What do you think of swappable CNC / 3D Printer / Engraver machines?

3D Printing General
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I know that title is bit consuming but its hard to describe these machines. :rofl:

For a few years now I have heard about multi-purpose machines that can function as CNC, 3D printers, or engravers. This being achieved with a swappable machine head depending on what you need at the time.

Some examples I can think of is the Creality CP-01, ZMorph Fab and the range from Snapmaker.

These machines don’t seem to get the attention that the dedicated 3D printers, CNC or engravers get when released. Having no experience with machines of this type I can’t really comment on why this is but maybe a community member has used them before.

I can understand the benefits and drawbacks of such a machine. Having 3 options to choose from without having dedicated machines can be incredibly convenient in terms of space. It is also likely more affordable, however this would depend on the type of 3-in-1 purchased. The obvious drawback to 3-in-1 machines is that the convenience must surely mean that compromises have been made in certain areas. I would guess that upgrades are incredibly limited for these machines. :thinking: Again these thoughts are mostly based on assumptions.

So I am curious if any community members have had experience with a 3-in-1 machine or would be interest in getting one if they had the chance.

As I have limited space and am considering the possibility of getting a 3-in-1 I am open to any brand or model recommendations you may have.

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I have seen some pretty good results from Snapmaker in terms of 3D Printing. I can’t really comment on the CNC / Engraving as I wasn’t around the machine long enough to see how it performs in those areas.

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Late to the party hereon this topic, however, my thoughts. I have seen the videos of the snapmaker, looks great, but not seen “real life” examples of it in use.

I have a fear with these that they would end up being mediocre in 2/3 to all of its uses. Perhaps a decent 3D printer, but ok CNC and laser, or an alternate of the 3. ITs not often in life I have come across tech that is really good at doing all its multi options. For me, I think I would rather stick to a dedicated 3D printer, and then look at a CNC/Laser combo. I think those 2 functions are much closer in function and performance that they would possibly work together, but 3D needs its own machine.

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Never too late to the party haha :joy: It is always good to get more info. Your thought process seems to have been similar to mine. Will these machines be average multitaskers or awesome all rounders. That seems to be the key question.