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A new name to the 3D printing industry is a company called Voxelab, however, their history isn’t new. They are a sub-brand of Flashforge! Here we introduce the Voxelab Aquila. A budget FDM 3D printer that looks to be on par with the Ender 3 V2. Read on to find out more about it. Also to see my review of the Voxelab resin 3D printer.
About Voxelab
Voxelab is one of the professional 3D printing equipment, materials, R&D and manufacturing enterprises in China. They are the sub-brand of Zhejiang Flashforge3D Technology Co., Ltd. They focus on the design, research, production of resin 3D printers and 3D printing-related products. In addition, consisting of professional engineers and experienced customer service team and 300+ passionate employees.
Voxelab 3D printers can be used in a wide range of industries around the world, such as education, jewellery, medical, dental, in the family or other fields. As a continuous and fast-growing technology company, they keep striving their best to offer you quality products and excellent service to meet your expectations.
Voxelab Aquila Specifications
| Number of nozzles | 1 | Layer Thickness | 0.1 – 0.4mm |
| Nozzle diameter | 0.4 | Print size | 220 * 220 * 250mm |
| XY Axis precision | +0.2mm | Input voltage | AC 115/23V 50/60HZ |
| Compatible slicing software | Cura/S3D/Voxelmaker | Output voltage | DC 24V |
| Language switch | EN/CN | Total power | 350W |
| File format | STL/OBJ/AMF | Filament | 1.75mm PLA |
| Hotbed Temperature | <100°C | Working mode | Memory Card Offline Printing/Online Printing |
| Resume Printing function | Yes | Nozzle Temperature | <250°C |
| Computer Operating system | Win 7/10 / MAC OS | Print speed | <180mm/s 30-60mm/s normally |
Features
Some of the main features of the Voxelab Aquila FDM 3D printer are as follows:
- All Metal Body
- High Precision Printing
- Carbon Crystal Silicon Glass Platform
- Resume Printing
- Fast heating in 5 minutes
- Ultra Silent printing
- Easy to operate
- Colour screen with rotary knob
- Print size of 220 x 220 x 250mm
Other additions include X & Y axis adjusters to help quickly tighten the belts as well as integrated wires to avoid potential safety hazards!
Video of the Voxelab Aquila
Voxelab Aquila 3D Printer Review
I have finally got my hands on the Voxelab Aquila 3D printer! After owning the Voxelab Proxima resin 3D printer which produces outstanding prints, I was intrigued to see if their FDM can do the same. You can check the full specs of the printer here. Read on to find out more from unboxing to printing.
The Voxelab Aquila 3D printer came packaged in the usual sturdy box, with some cool star tape to secure it all. Inside, you have the dense foam to protect all parts and avoid movement during transit. Each piece has its own space, ensuring it is all snug. A splendid start! Upon taking out all the contents of the Voxelab Aquila FDM 3D printer, we get the following:
| The printer parts | SD card and USB reader | Cable ties |
| Power cable | Instructions | Spare nozzle |
| Tools | Red transparent filament sample | Fixings & spares |
Voxelab Aquila Quality
The quality of the parts for the Voxelab Aquila is great. The same as what you would get with Creality, Anycubic, etc. There are no 3D printed parts and the plastic parts of the machine are blow moulded. The build plate is glass and is textured to help hold your prints down, and then when cooled, should just pop off. The screen is vibrant and responsive to the jog wheel. It’s a shame Voxelab didn’t use a touch screen with this. The interface would be ideal for a touchscreen! The overall machine feels and looks great! The quality doesn’t stop there though. All the parts are clearly labelled too, which certainly helps when coming to put together!
Voxelab Aquila Assembly
Let’s get the Voxelab Aquila FDM 3D printer put together step by step.
Installing the Z gantry
Installation of the Z-axis motor and rod
X axis installation and belt
Extruder installation
Installtion of X-axis Tensioner
Installing the gantry
Top bar and screen install
Spool holder
Connecting up the wires
The Voxelab Aquila 3D Printer Assembled
Voxelab Aquila 3D Prints
As with all 3D printers I get, I always start with the pre-sliced files that come on the SD card. With the Voxelab Aquila FDM 3D printer, it has 4 pre-sliced files for testing. These are a test model, rotation nut, a test hook and a toolbox. I printed the first 3 models as they are fairly small and don’t take hours to print! Although I didn’t use the sample filament that came with the Aquila, I had some 3DQF Regal Purple PLA I wanted to use up.
The test model did a fairly superb job, despite some slight warping. Just needed to re-adjust my print bed higher for that corner. Some great test prints straight off the SD card here from the Voxelab Aquila!
Printception Small Vase
I’ve seen some prints of nozzles with filament coming out of them, but like super-sized! I was keen to find this to print, and I did! The model is called the Printception vase by Devin Montes from Make Anything, and printing this on the Voxelab Aquila 3D Printer, it came out flawless! Link to the STL is here. I printed this with a 0.2 layer height! The filament used for this model was Giantarm Gradient PLA and Longsell Silk Dark Champagne Gold PLA.
Amazon Echo Dots
Owning several Amazon Echo Dots around the house, I wanted to display differently rather than them just sitting there. They serve a function so deserved to be noticed! I found this Amazon Echo Dot stand on Thingiverse, which looked ideal. I also wanted to print in 2 colours for the base and the hand, so I used a pause script within my S3D so I can change filament partway through.
Needing to pause at layer 113 in order for me to change the filament, this is the script I used in S3D. More info on this script can be found here.
{REPLACE “\n; layer 113, Z = ” “; layer 113\nG28 Y0 X0\nM300\nM25\nG92 E0\nG28 Y0 X0\n; layer 113 “}
This works successfully as the pictures do show! The filament used for this model was Giantarm Silk Black PLA and Longsell Silk Dark Champagne Gold PLA. I printed another using Noulei Silk Silver PLA for the hand this time.
Aquila 3D Printer – The Good Points
This printer is just solid. Straight out of the box and built, I have been able to print without any issues. The screen is big and bright; the printing is silent and with the addition of belt tensioners; you have all that you pretty much need! The housing for the extruder is just 1 screw, which is easily accessed at the back, and this just pops off giving you full access to the hotend. It has a simple and easy navigation screen which is bigger than usual so great on the eye. The quality of the packing and the labelled parts is also a brilliant touch!
Aquila 3D Printer – The Bad Points
There are no real bad bits to the Voxelab Aquila 3D printer, however, let’s just say improvements! The screen’s interface appears to geared towards a touchscreen, but it’s not a touchscreen, unfortunately. This would be a great upgrade having a touchscreen as it would make navigation more seamless and be keeping up with the technology! The ends of the bolts from the belt tensioners do stick out and they do have a sharp edge on them, so just be wary you don’t get yourself caught on them.
As with most FDM 3D printers, it’s the fan noise. The Voxelab Aquila has silent stepper drivers which are great, but it’s just the fan noise which is a bugbear. Hopefully one day, manufacturers will start using silent fans! There is no doubt you can easily upgrade the fans for a more silent operation.
Where to buy The Aquila 3D Printer
The Voxelab Aquila 3D printer can be bought directly from Voxelab for an outstanding price of just $179! However, if you want the ease of Amazon, it’s available here for just £199!
Voxelab Aquila Conclusion
To sum up, if you are looking for a 3D printer on a budget, get this! It is very similar in looks to the Ender 3 V, but without the higher cost. The prints that have come off this printer have been outstanding! Just the odd few things I would change, but this is more to enhance than solve any problems (of which I have had none). I have yet to try other filaments with this, but there is no doubt I will not have any issues in doing this and I can see this being my main go to 3D printer from now on!
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VOXELAB Aquila 3D Printer, DIY FDM All Metal 3D Printers Kit with Removable Carborundum Glass Platform, Resume Printing Function, Print Size 220x220x250mm (Black)
Features
- 【Integrated Structure Design】Easy to assemble and maintain with integrated structure and modular design. All lines are concealed in the machine. It’s more convenient and safer for you to operate.
- 【Resume Printing Function】The machine can automatically resume printing when power comes on. It won’t print from scratch once meeting filament breakage, saving time and avoiding waste.
- 【Semi-Assembled Kit】This easy-to-setup kit comes partially assembled, enabling you to learn about the basic construction of 3D printers as you finish putting it together.
- 【Removable Build Surface Plate】Auqila uses carborundum glass platform, enables the building platform heat up in 5 minutes and prints adhere better without the warping. Ultra smoothness even on the first layer.
- 【Warranty and Service】All Voxelab 3d printers are provided lifetime technical assistance and a one-year warranty. If you have any questions regarding product operation or software please feel free to contact us.
Voxelab Aquila 3D Printer with Removable Build Surface Plate,Fully Open Source and Resume printing fuction Build Volume 220x220x250mm
Features
- 【Rapid Heating Bed】The carbon crystal silicon glass plate provides a strong adhesion,so the printing model will not easily become warped, so users can realize quick manual mold taking
- 【Resume Printing Function】The Aquila can resume printing after power outage or any other unexpected stoppage,save time and filaments
- 【Fully Open Source】Aquila is a straight forward BD printer based on open source technology. It allows for flexible upgrades and various modifications. Meanwhile, you are able to choose your favorite software as VoxelPrint, Cura and more
- 【Silent to Print】Aquila equipped with super quiet printing designing, the sound of operation is 50 decibels, provide a quiet printing experience for colleague and family!
- 【Warranty and Service】Voxelab provides Lifetime technical support and a one-year warranty.Any questions regarding product operation please feel free to contact us
The Voxelab Aquila is a solid printer. I was getting flawless prints straight away without having to change anything. Very impressive! Sold at an excellent price point, and also being part of the Flashforge brand, you know you are buying something of good quality.
