Both 3D printers follow the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process. The Printrbot 1404 is capable of printing both Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Polylactic Acid (PLA) plastics on a heated printed bed. The Printrbot extruder is able to move on the x, y, and z axis, while its print bed is limited to x axis movements. The Voxel8 is also capable of printing both ABS and PLA plastics with the addition of a conductive silver material. The Voxel8 also includes a heated print bed. The Voxel8 extruder is capable of movement on the x, y, z axis, while its printed bed is limited to movement along the z axis. The print bed for each 3D printer can also be covered by specific material to aid in print adhesion.
The investigation identified various parameters during the printing process that can have physical effects on the printed object. These parameters will be changed to analyze the different physical properties they incorporate into the model. The three parameters identified are the 3D printer, the slicer used to process the model file, and the print bed