When and why do you use a Z18?
Z18s are reserved for proven prints and print concepts.
Never send the 1st print to a Z18. Only after a design is proven does a print go to a Z18 and its use is justified.
The MakerBot Z18 3D Printers are nearly identical replicas of the MakerBot 5th gens.
The obvious difference between the two printers is size. The build volume:
The Z18 is 30.0 L x 30.5 W x 45.7 H cm (11.8 L x 12.0 W x 18.0 H in) compared to
MakerBot+ 29.5 L x 19.5 W x 16.0 H cm (11.6 L x 7.6 W x 6.5 H in) .
The additional differences are:
- Heated Chamber : The heated build chamber allows extruded PLA to cool more slowly during printing, which can help prevent cracking between printed layers of plastic. Heating the build chamber is more likely to be helpful for long prints than shorter ones. For shorter prints, having the chamber off will save energy and make removing prints easier.
- Internal Filament Feed : The feed tube for the filament begins underneath at the base of the printer and comes out at the top inside the chamber.
- Build Plate: The Z18 has a flexible removable build plate. Similar to the MakerBot+.
Other than that, the Z18 is identical to the MakerBot 5th gen and MakerBot+.