Cube® 3D Printer Talking Points
What is the Cube 3D Printer?
· The Cube is the next generation @home 3D printer. It can make anything you want up to 5.5 inches cubed. This is a consumer printer designed to give you a great print experience! It has intuitive features like the touch screen UI and simple software plus access to fun, customizable content through Cubify.com.
· The Cube is the Easiest, Most Reliable and Safest home 3D printer. Cube prints at 2X Better Accuracy and 1.5X Faster Speed than its predecessor with more material choices, and more colors and print modes
· With the Cube; you have more colors and more materials to choose from. The Cube evaluates the cartridge and makes sure there is enough material to finish your design before it starts! And the print head automatically detects which material is in the cartridge so you can print in both ABS and PLA plastics without adjusting any settings. Cartridges come in 16 colors, we even have glow in the dark materials – These will give a whole new meaning to night-lights!
Who is it for?
· Cube is a perfect addition to the modern work environment. Create scale models of packaging concepts, retail prototypes, architectural renderings and more! Go above and beyond your competition by creating personalized presentations for your clients. Any office would benefit from having a Cube.
· Cube is a great printer for the home! It’s easy and safe for kids to play with and exciting for adults too. Cube brings the entire family together to learn to create and make in 3D.
· The Cube is the only consumer 3D printer to meet IEC printer safety requirements. Cube is the only 3D printer officially certified for home use making it safe for children to play with.
· It’s a great starter printer for schools getting their feet wet with 3D design and printing.
· It’s the most affordable printer for the Tech enthusiasts, the design/engineer professional who likes to play at home or stay caught up with design projects after hours. The Cube can create designs from practical household items to chic, stylish apparel.
What can I do with it?
· You can print anything up to 5.5 inches cubed with it. The Cube is particularly great for organic and complex shapes. Create your own object with our software or your own software. Or use the premade files that are already available on Cubify.com.
How do I get started making stuff?
· The Cube comes with 25 free 3D models for you to print. You can find more 3D things to print in the Cubify.com store, or you can design your own 3D models using software like Cubify Invent or Cubify Sculpt You can also use other 3D modeling software tools to create your own STL models for printing. Once you have a model, the Cubify software will turn it into a file that the Cube can read.
How do I get a file to my Cube for printing?
· You can send a file to your Cube via Wi-Fi, or by transferring it using a USB stick.
What are the different Print Modes?
· The print modes determine how much plastic is used to make the part. This also will dictate how long the part will take to build. For appearance models use the hollow mode. In general, this will build the part most quickly and use the least material. For more structural parts use the solid mode. Strong parts are the best combination between part strength, build time, and the amount of material used.
What is the CubeStick?
· This material is a safe, non-toxic substance we invented to help build the best quality parts possible. Our specially formulated material helps hold the part you print to the print plate during printing. After printing, it easily dissolves away by simply soaking the part and print plate in warm water.
Why do I need it?
· Parents and children: 3D printing teaches your kids complex skills in a fun, easy, and engaging way. It is more than just making plastic objects! Children become fascinated and want to do more than use other people’s prints or customize with apps – they want to design from scratch and use their imagination. With tools like Cubify Invent 3D design software – your child will be designing their own toys from idea to physical object, and they will be doing this at home. The skills they gain are the same ones engineers, fashion designers, and architects use. With the economy and workforce changing you are giving your child an incredible advantage very early on.
· Tech Enthusiast: Are you tired of having to buy everything you need? With a 3D printer at home you can print all kinds of replacement parts for your tools, design or customize your gadget accessories and print at home. Even home décor & jewelry for your significant other can be printed on the Cube. You have the ability to customize and connect to the things your use, and the power to do so in a sustainable, local way. And, it’s fun and exciting. You will probably catch yourself mesmerized by the printing like we do!
· Save money! The University of Michigan did a study stating if you printed out 20 free files of objects you’d use around the house (phone case, shower head, garlic press, Mortar/pestle, Dryer knob, laptop/tablet stands, etc) you could save over $2000 vs what you’d spend on those items in a store.
How is this different from CubeX?
· Cube is a great printer to start learning and creating with in the home or classroom. It’s really easy to use and child friendly. CubeX is a more advanced desktop printer. CubeX can also print in multi-color – using 1 or 2 or 3 colors in a single print. CubeX is great if you are looking to do bigger professional grade parts faster. We recommend it for the expert who has a better understanding of 3D Printing and how to take advantage other the larger build area and advanced settings.
Sustainable technology!
· There is zero waste naturally with 3D technology – a 3D printer uses only the material needed.
· We’ve introduced a recycling program to put the recyclability of ABS and the compostablility of PLA into practice. Send back empty cartridge shells, with any used PLA and ABS and we will responsibly reuse, compost, and recycle it for you.
· You’re reducing your carbon footprint significantly by printing things at home instead of buying at the store. Some things can be made over 6,000 miles away and then shipped globally to get to the store!
· The Cube itself has a relatively low carbon-footprint. It is made in the USA about 10 minutes from Washington DC.
Cartridge advantage:
· The cartridges are specially designed to guarantee quality prints. We call this our Smart Cartridge System because the cartridge preserves the quality and longevity of the plastics so the plastics won’t warp or tangle making your print experience easy and stress free. The cartridges are also easy to store.
· The Cube evaluates the cartridge before each use and makes sure there is enough material before starting the print to prevent waste. Cartridges cannot be refilled, but are reused and receive a recycling credit when sent back once empty. This is why the only qualified material for Cube is our original cartridge.
Average print times:
· Large prints can take a few hours but we recommend sending to print before kids go to school or to sleep and then they come home or wake up to a new toy.
· Some prints are quick like the tags and jewelry apps on Cubify.com. Most of them print in 20 minutes to 2 hours. Plus kids do enjoy watching their object grow and take shape.
Advanced
Which files can the Cube print?
· The Cube can directly print .cube files. The Cube software, which comes with the Cube, can convert .stl and .creation files into .cube files. Most CAD software (like Alibre Design, Rhinoceros, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Creo, etc.) can create .stl files. .Obj files from Maya and ZBrush will need to be converted to .stl files first. There is no limit on the file size, but generally anything over 500MB would be considered really large.
What does the Cube software do? Does it help me design things to print?
· The Cube software lets you prep an existing 3D model for printing on the Cube. It lets you orient it, scale it, add supports to it if needed, and then turns the model into a .cube file that the Cube can print. If you're looking for separate design software, check out Cubify Invent.
What operating systems does the Cubify software run on?
· The Cube software works on both Windows and Mac OSX.
How accurate is the Cube?
· Accuracy of the print is largely dependent on the geometry and orientation. Typical tolerances are around +/-0.5% over the length of the PrintPad. If you need more accuracy, you can scale your file in your design software to account for the variance. There are no guaranteed tolerances on the Cube printer.
How thick are the layers on the printed creations?
· 200 microns, or 0.2 mm (0.008")
Does the Cube need separate support material?
· Nope. Supports are built with the same plastic as the print. The Cube software will add the needed supports for you in a way that will both minimize material and be easily removable after printing. Cube supports can be popped off without tools.
Can I get a sample to see what a Cube print looks like?
· We don't yet offer free samples, but stay tuned! In the meantime you can buy a Cube-printed Cubify robot that we can send to your home.
Where can I find the manufacturer’s safety data sheets?
· Click here to download a zip file.
FAQ about 3D Systems
Who is 3D Systems®?
3D Systems® invented 3D printing over 25 years ago. Today, we're the global leader in 3D content-to-print solutions, from 3D printers, print materials, printing services, and 3D software. We help everyone from hobbyists to businesses make amazing things in 3D. Curious to see what else we do? Check out 3dsystems.com.