

和Makerbot一样，Ultimaker也是使用ASB塑料或PLA塑料来制作产品的，属于FDM型打印机。但Ultimaker公司表示，如果使用植物制作而成的PLA塑料来进行打印，速度更快，而且更加稳定。Ultimaker和Makerbot的不同之处在于，Makerbot是依靠平台的移动来进行打印的，而Ultimaker则是依赖喷头的移动（当然这里指的是最初的几代Makerbot，现在此类新设计已经被很多其他厂商吸收），相比较之下，Ultimaker的喷头更为精巧，且重量很轻。此外，Makerbot的马达是安装在可动零件上的，但是Ultimaker则是在打印机的框架之上，由此打印机可以得到更好的稳定性以及更大的打印尺寸。在Ultimaker官方网站上甚至还有喷头移动速度为350 mm/s，挤出速度为300 mm/s的演示视频（被墙了）。详细参数对比请看下文。

Makerbot

Makerbot是一家位于布鲁克林的创业公司，他们发明的Makerbot目标是家用型的，简易的3D打印机。和Ultimaker一样，Makerbot是FDM型打印机，使用ASB或者PLA塑料作为原料。最初的CupcakeCNC及Thing-O-Matic都是来自于RepRap开源项目并且产品都是开源的。但是最近由于公司策略发生变化，新产品Replicator，Replicator2等产品都已经不开源了，对于推动3D打印机的进步是个非常可惜的事情。

下面是Ultimaker和Makerbot Replicator机型的参数对比，为了让大家有更直观的概念，我们同时给出了iRapid以BFB公司的Rapman的参数。这些参数均来源于各官方网站，如有误差尽请谅解。

参数说明

打印尺寸为越小越便于携带和放置。单层厚度决定了打印效果。控制器中Arduino为开源产品，拥有众多开源的优点。显而易见，Ultimaker拥有极高的性价比和开放性，是众多个人3D打印机中不二的选择。引用Google Group中某位同时拥有Makerbot和Ultimaker的网友对Ultimaker的评价，后半段此网友给Ultimaker非常高的评价：

I think that the Ultimaker is far superior for the following reasons;

I bought a completely assembled MakerBot TOM 7 months ago and really should have bought a kit because I would have saved additional $800 and the “assembled” version has needed multiple dis-assemblies because of loose fasteners, sloppy assembly, kludgy engineering and a choice of plywood that does not allow you to tighten the screws an acceptable amount to keep them from spontaneously loosening.  Considering the low
cost of the plywood this is a particularly poor choice of cost
savings.  I think I will have to do a complete dis-assembly and
rebuild with Ny-lock nuts / Loctite / super glue to keep the fasteners fastened for any reasonable length of time.  I would hope that MakerBot makes some vast improvements to their complete bots or there are going to be tens of thousands of unhappy customers out there.

I am in the final stages of assembling an Ultimaker and the contrast between the the 2 machines is striking.  The Ultimaker frame is a much higher quality 5 layer plywood that actually allows you to tighten the screws to a reasonable torque.  The design and engineering is thought out very nicely.  For instance in contrast to the MakerBot the Ultimaker has cable routing, a much larger print area, lower power consumption, simpler electronics, the ability to print PLA at quicker speeds and better precision and can be used with NetFabb to simplfy and speed up toolpath generation.

Ultimaker

Makerbot

Rapman

iRapid