11 Best 3D Printers for Small Business in 2021
Does your business need a 3D printer to create useful and creative parts? Or, are you looking into printing plastic products in short runs? Whatever the case is, read on to know the best 3D printers for a small business like yours!
In launching a small business with 3D printing, you’d need to highly consider the 3D printer you choose and its operation cost. These include the filament/material, maintenance and upgrades. Overall, choosing this production route is even better this year.
Here’s why.
Production of Products in Post-COVID Using 3D Printers
2020 has been a tough time for many businesses. The disruption of the supply chain movement due to the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many businesses to push on manufacturing products locally.
11 Best Small Business 3D Printers
If you’re looking into buying a couple of commercial or industrial 3D printers for your enterprise this 2021, you’re just in the right place!
Below, we have covered the best small business FDM printers, SLA/DLP printers and SLS printers. Choose according to your business needs, knowledge of operating the printer and the budget you’re willing to shed.
| 3D Printer | Quick Features | Material/Filament | Price Range |
Best 3D Printer for Creative Newbies Prusa i3 MK3S |
| 1.75mm PLA, ABS, PET, HIPS, PP, etc | $1,200 |
Best 3D Printer for Business Startups Creality Ender 3 V2
|
| 1.75mm PLA/TPU/PETG | $250 – $300 |
Best Budget 3D Printer for Profit Artillery Sidewinder X1
|
| 1.75mm PLA, ABS, TPU, Flexible, Wood, PVA, HIPS | $400 – $470 |
Best High Speed FDM Printer Creality Ender 6
|
| PLA, TPU, PETG, ABS, Wood Filled, CF etc | $4,499 |
Best Dual-Filament, Value for Money 3D Printer Flashforge Creator Pro
|
| 1.75mm Filament Plastic , ABS , PLA, Polyvinyl Alcohol | $699 |
Best for Jewelry 3D Printing Formlabs Form 3
|
| General Purpose Resin, Rigid Resin, Flexible, etc | $3,500 – $5000 |
Best High Speed MSLA Printer Elegoo Saturn
|
| 405 nm UV resin | $400 |
Best for High Detail 3D Printing Anycubic Photon
|
| $400 | |
Best Budget SLS Printer for Small Businesses Sinterit Lisa Pro
|
| Nylon PA12, PA11, Flexa, TPU | ~$14900 to ~$17,400 |
Best 3D Printer for Excellent Quality Printing Ultimaker S5
|
| PLA, ABS, PETG, PVA, HIPS, etc | $5,995 |
Best 3D Printer for Printing Advanced Materials Dremel DigiLab 3D45 3D Printer
|
| ECO ABS, Nylon, PETG and PLA | $1,899 (from Dremel’s official store) |
Reviews of the Best 3D Printers for Small Business in 2021
1. Prusa i3 MK3S
Why is it great for a small business?
Winning Features
Applications
- Architectural models
- Figurines
- Electronic parts
- Automotive
- Aerospace/Engineering parts
- Fixtures
- Prototypes
Specifications
| Feature | Prusa i3 MK3 |
| Filament size | 1.75 mm |
| Build volume | 250 x 210 x 210 mm |
| Weight | 14 lbs |
| Max bed temperature | 120°C |
| Max extruder temperature | 300°C |
| Resolution | 50 microns/0.05mm |
| Material Type | PLA, ABS, PET, HIPS, PP, etc |
| Operating Systems | Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Connectivity | SD Card, WiFi |
| Software | GNU GPLv3 |
2. FlashForge Creator Pro
Why is it great for a small business?
We love the FlashForge Creator Pro for a number of reasons, but being an affordable multi-material, dual extrusion 3D printer definitely makes it a game changer. Creator Pro is flexible when it comes to handling heat-sensitive and experimental materials such as Flex, wood, copper and brass.
You can also print two materials at a time such as the main material (ABS or PLA) and its support material (any dissolvable filament). It also comes with an enclosure and ventilation system that can benefit you when printing ABS and PLA.
What’s more, Flashforge Creator Pro is easy to set up for beginners and is highly suitable for startups and small businesses.
Winning Features
Winning features include a uniquely designed dual extruder for printing multi-material 3D prints with its printing head aligning at the x-axis. It also comes with an enclosed printing chamber to enhance printing heat-sensitive materials, as well as containing the fumes emitted when printing ABS.
Its 6.5mm aluminum build plate is sturdy and robust, improving the printing capabilities of the printer. Finally, the Creator Pro uses an open-source technology which means you can easily add upgrades or make modifications.
Specifications
| Feature | FlashForge Creator Pro |
| Filament size | 1.75 mm |
| Build volume | 227 x 150 x 148 mm |
| Weight | 32.7 lbs |
| Max bed temperature | 120°C |
| Max extruder temperature | 260°C |
| Resolution | 100 microns |
| Material Type | PLA, TPU 95A, ABS, PETG |
| Operating Systems | Windows, Mac OSX and Linux |
| Connectivity | USB, SD Card |
| Software | FlashPrint, Simplify3D, Cura, 3D Builder, Slic3r, Skeinforge |
3. Creality Ender 3 V2
Why is it great for a small business?
Another 3D printer offered at an affordable price range with awesome features is the Creality Ender 3 V2. Although it’s not as salient as the Ender 6, it sure is a bang for your buck with a price of only $290 covering a lot of features.
The Ender 3 V2 offers quality printing, ease of assembly and usage and fair print volume. It is a suitable printer for startups and beginners due to its ease of operation and long term use.
Winning Features
Specifications
| Feature | Creality Ender 3 V2 |
| Filament size | 1.75 mm |
| Build volume | 220 x 220 x 250 mm |
| Weight | 7.8 KG |
| Max bed temperature | ≤100°C |
| Max extruder temperature | 255°C |
| Resolution | 100 microns/~0.1 mm |
| Material Type | PLA/ABS/TPU/PETG |
| Operating Systems | MAC/WindowsXP/7/8/10 |
| Connectivity | Online/SD Card |
| Software | Simplify3d/Cura |
4. Artillery Sidewinder X1
Why is it great for a small business?
The Artillery Sidewinder X1 is a highly capable large desktop 3D printer with its large build volume, sleek appearance and features, ease of assembly and low price point. If you’re looking to 3D print bigger products and scale models or typographies, the Artillery Sidewinder X1 is a great choice.
Unique with its design are its neat and sturdy ribbon cables, which saves up space and avoids a messy cable arrangement. However, do note that these cables are prone to wearing out or breaking, in which case you can 3D print and install this cable cover on Thingiverse to prolong its life.
Winning Features
Specifications
| Feature | Artillery Sidewinder X1 |
| Filament size | 1.75 mm |
| Build volume | 300 x 300 x 400 mm |
| Weight | 16.5 kg |
| Max bed temperature | 80 °C |
| Max extruder temperature | 240 °C |
| Resolution | 50 microns |
| Material Type | PLA, ABS, flexible PLA, TPU, wood, PVA, HIPS |
| Operating Systems | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Connectivity | SD, USB cable |
| Software | Cura, Simplify3D, Slic3r |
5. Creality Ender 6
Why is it great for a small business?
If you value speed, the Ender 6 is a high speed FDM printer reaching 150mm per second without compromising print quality at 0.1 millimeters resolution.
The Creality Ender 6 is a major contender having powerful updates and added features making it an attractive 3D printer for beginners and advanced users. Plus, its large community makes it easier for you to keep updated on the latest upgrades and troubleshooting.
Lastly, you can print high quality figurines, minis and large products without much upgrades and tinkering. This makes the Ender 6 one of the most sought desktop 3D printers by entrepreneurs.
Winning Features
The Creality Ender 6 is packed with a lot of features such as its resume feature, acrylic enclosure, filament sensor, and enhanced user interface. It also prints silently and is equipped with a glass plate giving you more uniform first layer prints.
But the real game in Ender 6 is its sturdy XY mechanical frame which allows it to print seamlessly at 150mm/s.
Specifications
| Feature | Creality Ender 6 |
| Filament size | 1.75 mm |
| Build volume | 250 x 250 x 400 mm |
| Weight | 22KG |
| Max bed temperature | ≤110°C |
| Max extruder temperature | ≤260°C |
| Resolution | 0.1-0.4mm |
| Material Type | PLA, TPU, Wood, Carbon Fiber |
| Operating Systems | Mac, Linux, Win 7/8/10 |
| Connectivity | SD Card |
| Software | Cura/Repetier-Host/Simplify3D |
6. Formlabs Form 3
Why is it great for a small business?
While desktop FDM printers are easier to use and are mostly budget-friendly, stereolithography apparatus (SLA) gives you more extremely detailed and durable 3D prints. Form 3 gives excellent 3D prints, capable of printing in finely, detailed objects with uniform, organic surfaces.
We choose the Formlabs Form 3 SLA printer as the best option for resin printing. This 3D printer comes with loads of material choices that you can experiment on, as well as printing in premium resolution. The best part is, Form 3 is quite easy to operate both for hobbyists and professionals.
Winning Features
Specifications
| Feature | Formlabs Form 3 |
| Build volume | 145 × 145 × 185 mm |
| Weight | 17.5kg (38.5 lbs.) |
| Operating Temperature | Auto-Heats up to 35°C (95°F) |
| Layer Resolution | 0.025 mm to 0.1 mm |
| Minimum Layer Height | 0.025 mm |
| Material Type | General Purpose Resin, Rigid Resin, Flexible, etc |
| Operating Systems | Windows 7 (64-bit) and up Mac OS X 10.12 and up OpenGL 2.1 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (2.4, 5 GHz) Ethernet (1000Mb) USB 2.0 |
| Software | Simplify3d, Cura, Reptier-Host |
7. Elegoo Saturn
Why is it great for a small business?
The Elegoo Saturn has some of the unique features you’ll surely appreciate. First off, this masked SLA printer not only has a larger build volume, but also a fair cost. This makes it an ideal choice for businesses running on a tight budget, but want a precision, industrial 3D printer.
With the Elegoo Saturn, you can easily print larger objects with high resolution and faster printing speed.
Winning Features
The Elegoo Saturn is a masked SLA printer featuring a monochrome LCD which provides awesomely speedy layer cure times. Because it’s made with monochrome LCD panels, the same with the material in smartphones, there’s no issue with availability.
It also uses a technology which allows it to print a whole product layer, in contrast with other SLA printers that print objects piece by piece.
The Saturn is equipped with a 4K screen measuring 8.9 inches having a resolution 3,840 x 2,400 pixels. This is incredibly a high resolution LCD which is 4 times greater than 2K screens of other SLA printers.
Specifications
| Features | Elegoo Saturn |
| Build volume | 192 x 120 x 200 mm |
| Weight | 12.5 kg (27.56 lbs) |
| Operating Temperature | 25-30 ℃ |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2400 pixels |
| Layer Height | 10 microns |
| Material Type | 405 nm UV resin |
| Operating Systems | Windows / Mac OS X |
| Connectivity | USB, Ethernet |
| Software | ChiTuBox |
8. Anycubic Photon
Why is it great for a small business?
This SLA 3D printer is another great budget resin printer for small detail printing, and is an ideal substitute for Elegoo Saturn. If you’re venturing into 3D printing train models, jewelry or small figurines requiring a lot of high precision details, the Anycubic Photon is an ideal printer.
Like the Elegoo printers, Anycubic Photon is a low cost, entry-level printer but it comes with a slightly smaller build volume area.
Winning Features
The Anycubic Photon resin printer provides high quality prints and resolution at 25 to 100 microns. This resin printer is sold at an affordable price range as compared with other brands. The Anycubic Photon is easy to set up and install, having an adequate assembly manual and cleaning instructions.
Specifications
| Features | Anycubic Photon |
| Build volume | 115 x 65 x 155mm |
| Weight | 12.5 kg (27.56 lbs) |
| Operating Temperature | 25-30 ℃ |
| Resolution | 0.025 to 0.1 mm |
| Layer Height | 0.024mm |
| Material Type | 405 nm UV resin |
| Operating Systems | Windows / Mac OS X |
| Connectivity | USB, SD Card |
| Software | Photon Workshop |
9. Sinterit Lisa Pro
Why is it great for a small business?
If you want a highly professional printing experience giving you the advantage of producing products with specialty materials, an SLS technology might be what you’re looking for. The Sinterit Lisa Pro is a Polish-originated 3D printer that is recommendable for small businesses due to its low price for an SLS printer, delivering excellent quality prints.
Now, most SLS printers cost around $15,000 and above, but the Sinterit Lisa is only around $6,990! It comes on a desktop size with a printing volume of 115mm x 65mm x 155mm.
Winning Features
The Sinterit Lisa Pro works with a wide variety of 3D printing materials such as Nylon PA12, flexa black and TPU. These materials can be used for engineering, automotive and advanced prototyping applications.
This makes the Sinterit Lisa Pro is ideal for businesses that require improved property parts. The Sinterit Lisa Pro also comes with a new and improved software (Sinterit Studio 2018 software) which is user-friendly and promises increased automation.
Specifications
| Features | Sinterit Lisa Pro |
| Build volume | 150 x 200 x 260 mm |
| Weight | 90kg |
| Operating Temperature | 190 ℃ |
| Resolution | 0.05 mm |
| Layer Height | 0.075 – 0.175 mm |
| Material Type | Nylon PA12, PA11, Flexa, TPU |
| Operating Systems | OS Windows/Mac/Linux |
| Connectivity | Wifi, USB |
| Software | Sinterit Studio 2018 |
10. Ultimaker S5
Why is it great for a small business?
Ultimaker S5 is a high-end FDM 3D printer which is used by professionals and small business owners to print high-quality products. It lets you use a variety of high-grade printing materials with a seamlessly, easy-to-use software.
Although this printer is a little more expensive (costs around $6,000), it’s relatively large and prints premium quality prints. The Ultimaker S5 is a significant improvement over the other Ultimakers, adding excellent dual extrusion capabilities. It delivers exceptional print quality. What’s more, you can effortlessly print PVA soluble supports.
What may be the drawback with the Ultimaker S5 is its high price and its printing speed. However, there’s no doubt that the Ultimaker S5 really is an excellent professional printer.
Winning Features
Specifications
| Feature | Ultimaker S5 |
| Filament size | 2.85 mm |
| Build volume | 330 x 240 x 300 mm |
| Weight | 29 kg |
| Print Temperature | Up to 280 ˚C |
| Layer Resolution | 0.25 mm nozzle: 150 – 60 micron 0.4 mm nozzle: 200 – 20 micron 0.8 mm nozzle: 600 – 20 micron |
| Material Type | PLA, Nylon, PLA, ABS, CPE, CPE+, TPU 95A, PC, PP, PVA, Breakaway, Third-Party materials |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, ethernet, stand alone via USB-drive |
| Software | Ultimaker Cura software |
11. Dremel DigiLab 3D45 3D Printer
Why is it great for a small business?
The DigiLab 3D45 is packed with a lot of features, delivers high quality prints and has a seamlessly-designed software. What’s more, it’s optimized to print PLA and ABS and other special filaments like Nylon, Eco-ABS and PETG. It has a full enclosure that makes your prints more professional. This printer is fit for commercial 3D printing for small to midsize businesses.
Winning Features
What we like about the Dremel 3D45 is it’s a fully enclosed printer which keeps the model heated while printing. This is particularly essential when you’re printing ABS. Aside from its robust enclosure, the printer also comes with a fan, filter and exhaust port which excellently ventilates the fumes.
However, with the Dremel 3D45, you can only use proprietary filament exclusive of the Dremel brand. This means you cannot use 3rd party filaments unless you add a filament holder for feeding the filament through its door and into the material holding area.
Specifications
| Feature | Ultimaker S5 |
| Filament size | 2.85 mm |
| Build volume | 330 x 240 x 300 mm |
| Weight | 29 kg |
| Print Temperature | Up to 280 ˚C |
| Layer Resolution | 0.25 mm nozzle: 150 – 60 micron 0.4 mm nozzle: 200 – 20 micron 0.8 mm nozzle: 600 – 20 micron |
| Material Type | PLA, Nylon, PLA, ABS, CPE, CPE+, TPU 95A, PC, PP, PVA, Breakaway, Third-Party materials |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, ethernet, stand alone via USB-drive |
| Software | Ultimaker Cura software |
Wrapping Up
To sum up, we have listed over 11 of the best 3D printers you can use for your small business. Now we leave the choice up to you. If you’re just starting out with your business and won’t be printing objects with high details, you can choose an FDM printer. They are much cheaper than SLS and SLA printers and are ideal for beginners.
If, however, you want to print functional parts, engineering plastics or high detailed figurines, model trains and figurines, you may want to opt for SLS or SLA printers.
