XYZprinting produces a variety of 3D printers, however the firm appears particularly adept at making printers aimed toward novices and newcomers. The da Vinci Nano, XYZ’s entry-level printer launched in 2018, is a chief instance of that, as this easy printer presents loads of options for a small value, and it stays among the many finest 3D printers.
da Vinci Nano 3D printer evaluate: Value and availability
As an older mannequin, the da Vinci Nano 3D printer might be laborious to search out at retail websites, however you may nonetheless have some luck in case you purchase it straight by means of XYZprinting’s retailer. There, the da Vinci Nano w is out there for $199. It is a wi-fi model of the printer, however it’s basically the identical mannequin we reviewed right here. A wired model of the printer is listed as out-of-stock, as of this replace to the evaluate.
da Vinci Nano 3D printer evaluate: Design
The da Vinci Nano, which measures 14.9 x 14 x 11 inches, appears to be like extra like a kitchen equipment than one thing high-tech; it is like a cross between a bread maker and a 1970s sci-fi film prop. Although a entrance door blocks off the transferring and scorching components of the printer, there isn’t a override. Should you open the entrance door, the printer retains going, so it is not appropriate for unsupervised use by youthful printers.
The door does assist block off a lot of the noise of printing, although — a low whirring and buzzing sound that’s quieter than that from most printers.
Behind the lift-up entrance door is the print space, with a glass print mattress that permits for prints of as much as Four.7 inches on either side. That is not as massive because the prints doable from printers just like the Dremel Digilab 3D40, however it’s large enough for many makes use of. (And contemplating the scale of the Nano, it is a fairly beneficiant print space.) This print mattress is a chunk of glass that may be simply eliminated by releasing a few latches, which makes it simpler to take away prints.
da Vinci Nano 3D printer evaluate: Supplies
The Nano makes use of filament saved on a reel that matches onto the printer’s again. As with most XYZ printers, the PLA filament contains a chip that identifies it to the printer, with the Nano working solely with filament provided by XYZ. Every of those reels, which holds 600 grams of filament, prices about $27.99.The filament is available in 14 colours, starting from clear to black. That is a bit costlier than the printing supplies for a lot of different printers, a few of which may use third-party resin that prices about $20 for a 1-kilogram (2.2 kilos) reel.
As a result of the Nano lacks a heated print mattress, you are restricted to PLA; the Nano will not work with ABS or different filament supplies.
da Vinci Nano 3D printer evaluate: Setup and controls
The da Vinci Nano is easy and easy to make use of. You simply unbox the printer, take away the quite a few bits of tape and foam holding it in place, snap the print head into place and feed within the filament. It took us lower than half an hour to go from opening the field to beginning the primary print.
The controls on the da Vinci Nano are restricted to a single glowing button on the entrance and an influence swap on the again. The glowing button exhibits the standing (inexperienced for prepared, orange for print in progress and crimson for error), however the whole lot else is managed by means of the XYZmaker software program, which is free for Home windows, Mac and Linux. (Nonetheless, you do should register with XYZprinting to entry the obtain web page.)
The XYZmaker software program is kind of easy to make use of, providing the power to import, scale, transfer and mix 3D fashions. It may possibly additionally create 3D fashions akin to textual content, logos and primitives akin to spheres, cubes and pyramids. These might be mixed with (or faraway from) current fashions, so you are able to do issues like create a 3D mannequin of textual content after which use it to chop out the form of that textual content in one other 3D mannequin, like a machine that engraves your pet’s title onto a tag. XYZmaker is just not a full-featured 3D-modeling program, however it’s good to see that extra options for these sorts of straightforward duties have gotten accessible in 3D-printing applications.
As soon as the print is able to go, you move it over to the XYZ Printer plugin, which slices up the mannequin and prepares it for printing. Once more, it is a simple-to-use program that gives the entire fundamental options you’ll need, plus a number of extra. You get a 3D preview of the mannequin, and it could add helps (the items of fabric that maintain a posh print in place) and tweak different settings, akin to infill (the quantity of fabric that’s printed contained in the mannequin to carry it collectively). You should use the 4 print-quality settings — Draft, Regular, High-quality and Hole, a particular mode that removes any infill — or tweak the settings your self to get the proper print.
da Vinci Nano 3D printer evaluate: Print course of
When you hit Print, the XYZmaker program sends the file to the da Vinci Nano over the printer’s USB connection. As soon as that is accomplished, you’ll be able to disconnect your pc from the Nano with out affecting the print, however the software program gives the one technique to monitor the progress. There isn’t any visible or different indication on the printer itself of how lengthy your print will take.
We discovered the da Vinci Nano to be a reasonably quiet printer whereas operating; it exhibited solely a slight whine from the motors and followers, accompanied by a whirr and buzz from the print head transferring. It is a little bit irritating if you’re sitting proper subsequent to the printer, however the noise was barely audible a room away.
da Vinci Nano 3D printer evaluate: Print velocity
The da Vinci Nano is just not a quick printer, particularly when in comparison with a blazing quick mannequin for newbies just like the Polaroid PlaySmart. Though the Nano can print sizable objects, it takes a very long time to take action, particularly on the higher-quality settings. Our take a look at print of Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker, which is about Four.three inches excessive, took between 7 hours and 36 minutes on the Draft setting and a prolonged 21 hours and three minutes on the Excessive High quality setting.
That is rather a lot slower than different, costlier printers, such because the Dremel Digilab 3D40, which took between three hours and 15 minutes and 14 hours and a pair of minutes, respectively, for a similar print. Even some comparable low-priced printers have been sooner; the $160 Monoprice MP Mini Delta, for example, took lower than 5 hours to print in its highest-quality velocity mode.
That is most likely the obvious place the place XYZprinting has lower corners to maintain the price down: Within the Excessive High quality print mode, the print head strikes extra slowly in order that it may be managed extra precisely. Dearer printers, in contrast, use larger motors that may be correct at increased speeds, thus sustaining each velocity and print high quality. The cheaper motors within the da Vinci Nano make you select one or the opposite.
da Vinci Nano 3D printer evaluate: Print high quality
We have been impressed with the standard of the prints that the da Vinci Nano produced; that they had a clear, easy end and well-made edges within the Draft and Regular modes.
The print of our Thinker mannequin within the Draft mode (which makes use of a zero.Four-mm print peak) had very seen print layers, however it nonetheless featured a gorgeous, clear end on the again and arms of the determine and little or no disjointed layers. Prints produced in Regular mode, pictured above, (zero.Four-mm layer peak once more, however printed a bit extra slowly) regarded smoother however nonetheless had loads of seen layering and a few deformed layers that did not fairly appear to have caught collectively correctly, particularly on smaller particulars such because the fingers and toes of The Thinker mannequin.
The Excessive High quality print mode (above) nonetheless had some apparent layering. However the smaller layer peak made them much less intrusive and produced a smoother general look, and the main points have been reproduced extra precisely.
da Vinci Nano 3D printer evaluate: Verdict
For round $200, you get loads of printer with the da Vinci Nano. Though it’s restricted to printing with PLA from XYZprinting, the Nano does a terrific job of manufacturing enticing prints, and the corporate’s PLA filament is just not overly costly (though it prices greater than third-party choices).
The software program that controls the da Vinci Nano is easy to make use of and presents some neat, uncommon options, like fundamental modeling instruments so as to add textual content to current fashions. The printer is gradual, although, so anticipate to attend some time to your prints.
Since we first reviewed the da Vinci Nano 3D printer a number of years in the past, different fashions aimed toward novices have come together with extra spectacular options, together with the Monoprice Voxel and the Polaroid PlaySmart. However these 3D printers price greater than the da Vinci Nano, which stays a terrific package deal for anybody who’s interested by 3D printing — whether or not at residence or in a classroom — and would not need to spend so much to get began.
