The Stacker S4ís Superior USA Engineering Makes 3D Printing on an Industrial Scale Affordable
Stacker is an innovative 3D printing company that is based in the United States. Their latest printer, the Stacker S4, has turned many heads because of its unique design. The printer has 4 print heads that allow you to print 4 parts simultaneously or use different filaments.
This printer is better suited for commercial use but will work perfectly fine in a home or an educational setting. You will not only be able to print large objects using the Stacker S4 but also do it quickly and with almost any type filament.
First Impressions
The Stacker S4 printer stands apart from its rivals by not covering up using vanity panels. It puts everything on display. The machine produces high-quality work, so why not show it off?
On top of the printer are the feed tubes and the four printer nozzles. The rest of the printer makes the big build volume that sits at an enormous 13.5? x 20.5? x 25.5?. With this build volume, you won’t reach any limits anytime soon when using the printer.
The printer is powder-coated with still and therefore has a sturdy build. It is also mobile thanks to the four casters underneath it that enable you to move it from room to room.
Features
This 3D printer is designed to be used in an industrial environment and consistently provide high-quality prints. The printerís features set it, in many ways, apart from its rivals. Some of the features of the 3D printer make it flexible.
Below is a list of these features.
1. Four Print Heads
This is both a unique and flexible feature because you can remove the printer heads as youíd like. When you remove a printer head, you also dramatically increase the print build volume. Say for example you remove one head, you will get a maximum X travel of 510mm. That is a lot more than the 390mm you get when all 4 printer heads in place.
Because the printer heads have their own hotend temperature and each takes a different filament, you can print up to 4 objects at the same time. You will not only save a lot of time but can also print effectively as if you have four printers.
Another great feature is the ability to use one or all four printer heads to manufacture one object. This allows you to use different materials or colors in one object. Check the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdkvEomp8zk
Quality Components
Among the components that come standard on the Stacker S4 are no-maintenance dry bearings, high-quality motion bearings and industrial grade stepper motors.
Most of the components, except the power supply and linear motion, are manufactured in the United States. You are almost guaranteed a good first layer because the flat sheet inside this printer has been grinded. The print bed is made from ground aluminum.
Stackerís S4 3D printer guarantees reliable prints. This is very important for commercial projects where you have to manufacture identical models. The technology that allows the Stacker machine to create such exceptional repeatable products is called ëLevel-Onceí.
You are sure of reliable results because after the machine has been calibrated once, you donít have to worry about it again. Instead, you can focus on building more models and impressing your clients.
Quick Change Nozzles
It takes around one minute or less to change each nozzle. Therefore, you can choose the best nozzle to apply the filament in your preferred way to your model. The nozzle sizes range from 0.25mm to 1.00mm. For nozzle speed and detail, you will have a great choice to balance the two.
The Stacker printer has hard wearing steel for their nozzles instead of brass, which most other printers have. Not only does this increase the lifespan of your nozzle but also allows you to print more abrasive materials like carbon fiber.
Setting Up
After installation, you will not have to do any further adjustments because the printer is already calibrated at Stackerís factory.
After the printer is all set up, you will have to print a test model. This step will also guide you through loading the filament and tasks like sending your files to the printer. The printer comes with instructions that are easy to understand for anyone.
After the first test print, you will know whether your printer remained calibrated during shipping. If it did not, you will have to manually calibrate it. However, after calibration, you wonít have to do it anytime soon.
Stacker includes well-written and easy-to-understand guides with this printer. Some of the guides have colored pictures, which make it very easy for users to understand what is required of them. Not only will you get help with troubleshooting and the initial setup of your printer but also tips that will make it easy to use the printer.
Among the tips Stacker has in their help guides are the typical tricks manufacturers expect you to learn by yourself from using the printer. Stacker took time to ensure that when their customers interact with their machine, they will have a good experience.
Using the Stacker S4
Every time you switch the Stacker S4 printer to produce a 3D model, youíll go through a straight-forward process. The printer uses Simplify3D, which further enhances your experience through its premium features.
Simplify3D is one of the best slicer software available on the market today. That might be one of the reasons why Stacker includes a premium license for their users in the box. Another reason might be the ability of Simplify3D to generate support structures for your models and the ease of removing them without having to scar your model. Before you print, you have the option of simulating how the final product would look like so that you can make the necessary changes if it’s required.
After printing your first test piece, you should be familiar with how the process works because you will follow the same steps every time. The printer commands can be controlled on the touchscreen at the front or through the included software.
If you have already loaded some filament into your printer, the next step would be to set the nozzle and printing` bed temperature. Although the LCD screen at the front is one color, you will still get very useful information from it. Besides the basic menu, there is a system menu with a wide array of settings you might not always see. After setting your printing bed and nozzle temperatures, press GO for the actual printing can start.
Now that you have successfully printed your test model, it is time to remove it from the print bed. This process is very straightforward and is further enhanced by the included BuildFlex printing bed. The large build volume also helps you to easily remove prints.
Printing Materials
With the Stacker S4, you can use any filament that melts well below 300∞C and is a 1.75mm filament. Keep in mind that the printing bed has a maximum temperature of 110∞C.
The nozzle further extends the range of filaments you can print because they are made of hardened steel, allowing them to print abrasive filament types. Amongst the materials you can print include PLA, HIPS, PVA, ABS, and NYLON.
Being able to print a large range of filaments allows you to make rare prints. This can be anything from wax molds to even printing metals. The best part is that you wonít run out of filament fast because you can pack 4 2.2kilogram spools into your printer.
Print Quality
The Stacker S4 was designed with precision in mind and this is evident in the resolution accuracy. Youíll be able to achieve layer resolutions of 0.1mm. In terms of positional accuracy, you can be sure of 4 microns on the Z axis and 6 microns on the XY axis.
Although some of this printerís rivals can deliver the same level of accuracy, they find it hard to keep it up, especially out of the box. Being able to repeatedly print high-quality prints is what sets the S4 3D printer apart from its rivals. Your business will save a lot of money and time when you can produce identical quality objects well over hundred prints.
Reliability & Maintenance
comes with 2 years warranty, which is more than what other 3D manufacturers offer.
Stackerís target audience with the S4 was the education and commercial industry. The high-quality components bundled into this printer allow you to make repeatable high-quality prints. You will barely notice any wear and tear on your printer after a few hundred prints.
There is still some periodic maintenance required to keep the printer in top form. Like most other 3D printers on the market, you will have to replace some of its parts from time to time. Stacker has limited the required replacement parts to the filament guides and the nozzles. The replacement instructions are available in the easy help guides included with the printer. There are also some simple maintenance steps you can follow to extend the work time of your 3D printer.
Try to invest in an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to keep your printer safe as recommended by Stacker. A good UPS should prevent any power interruptions from interfering with your prints.
Verdict
Stacker deserves credit for the quality components they pack inside this printer. This machine has everything and more you would want in a 3D printer.
Coming to price, youíd be surprised to learn that the Stacker S4 is almost half of what youíd pay for other industrial printers that have similar features. Moreover, other industrial 3D printers competing with the S4 seems flimsy compared to the Stacker S4.
Although some of the S4ís competitors can give you the same level of quality prints, they often donít last past a few months if used commercially. On the other hand, the Stacker printer can print well over a decade worth of prints without any hiccups.
Buying the Slacker S4 3D printer is one of the best investments you can make whether you want to produce some prototype models or looking to produce some marketing minutes. Whatever you throw at this printer, it handles with ease.
The features, price and durability of the Stacker S4 make it the best industrial 3D printer. If you donít own a Stacker S4 already you can get one at Amazon.
[amazon box=”B06XW7M2KQ”]
