It appears to be a few days ago when 3D printers were crazy-expensive, out-of-reach equipment. A tiny circle of professionals could even afford to be in the presence of one. They were only reserved for engineers, architects, factories, and leading corporations.
And just when you thought that things couldn’t get any better, innovation brought us cheaper, smaller, and simpler 3D printers. These functional units have found a place in schools, hobbyists and architect’s workshops, product design shops, and more.
One stand-out model that caught our attention is the Silhouette Alta Plus 3D Printer. Whether you are new to the game or an old hand who has had a fair share of poorly made 3D printers, the Alta Plus is sure to impress.
The printer serves as a worthy successor to the Silhouette Alta. Save for some notable improvements, the manufacturer carried on with most of their proprietary technology. Most features of the original Alta still live on.
How Silhouette Alta Plus 3D Printer Works
The three-dimension printer builds physical 3D objects from digital designs and models. 3D printers are used to create toys, machine parts, vases, prototypes, and replicas, among others.
The designer uses computer Silhouette Studio software to come up with the desired 3D model in a process called slicing before sending the information to the 3D printer.
The 3D printer relies on a heated nozzle to heat and soften a PLA plastic filament material. The print head then feeds the soft filament onto the printer bed layer by layer and assembles the object. As soon as the filament cools down, the completed project is removed.
Silhouette Alta Plus 3D Printer Features
The following are good reasons why you should not keep up with your old and outdated 3D printer and get yourself the Alpha Plus.
Design and Construction
Silhouette designed this unit for the best execution and lifespan. The printer looks and feels exceptionally strong with a state-of-the-art build. It is sturdy and rock-solid enough to withstand the test of time and stand up to a lifetime of severe abuse.
You will not need to dig further into your pocket to repair it or supplant missing parts after a short period of use. It sports a sleek, professional look that will make you and the people around you feel what you are doing is important even when it’s not.
Do not be discouraged by the compact minimalist design; this is to your advantage. You can set up this unit in any tight space without eating up much real estate.
Performance
The Alpha Plus is built for performance and can handle most 3D printing work thrown in its direction. The Alta Plus boasts a decent maximum print speed of 80 mm per second, saving you the frustration of waiting for long hours for your final print.
With a maximum printing area of about 5 inches in diameter and 5 inches in height, most small to medium size projects are cared for. You will also want to know that the layer height ranges from 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm, promising the most detailed of prints.
Crafters who like using a variety of apps to design objects have a reason to be excited. This pick lets you print Silhouette 3D files and third-party files alike, such as .stl and .obj formats.
Adjustability
Feel free to adjust the print settings to match your needs. You can choose to print at a fast speed or slow speed, set the temperature to high or low, or print projects that are up to between 130 mm tall and 124 mm wide.
Free Efficient and Intuitive Design Software
The manufacturer offers the Alta 3D plus with its proprietary Silhouette 3D Studio software. Through the software, you can design, customize, and prepare, and slice the designed objects.
Additionally, the software offers multiple adaptable shapes and images from the Silhouette Design Store. After you are done, send the printing instructions to the 3D printer through Silhouette 3D.
User Safety
The company had your safety in mind when they chose to use PLA bioplastics. PLA is typically made from corn and is, therefore, food-grade and free from BPA and other harmful elements.
Furthermore, it is biodegradable, making it a greener way to express your creativity. Moreover, the design is all for safety equipment. The unit has a fully secure locking enclosure to prevent little figures from getting caught in the melting heat.
Ease of Use
Essentially, the setup process is a cakewalk. Even a novice can do it on their own. The Silhouette Alta Plus comes preassembled and ready to use straight out of the box. You only need to do a couple of quick configurations, and you will be good to go.
Silhouette Alta Plus versus Silhouette Alta
One element that sets the Alta plus apart from its predecessor is the color. Unlike its older sibling, which comes in white, the Alta plus sports a grey color, making it a snap to differentiate the two.
The sweet spot, we’d say, is that the Alta plus comes with a built-in cooling fan, which enhances airflow and cools down the unit. This improves print quality and keeps you safe from burns.
Also, the manufacturer struck a real note with the updated manual turn screws on the Delta arms holding the printer head of the Alta plus. You will, therefore, enjoy the convenience, simplicity, and precision of calibrating the machine by hand.
How thoughtful of the makers to include the updated printer head on the Alpha Plus makes it a breeze to reach, remove and replace the heating element.
What’s inside the Box?
Accompanying the equipment are the following;
- Silhouette Alta 3D Printer
- 2 Hex keys
- White filament (60g)
- Nozzle tip cleaner
- Print removal tool
- Build plate tape
- Silhouette 3D software
- 25 free printable designs
Drawbacks
There’s not much to complain about here! The few hitches we realized in our tests include the compact construction that limits the printer to small projects. It is also limited to PLA filaments.
Another flaw is that the PLA material used is not dishwasher safe. So, should you use it to make kitchenware, you will have to hand wash them.
- You get free design software
- Compatible with most 1.75mm PLA filaments
- Support multiple formats
- Highly affordable
- Compact and lightweight
- Limited to PLA filaments
- Compact and limited to small objects
Final Words
For a manufacturer that is not as flashy as high-end names, Silhouette is surely holding its ground with the Alta 3D printer series. Many people accent to approach their products with skepticism only to be taken by surprise after realizing just how amazing they are.
Overall, the Silhouette passed our tests with flying colors, quietly crafted everything we asked for, and did it correctly. Besides, the price is reasonable and well within the reach of most budget shoppers. Here, you will be getting your money’s worth. Would we recommend this product to you? Of course, we’d.
