Setting professional 3D printers apart from consumer ones is more than price. Below are just some of the features you can expect on these next-level machines to ensure ease of use, efficiency, speed, and flexibility:

• Automatic bed leveling to save time and ensure accuracy
• Sensors to detect print failures and halt printing
• Enclosed chamber, not only for temperature control but also for safety and air quality
• Dual extruders so you can print with an easily removable support material
• Hot end to at least 200ºC so you can print with a wide variety of engineering-grade materials
• Remote monitoring via Wifi connected software and in-chamber cameras
• Cloud-based software so you can start, stop, and monitor prints anywhere

The filament printers on our list offer you the widest range of materials to work with and require little to no post-processing. Your parts can be ready to go right off the print bed. The resin printers on our list enable you to create the finely detailed, smooth parts fast. Resin technology requires extra equipment to wash and cure the prints. We’ve added the price of those machines to each entry. Some resin 3D printer manufacturers focus on the dental or jewelry market, so check out our other guides specific to those needs.

If you have deeper pockets or are looking for faster speeds, higher volumes, and more bells and whistles, we also have you covered in our guides to industrial FDM 3D printers, professional resin 3D printers, industrial SLS 3D printers, and metal 3D printers (note that some of the FDM printers below will also process metal).

What makes this a professional 3D printer? UltiMaker’s S7 builds on the already impressive S5 and offers robust dual-extrusion 3D printing with a large library of materials (280), including the Metal Expansion Kit that enables users to switch between printing plastics and metals on one machine efficiently.

The S7 includes upgrades from the S5 aimed at professional users, such as an upgraded heating system for more consistent heat over the entirety of the bed and throughout the chamber, which is designed to prevent part warping, plus a more precise bed leveling system. The redesigned print head features a sensor to detect potential print errors.

With cloud-based operability coming from UltiMaker’s Cura slicing software and the recently launched Digital Factory printer fleet and organization management platform, the Ultimaker S7 looks to become the premier professional 3D printer for designers, engineers, and small-to-medium-sized businesses.

Fully networked and with UltiMaker’s software offering leveraged properly, we can see the S7 slipping almost seamlessly into product design and in-house production workflows. To get more of a flavor of working with Ultimaker, read our own exhaustive review of the S5, we found it offers a nearly flawless printing experience.

If your budget allows you to go a touch over $10k, the optional Material Station holds up to six spools of filament and automatically detects which UltiMaker materials are loaded and sets the correct print profile.

Common applications for this professional 3D printer? Functional prototyping, jigs and fixtures, cases and housings, engineering assemblies, medical, automotive, electronics, etc.

Pro Printer Review

Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle Review

UltiMaker S7

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What makes this a professional 3D printer? The Markforged Onyx Pro is in a class by itself on our list as the only “composite” 3D printer, meaning it combines two materials as it prints: a base material and a reinforcing fiber. This union produces parts that are incredibly strong and ideal for tooling, manufacturing guides, jigs and fixtures, and any number of tough, durable parts.

Compact and easy to operate, the Onyx Pro features one nozzle that forms the walls and infill using a proprietary material called Markforged Onyx, a micro carbon fiber-filled nylon material, while the second nozzle inlays continuous fiberglass fiber in user-specified space. The continuous fiber is bonded (reinforced) due to the nozzle heating and compressing the materials during the extrusion process.

Popular with small manufacturers and machine shops, Markforged knows its audience and has developed software that takes the usability of this machine to another level. Eiger, Markforged’s secure browser-based software, has a cloud-based storage system that enables you and anyone in your company to print parts on demand from your digital library with a single click.

Digital Forge is Markforged’s subscription platform. It enhances Eiger software with part simulation, enabling you to validate part performance before you hit print.

Common applications for this professional 3D printer? Functional prototyping, jigs and fixtures, cases and housings, engineering assemblies, automotive, electronics, etc.

What makes this a professional 3D printer? The MakerBot Method X is a professional dual-extruder FDM 3D printer offering industrial standards in a desktop format, aiming to provide designers and engineers with top-quality prints affordably.

Most makers know MakerBot as a pioneer of desktop 3D printers, but it’s been shifting its focus from building machines for makers to printers for pros for the past several years. Now, after its 2022 merger with UltiMaker you can expect even better innovation in MakerBots.

According to the manufacturer, the Method X is capable of producing parts that meet industrial requirements on par with injection molding.

Method X Carbon Fiber is one of the three printers on this list with a heated chamber (to 110°C) enabling more confidence when printing high-temp engineering materials, such as ABS kevlar and ABS carbon fiber. A unique support material called RapidRinse, dissolves in tap water, so you don’t need any cumbersome wash tanks or chemicals. Filament is keep in internal sealed dry bays for optimal performance.

Common applications for this professional 3D printer? Functional prototyping, jigs and fixtures, cases and housings, engineering assemblies, replacement parts, tools, automotive, aerospace, electronics, etc.

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MakerBot Method X: Review the Specs

UltiMaker Method X Carbon Fiber

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Even though it was just launched in 2023, it has fast become a favorite at All3DP for it’s versatility and reliability. The X1E is the company’s fifth FDM printer and this one is specifically designed for professionals with extra features, such as air filtration, secure LAN connection, and an actively heated chamber to prevent material warping.

One of our favorite features is the first layer sensor that notifies you via a smart phone app if the first layer doesn’t look perfect so you have the option to restart the print. There’s also a failure detection, called spaghetti detection, that can sense if a print has gone wrong and automatically stops it so you don’t waste time, materials, and potentially damage your printer.

The heated chamber is great for 3D printing with nylon and other engineering grade materials and for PLA and other basic prototype materials you can simply remove the lid so the temperature doesn’t get too hot. You loose the air filtration feature, however, when you do this.

An optional add-on is a four material changer enabling you to print with 4 materials on one print, a unique feature on this list. Our experience with the material changer has been hit or miss, but it opens up a new door for multicolor and multimaterial applications.

We took this for an extensive test drive late last year and while you can read more in the review linked below, it’s a favorite for ease of use, speed, and print quality.

Pro Printer Review

Bambu Lab X1E Review: Hands-On With the Pro Edition

Common applications for this professional 3D printer? Functional prototyping, jigs and fixtures, cases and housings, engineering assemblies, replacement parts, tools, automotive, electronics, etc.

UltiMaker Method X Carbon Fiber

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What makes this a professional 3D printer? Raise3D’s Pro3 Plus dual-extruder FDM 3D printer packs an impressive number of industrial-level features into a unit priced under $10k, especially with the 2022 upgrade that makes it much faster.

The upgrade kit, called Hyper FFF only adds another $500 to the prince and includes hardware, new software, and filament for high-speed printing. Raise3D says professional FDMs average 50 to 80 mm per second print speed, while the new Hyper FFF can push the print speed on the Pro3 Series to 350 mm/s. The new speed is attributable to new dual extruders with vibration cancellation technology along with special high-speed filaments. The company promises that speed does not come at the cost of quality and says the Pro3 keeps the same quality of layer adhesion and surface finish as before.

The Pro3 Plus is the larger version of the Pro3 ($5,600) and was selected here for its impressive build volume for tall prints. It features a long list of upgrades and enhancements from the company’s popular Pro2 printer, including interchangeable modular hot ends that can be swapped out with a quick click-and-lock mechanism. The hot ends can reach 300ºC, so they’re compatible with a wide range of engineering-grade materials from nylon to metal-filled filament.

Other new features that make professional printing hassle-free include automatic bed leveling and a smart assistant called Eve that helps you to locate and resolve print job issues. Eve also analyses printer usage and sends reminders of scheduled interventions to ensure you don’t forget essential printer maintenance.

Common applications of this professional 3D printer? Functional prototyping, jigs and fixtures, cases and housings, engineering assemblies, automotive, electronics, etc.

What makes this a professional 3D printer? The Epsilon W50 from BCN3D is designed to deliver parts with industrial-grade materials, thanks to features like its passively heated chamber and full enclosure, not unlike the other printed on this list, but setting itself apart is its independent dual extruder (IDEX) system. IDEX enables you to not only print with separate part material and support material at the same time, like any dual extruder, but the print heads can print entirely different parts at the same time, essentially doubling your printer capacity.

Built like a tank, the Epsilon W50 features a pleasant-to-use UI, calibration setup, and the BCN3D Cloud, making it perhaps one of the more user-friendly dual extrusion 3D printers on the market. Throw in the optional Smart Cabinet ($3,600) to keep your materials in optimal condition and this printing system can fit seamlessly into any manufacturing process.

In 2023, BCN3D updated its flagship machine to offer a host of new features, including a new ventilation system, more powerful motors, remote access, and fast autocalibration.

If you’re keen to print metal or carbon fiber reinforced materials, BCN3D offers two kits – Metal Pack ($800) and Fiber Pack ($1,200) – that include the materials, adhesives, and specially designed hot ends.

Common applications for this professional 3D printer? Functional prototyping, jigs and fixtures, cases and housings, engineering assemblies, medical, automotive, electronics, etc.

BCN3D Epsilon W50

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What makes this a professional 3D printer? Considered by many to be the champion of desktop SLA 3D printing, Formlabs has positioned itself as one of the most popular professional 3D printers on the market. The resin-based process allows for higher resolution and more precise prints than FDM, offering a layer thickness of between 25 and 100 microns.

Unlike consumer printers, Formlabs has features that enable you to better fine tune your results. The Adaptive Layer Thickness is a tool that analyzes the geometry of digital parts and assigns layer heights throughout the sliced model for the best detail at the fastest speed.

Armed with an advanced peeling mechanism, heated tank, touchscreen display, wireless controls, and an automated resin system, it still amazes us that the Form 3 is less than $3,000.

Another benefit of Formlabs is that it’s very materials focused. It offers dozens of resins, including biocompatible, and if you’re not sure which one you need it has a online material center where you can put in the strength or flexibility characteristics that your parts has to have and it will tell you which material you should use. Plus, the materials are completely hands off contained in cartridges. This doesn’t mean you can’t use what every resins you want. For a unlocking fee, you can experiment with any resin on the market.

Taking automation to new heights, the Form 3 is compatible with Formlabs hardware extension called Form Auto ($3,400) that actually removed the finished build plate, removes the parts from the plate into a bin, and puts the plate back so you can start the next print.

If you want all for these features and more in a larger printer, the Formlabs Form 3L (335 × 200 × 300 mm) is also under $10,000, coming in at about $9,000.

Post Processing Machines

• Formlabs Form Wash: $650
• Formlabs Form Cure: $750

Common applications for this professional 3D printer? Automotive, dental, figurines, jewelry, product development, engineering assemblies, etc.

Best in Form

Formlabs Fastest Resin Printer – The New Form 3+

Formlabs Form 3+ Learn more

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What makes this a professional 3D printer? The Xip, launched by Nexa3D in early 2022, is, as the name would imply, exceptionally fast at 18 cm per hour. But more than speed, this desktop machine offers several features, some unique, designed to take the hassles and labor out of resin printing and make it vastly more productive.

For example, there’s a straightforward and automated workflow and a tool-free, mess-free tank system that enables you to swap resin tanks and seal the ones not in use to use later—no emptying and cleaning the tank every time you want to switch materials. The machine also detects the resin level in the container to ensure continuous production without interruption.

Speaking of materials Nexa3D offers a range of materials from Henkel,  BASF, and Keystone, plus their own formulations. Access to use third-party resins is subject to an extra software license, though.

The 4K LCD technology features a proprietary lubricant sublayer photo-curing durable membrane, which means less downtime, reliable continuous printing for long prints or batch production, and an extended tank life of up to 50,000 layers, the company says.

Post Processing Machine

• Nexa3D Wash+Cure all-in-one: $660

Common applications for this professional 3D printer? Automotive, dental, figurines, jewelry, experimental product development, engineering assemblies, etc.

Nexa3D XiP

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What makes this a professional 3D printer? The Zortrax Inkspire 2 is anLCD 3D printer that goes a long way towards automating and streamlining the 3D printing process, which is key criteria for this guide.

Instead of using off-the-shelf light components, Zortrax developed its own UV-backlit monochromatic screen it says provides seven times more powerful light than a standard UV LCD screen, which is why the Inksprire is also compatible with DLP resins.

Resin printing is messy and the Inkspire sports some relatively simple features that help, such as an easy-instal build platform that can be locked in an angled position that lets finished prints drip resin back into the vat below, then the entire platform can be inserted into the washing unit without having to remove the prints.

You also don’t have to pour resin into the Inkspire 2, you simply attach the hose of the resin pump to the bottle of resin. Sensors recognizes how much resin is available in the vat and identifies the amount needed to complete the printing process. The resin bottel sits on a sensor that can determine by weight how much resin is left and if it’s enough to complete your job. The resin can be automatically transferred from the bottle to the vat when necessary with a resin pump. The same pump is used to move the photopolymer left in the vat back to the bottle when the printing process is done.

The Inkspire 2 can also store enough energy to save the printing progress in the event of a power outage. Once the power is back on, 3D printing can be resumed from the same spot, which is really handy.

Z-Suite is the slicing software that comes with your Zortrax with no extra licensing fee. The optional Zortrax inCloud is the company’s optional cloud-based 3D printing management service that can network your fleet of printers and manage your print jobs so you can started and pause jobs remotely.

Post Processing Machines

• Zortrax Cleaning Station: $3,900
• Zortrax Curing Station: $4,400

Common applications for this professional 3D printer? Automotive, dental, figurines, jewelry, experimental product development, engineering assemblies, etc.

Zortrax Inkspire 2

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What makes this a professional 3D printer? The Photocentric 3D Liquid Crystal Opus has a reputation for its reliability and speed. It’s capable of printing dozens of parts in only a few hours boasting a cure speed of just 2 seconds per layer (depending on the resin) at 50µm layer thickness or 18mm per hour.

It also has a patented ‘Vat-Lift’ peel release technology the company says results in better print reliability. When it comes to automation, the Opus comes pre-calibrated, so it’s is ready to print straight out of the box.

The 14-inch 4K LCD delivers a high resolution and when it comes to materials, Photocentric develops special resins to provide the “perfect combination of viscosity, green strength, surface finish and final functional properties that are ideal for many applications.” Green strength or how delicate a part is before its fully cured, is something to pay attention to since it can be easy to damage a print moving it from the printer to the washer to the curing device. The Opus is also compatible with a wide range of third-party resins.

Photocentric Studio is the accompanying build prep software and on the machine itself is a nice 7-inch touch screen.

Post Processing Machines

• Photocentric Air Wash L: $5,800
• Photocentric Cure M+: $3,300

Common applications for this professional 3D printer? Product prototyping, dental models, cases and housings, architectural models, tools.

Photocentric 3D LC Opus

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