Cube 3D Printer
The Cube® 3D printer is created by 3D Systems. The Cube® uses Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology and makes 3D objects with ABS and PLA plastic. There are 16 color options and the Cube® prints in one color at a time. The cartridges cannot be switched out while it is printing. It has a print size of 5.5 L x 5.5 W x 5.5 H inches. The Cube® comes with 25 free 3D models for printing. The Cube® runs on Windows and Mac OSX. The interfacing software is also called Cube® and is included with the printer. The Cube® uses Wi-Fi. It is available at Staples online and will soon be available in Staples brick-and-mortar stores.
How the Cube® 3D Printer Works
The user first chooses a model that comes with the printer or creates a model using a 3D modeling program and saves it as an STL file. The STL file is then opened in the printer’s interfacing program where the model is sliced into sections. The interfacing program determines how each layer will be printed. When the converted file is sent to the printer, ABS or PLA plastic is extruded through a heated nozzle, which builds the part one layer at a time until the part is complete.