Once it’s assembled, you connect the machine via Ethernet and get the software up and running. The material bay sits underneath the printer and can be doubled up to offer longer periods of unattended model building. The machine comes into two core parts: the printer itself and the material bay. Higher resolution will mean much less faceting in the final model The part in SolidWorks – an STL file is exported to the required resolution.

Everything is clearly labelled and there’s even a quick reference guide. Installation is very similar to that of a traditional printer. I would hazard a guess that this is about as small as these things are going to get considering it sports a very usable 203 x 152 x 152 mm build envelope. The uPrint is a very small form factor machine and it sits easily on an office desk. So, there’s the background, now let’s looks at the specifics of the uPrint machine, which Dimension is touting as a personal 3D printer. Parts are more resilient, suitable for form, fit and function testing and generally stand up well to the rigours of life as a prototype part.

By using near molten material (typically ABS but others are available in the higher-end systems), the technology gives users a very good approximation of product-intent material. The benefit that FDM has traditionally held over its competitors is the superior structural integrity of the parts. This support material is then removed (it’s water soluble) and hey presto, there’s a 3D model, realised as a physical 3D part. In most FDM machines the system also deposits a support material to assist with maintaining form within the model during the building process and to allow users to build complex parts in the required orientation. FDM models are renowned for their toughness and accuracy making them suitable for physical testing

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