III. Testing the printer¶
Here I compare an Ultimaker 3 and a Sidewinder X1
Of course, the comparison is not representative because I used different materials and different slicers.
| Ultimaker 3 | Sidewinder X1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | CoreXY | Cartesian |
| Build Volume | 215 x 215 x 200 mm | 300 x 300 x 400 mm |
| Autobedleveling | Yes | No |
| DirectDrive | No | Yes |
| Dual Extrusion | Yes | No |
| Price | ~ 3.500 EUR | ~ 350 EUR |
| used slicer | Cura 4.80 | Simplify3D 4.1.2 |
| Material | ecoPLA - White | PLA mflex - White |
| Material Brand | 3DJAKE | OWL SAT |
I sliced the models for the Ultimaker 3 with Cura 4.80 and standard settings and for the Sidewinder I used Simplify3D with optimized settings for the machine.
All models are printed with a layer height of 0.15 mm and an infill of 10% (except the last one with 15%).
Here is Team Ultimaker vs. Team Sidewinder…
Ultimaker: the last two cubes, were melted on the bar
Sidewinder: only the last cube isn’t movable
Bridging
Both machines were able to handle the bridging test
Overhang
Ultimaker: only the first three overhangs are acceptable
Sidewinder: the first five overhangs are acceptable and the hole test looks better with this machine.
Angel
Both printers were able to print overhangs with a good quality until 40 degree. I would prefere to use support for everything under 40 degree
Overhang with support
The support structure test, was on the Sidewinder with Simplify3D much better as on the Ultimaker with Cura
Wall Thickness
The Ultimaker with Cura was able to print thinner walls. Simplify3D would need other settings, to handle this.
Surface Finish
The finish looks better on the Sidewinder, but the settings profile would needs to be modified, to get still better results.
Measured Dimensions
| X/Y Axis | Z-Height | |
|---|---|---|
| Ultimaker 3 | 20,07 mm | 20,05 mm |
| Sidewinder X1 | 20,06 mm | 19,99 mm |
anisotropy
This print looks also better on the Sidewinder. Both machines had no problem with that.
Here are three examples, how different infill settings looks like inside.
Conclusion
The prints from the Sidewinder X1 are much better than from the Ultimaker. The profile from the Sidewinder is still not perfect and could be optimized a little more, so the print quality could be even better.